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36 OUR HOUSE WINTER 2018 DOMINION LENDING CENTRES STEPS TO HOME SWEET HOME The first things you need to do after taking possession of your new abode | By MARC SHENDALE C ongratulations – you are moving into your new home! Whether you are starting with a brand new build or an older resale home, there's no better way to make it yours than by putting your stamp on it. Invest a weekend or two into warming up a featureless space or refreshing someone else's old homestead. It's easy with our 10 steps to home sweet home. STEP 2 GET A PROFESSIONAL DEEP CLEANING Hire professional cleaners to deep-clean and detail your home before you move your possessions in. Without any furniture to work around, they'll have access to every nook and cranny. Yes, you'll have to clean again after moving day, but the heavy lifting (scouring, scrubbing and scraping) will have already been done. STEP 3 CLEAN THE GUTS OF YOUR HOME Years of dust, pet dander and detritus collect in the hidden workings of any home. One of the most ežective ways to refresh a resale home is to get right into the guts of it: the mechanicals. Have your ducts, furnace and air conditioning unit professionally cleaned. Change the filters as required to maintain that clean, fresh air. STEP 4 APPLY A FRESH COAT OF PAINT Painting provides the most bang for your home-improvement buck. Whether the walls of your home are dingy or you're simply not feeling the magic of beige, it takes just hours to repaint your space with a colour that makes your heart sing. STEP 1 CHANGE THE LOCKS Secure your home by changing the locks as soon as you take possession. Even DIY beginners can change a deadbolt lock. A replacement deadbolt set can be installed in place of the current lock with just a screw- driver—no drilling required. Another option is to rekey the lock. Purchase a rekeying set from the same manufacturer as the existing door lock, and reset it for a new key. TOOLBOX