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Imagine this, it’s move in day at your new home. The boxes are getting unpacked, the removals truck is about empty, and the sense of achievement and satisfaction can finally start to settle in! You did it, you moved into your new home!
After the kettle is boiled and that all important victory biscuit is dunked you then start to compile a list of ‘Important stuff to get completed in the next few days’
The list often includes setting up internet, energy, and council tax… but is there anything else you should be thinking about? In this article, we have listed out the 5 most important window and door related tasks which over the years we have found to be very important for security, piece of mind and energy efficiency in your new home!
To keep this as simple as possible, we’ve listed them out below, and for the list lovers among us, they are in order of (what our team decided) is the most important through to the least.
1. Change your front and back door key barrels
2. Check that your bedroom windows have the correct Fire escape functionality.
3. Check that all opening windows can lock and have keys.
4. Check that your window hinges and gaskets are in good condition.
5. Check all doors close easily and seal well.
It doesn’t matter how good your front door is or how fancy the locking mechanism is, if someone other than you has the key then it’s all for nothing.
We can’t stress the importance of this task enough! To us, it’s one of the most important things to do on day one.
Having a professional company come to your home and replace the key barrel is absolute piece of mind that your castle is only accessible with keys which you know about.
Over time homeowners lose keys, leave them with family and friends and in some circumstances withhold them for the very reason to gain entry after the sale is completed.
Our advice, jump on this one quickly and sleep easy in your new home from day one!
This is one which gets overlooked by almost everyone, it’s a simple check which again gives you piece of mind that if the worst happens, you and your loved ones have a viable escape route out of first floor windows.
There are 2 ways to check, the first is to look out for a label on the window hinge stating that it’s fire escape specification, or secondly, simply open the window all the way, if it opens at 90 degrees without the casement edge coming towards the centre of the aperture you know you have the right ones. (If you’re looking for any help on this, drop our team a message and we will be happy to help)
This is one we see a lot at The Window Doctor, lots of our wonderful customers get in touch to ask for window keys in homes recently purchased. To avoid this, ensure you ask the vendors on the move in day for all the keys, and then take a quick trip around the house to check that all the window handles work and of course, that they lock securely.
There is nothing worse than knowing you have a ground floor window unsecure!
Tasks 4 & 5 are energy related! Our team voted to include these in the top 5 to ensure that you don’t get any nasty energy bills in the first few months! Broken window hinges on windows or perished gaskets can cause a HUGE amount of heat loss from your home. In fact, they can make some rooms almost unusable in winter months!
This is by no means a day one task, maybe day three or four. But take some time to check the window hinges and seals on all the openers. They can often become worn and so leave you with draughts and unwanted heat loss!
Finally check the same thing with your doors, whether it’s a new build or older property, doors can often be misaligned, stiff or draughty. So, identifying an issue early can save high energy bills and prevent costly repairs from worn out components! And remember, if they do need some TLC, all the door handles, hinges and hardware can all be replaced saving you the cost of replacing the entire door!
As I stated earlier, this is a simple guide to what we think should be up there on your initial move in tasks!
We hope you found the article useful, and really hope that if you have already moved into your dream home, we hope your loving it, and if your still in the process of moving… just think about that victory biscuit!
If you have any further questions wish to speak to a member of the team about any window or door repair then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 01455 850282 or shoot us and email!
We look forward to helping you soon, and remember - Why Replace... We Repair...
