Pure Maintenance Austin TeamQuick answer: The best time to freshen a new-to-you home is between getting the keys and the moving truck showing up. The house is empty, every closet is open and there's no couch to move, so a new filter, HVAC service, the drains and a whole-home dry fog treatment all go faster and reach farther.
Why is the empty house your best chance?
When you move into a home someone else lived in, you inherit more than the floor plan. You also inherit their pets, their cooking, maybe their smoking, and years of dust and buildup in the carpet, closets and air ducts. Right now, none of your own things are in the way of clearing it out.
What might the last owners have left behind?
More than a showing reveals. A house staged with candles, fresh paint and the AC running cold can still hold:
- Pet dander and odors: dander settles into carpet and ducts, and urine odors soak into the pad. You might not notice until a humid day, or until your own pet starts sniffing every corner.
- Smoke: cigarette, cigar or even fireplace smoke clings to walls, ceilings and fabric.
- Cooking smells: years of frying, spices and grease leave a film, especially near the kitchen.
- Dust and allergens: built up in vents, return grilles, closets and ductwork.
- Microbes: they collect on surfaces and in the HVAC system over time.
Together, that is the house's bio-load: particles from someone else's years there, in the air, on surfaces and in the HVAC system. A house that changed hands after a decade or more can carry a lot of it.
Your move-in checklist
Work through this list in the first days after you get the keys, before the furniture arrives.
Change the air filter
Put in a fresh filter on day one. You have no idea when the last one was changed. Write the date on the edge so you know when to check it again. In Central Texas, check it monthly.
Get the HVAC system serviced
A tune-up tells you how old the system is, how it's running, and whether the coil and drain line need cleaning. It's also a good time to check the ductwork for dirt, gaps or crushed sections. Our sister company, Gold Eagle Services, does this work all over the Austin area and can tell you if a dehumidifier or better filtration makes sense for the house.
Clean the dryer vent
Lint builds up in dryer vents and can be a fire risk. It also makes your dryer work harder and can push warm, damp air back into the laundry room. Have the full vent run cleaned out to the outside.
Freshen the drains
Drains in a home that sat empty can dry out and let sewer gas in. Run hot tap water for a minute in every sink, tub and shower, including the guest bath, to refill the traps (the U-shaped bends that hold water and block the gas). Our drains and dry traps guide explains more.
Check for leaks
Look under every sink, around the water heater and around toilets. Check ceilings for stains. If you find anything, call a plumber or roofer before you move in.
Stains, soft drywall or signs of visible growth call for an independent state-licensed professional before any freshening. That's their job, not ours: we don't measure or analyze indoor air.
Check smoke and CO alarms
Replace the batteries and press the button on every smoke alarm to make sure it sounds. If the home has gas appliances or an attached garage, make sure it has working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms too. Check the date printed on the back of each alarm, since the last owners may have left ones that are years old.
Wipe down and vacuum
Wipe cabinets, shelves and closet rods. Vacuum carpets and vents with a HEPA vacuum.
Treat before the furniture arrives
A whole-home dry fog treatment works best in an empty house. With nothing in the way, the fog reaches every room, every closet, every corner, and the full HVAC ductwork.
Pure Maintenance Austin uses the patented Pure Maintenance VaPURE dry fog system in two steps:
- A fine dry fog of a hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid solution that breaks down into water, oxygen and vinegar.
- A surface protectant.
The fog is fine enough to reach everywhere without getting things wet. The treatment takes one day, so it fits between closing and the moving truck even on a tight schedule.
Heavy smoke or pet odors from the last owners? Our Odor Treatment adds an ozone shock treatment after the dry fog to help neutralize persistent odors. It runs for up to 48 hours in the empty house, and the home is aired out before you move in, so plan it a few days ahead of the moving truck.
The best order looks like this:
- Fix any leaks and finish any repairs.
- Have the HVAC system serviced and put in a new filter.
- Schedule your whole-home treatment. If you'd like us to handle it, call us once you have a closing date and we'll plan it around the keys.
- Bring in the furniture and start unpacking.
That way, your things move into a home that already feels fresh, with a lower bio-load and fewer leftover odors from the last owners.
What we don't promise
Dry fog deals with odors and the stale buildup a previous household leaves behind. It isn't a medical treatment, so if anyone in your family has a medical concern, talk to your doctor before moving day.
Get a free phone consultation
Closing soon? Book a free phone consultation and we'll help you plan around your move-in date. A Comfort Advisor will call you, learn what's going on in the home and send a written quote based on square footage. We serve all of Central Texas, including College Station, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Bastrop and Marble Falls.
Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com. We're open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.