Are you looking for guidance on how to prepare for the arrival of a baby? If you’re expecting a child, this query may be on your mind constantly! Diapers and baby food are only a tiny part of the preparations for a newborn. There are some essentials you must pay attention to. This article will discuss home renovation ideas you should add to your new parent starter kit before the baby arrives.
Budgeting for Baby’s Homecoming
Some people put off having children until they are ‘ready’ because having a child is financially overwhelming. Others decide to start a family immediately without thinking about the cost. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, there are a few things to consider.
Budgeting is a crucial thing that you should add to your new parent starter kit. When exploring a ‘baby budget,’ two significant categories stand out. We have monthly purchases as well as one-time purchases. Fortunately, we can take care of many of the ‘one-time purchases’ before our kid arrives (and should), such as diapers, clothing, car seats, strollers, or even the cost of a surrogacy term.
You also need to budget for delivery and newborn hospitalization. A Michigan Medicine study found that the average out-of-pocket cost for the newborn’s labor, delivery, and hospitalization was $3,068. Additionally, out-of-pocket expenses went over $5,000 for one in six families.
If you plan to have a child or are expecting, prioritize medical expenses in financial discussions. Additionally, there will be visits to the doctor, where you’ll require various exams and ultrasounds. If you don’t already know it, it’s time to find out how much you will need for all these things.
Set Up a Nursery
It is common for parents to keep their infants in a cot in their bedroom for the first six months rather than placing them in a crib or toddler bed to ensure adequate rest for them. However, this does not justify not adding setting up a nursery to your new parent starter kit. Even if becoming parents for the first time is joyful, a newborn may find tasks like wall patching, painting, installing closet organization systems, and assembling furniture excessively noisy and filthy. Postponing the project also implies postponing the organization, which is crucial for providing for infants.
A baby spends the majority of the day sleeping. Therefore, the bed must be comfortable; otherwise, they will become tense and irritable. You must purchase high-quality baby bedding sets to give your child a comfortable bed. It must be made of the softest material and finished adequately to keep the child feeling comfortably warm and lulled to sleep rather than waking up overheated and uncomfortable. You can easily design a nursery room for your baby if you have that extra room.
Repair Your Roof
Major home remodeling tasks are the last thing you want to deal with while caring for a newborn. Renovations require a monumental effort even to get started, let alone finish. However, consider adding roof repair to your new parent starter kit.
A baby on the way is only one of many reasons to handle roofing repairs as soon as possible. No matter how cautious or skilled the crew, roofing repairs are tremendously loud. Even the deepest sleepers are unlikely to nap throughout the workday; they often only last a day or two.
Let a local roofer finish all home renovation tasks, including roof repairs and replacement, before the baby is due. According to Architectural Digest, the entire roof repair cost varies depending on the problem and type of roof you want to fix. Still, the typical cost is between $400 and $2,000. It’s a worthy investment to ensure a secure home for your baby.
Renovate Your Laundry Room, Appliances, and Bathroom
Renovating your laundry, appliances, and bathroom should be part of your new parent starter kit. If you are fortunate enough to have a laundry room with its own space, make it as functional as possible. Laundry heaps never end when a baby is involved. As a result, you’ll use this space almost as frequently as the nursery. Thus, you must have a room suitable for folding and ironing. Additionally, cabinets containing detergents must have kid locks.
Do not put off replacing any other necessary equipment, such as your washer, dryer, or dishwasher. A septic service should also check and fix your sewage/septic system. Sleep deprivation will be a reality for you during the first few months. You don’t want to be in a situation where you have to wash baby bottles by hand, fret over a mountain of dirty laundry, or deal with leaking sewage because your appliances and septic system broke down.
It’s preferable to remodel your bathroom before the baby arrives if needed. According to Angi, the cost of a standard bathroom redesign ranges from $6,624. The bathroom renovation is a dreaded, tedious, protracted, and inconvenient process. It is one of the modifications to complete before the baby is born if you have to offer it some tender, loving care. Choose bathtub refinishing if your bathtub is damaged or worn. Your bathroom must be warm, secure, and comfortable to bathe your infant here.
Make Your Outside Area Cozy and Secure
Make outdoor renovations part of your new parent starter kit. You’ll be glad you did it once the infant wobbles and crawls. So, if necessary, repair the patio or deck, make a cozy seating area, and add some shading. Sunlight can harm a baby’s eyes because they are so delicate. If you ensure your outdoor environment is secure, you’ll have fewer concerns to address later.
Additionally, some babies enjoy being outside and are more relaxed there. Therefore, having a gorgeous outdoor living space would benefit the whole family. Your home’s trees require a lot of attention and maintenance.
If you trim your trees professionally, there will be less chance of branches falling. When they fall and people are walking or playing outside, these can be dangerous because they can trip people up. Even more hazardous are trees that sustain such extensive damage that they collapse as a whole, which can affect not only your yard but also a portion of your home.
The best way to take care of your trees and deal with problems before they become a hazard is to consider arborists‘ services. According to Home Guide, an arborist charges between $100 and $250 per hour or between $800 and $2,000 per day. You increase your chances of having robust and healthy trees that can offer shade and beauty to the exterior of your home by keeping them healthy throughout the year. In fact, this might imply laying a solid foundation for a tree house or even a rope swing that your child can use for many years to come.
Fence Your Yard
Residential fencing may raise the value of your home. But it can also boost security and ensure the safety of your family. You’ll appreciate how crucial this extra layer of security may be by adding it to your new parent starter kit.
Fence installation is essential to give your kids a secure space to play. A fence can, among other things, stop unwanted guests from entering your property. This physical barrier can deter potential burglars, adding an extra layer of security to your house and the safety of your loved ones. Bob Vila estimates that the average fence installation costs between $1,743 and $4,431, which is a worthwhile investment.
Remember that you can use a fence to limit access to other parts of your yard, such as a pool. Because young children can easily drown in just a small amount of water, keeping them from having unsupervised access to your residential pool is crucial. The law mandates a pool fence, which can shield you from liability (if, for example, a neighborhood child could easily reach the pool).
Get Replacement Windows
As a baby grows and becomes more curious about the world around them, windows can become a hazard. When planning to install new windows, time is crucial, especially if a new baby is on the way. Add window replacements to your new parent starter kit to help you prepare your home for the new arrival.
While it will be some time before your baby starts moving around the house, it will be sooner than you might expect. The upcoming months and years will be a whirlwind, even though you may believe you have plenty of time to worry about that until your baby becomes a toddler. It’s better to take care of these concerns right away before a newborn or toddler distracts you from the tasks you plan to complete before the baby’s birth. Consider investing in a window replacement service. Get new window treatments in addition to having windows that close and lock tightly to prevent curious hands from opening or closing them.
Consider window treatments and having windows that close and lock tightly to prevent curious hands from opening or closing them. Get rid of or secure any window treatments with hanging cords that could endanger the safety of your child right away. Your home must also be cozy for the new baby when they come. You’ll appreciate the air conditioning in the summer because it keeps your home cool throughout the day and night. In the winter, you’ll want the air inside to stay warm, so your child can sleep in a comfortable, warm environment.
Schedule HVAC Maintenance Checkup
Parents worry about the dos and don’ts throughout pregnancy. However, have you ever considered the effects of poor indoor air quality and the HVAC system’s function in protecting the safety of the mother and the newborn child? Poor indoor air quality affects the mother and the child in several ways.
Pregnant women typically stay home during the final several months of their pregnancies and need fresh air. However, the mother’s general comfort may be compromised when the HVAC system malfunctions. Additionally, when there is a problem with the heating and cooling system, your home may experience several issues, such as an unbalanced humidity level.
However, a high humidity level is ideal for the growth of mold. When mold is present in your environment, you may experience issues with odor, allergens, and colds. These issues can have a significant negative impact on the mother and the child. Again, babies will need a stable temperature to maintain a healthy immune system. However, HVAC issues might hinder this, and you might find your kid in a precarious situation.
Before the baby arrives, consider adding HVAC maintenance to your new parent starter kit. You should engage an AC repair company. They should conduct an HVAC maintenance checkup if you want to avoid dealing with these issues. It’ll keep both the mother and the baby safe.
Address Security Concerns
Taking care of all the safety concerns in and around your home is the most important task to add to your new parent starter kit before the baby is born. It’s known as baby-proofing. Deal with the more serious issues first, such as mold, plumbing, electrical, or hinge issues with the windows. Additionally, when you move around your house, look for any potential trouble spots and secure them.
Your kid will begin to crawl soon, so take care of some basic safety concerns. If you have stairs, baby gates are a must – finally, baby-proof sockets, corners, and edges. The next things to change are the cabinets.
Install kid locks and safety latches on everything your youngster might access. The most dangerous objects are in the kitchen, so pay close attention. Last but not least, you might need to change the arrangement of your house, so your child can’t pull on any cords and endanger themselves.
Eliminate Mold From Your Home
Delaying mold remediation until after the baby is delivered is not a smart idea because mold may quickly develop in moist, dark areas like basements, bathrooms, and kitchens. You shouldn’t put yourself in danger even though experts strive to contain the spores. Because spores have the potential to cause allergic reactions and make breathing challenging, infant immune systems are particularly susceptible to their impacts. Everyone, not just pregnant women, should reserve a hotel room for the cleanup.
Now, go and finish all the necessary modifications before the baby is born. But remember that every home is different, and every person has specific demands. Therefore, you should adapt our list of improvements before the baby is born to fit your unique circumstances. Consider your budget and the condition of your house. Then, list your top priorities and work your way down.
