There’s nothing quite like moving into a brand-new home. Everything is fresh, untouched and ready to make your own.
But although your home is finished and ready for you, some of the materials we’ve used to build it will still be adjusting to their new surroundings. This is completely normal, and you may notice a few small changes during your first year.
Here’s what to expect, and a few simple things you can do to help your home settle in.
Your home is drying out
Quite a lot of water is used when building a home. It’s in materials such as concrete, plaster, mortar and paint, and some of that moisture will still be making its way out after you move in.
The best thing you can do is give it somewhere to go.
Keep your home comfortably heated and well ventilated, particularly during the first few months. Opening windows when you can and keeping trickle vents open will help moisture escape naturally.
Try not to turn the heating up very high to speed things along. A steady, comfortable temperature is much kinder to your new home and allows it to dry gradually.
You might spot a few small cracks
As timber, plaster and other materials dry, they naturally shrink a little. This can leave small cracks around places such as door frames, skirting boards, ceilings and where walls meet.
They can look a little worrying when you first notice them, but fine shrinkage cracks are a normal part of a new home settling.
Once your home has had time to dry out, these can usually be filled and touched up when you come to decorate.
If a crack seems unusually large, keeps getting bigger or you’re simply not sure about it, speak to our Customer Care team. We’d always rather you ask.
Give decorating a little time
We know one of the nicest parts of moving in is making the place feel like yours. Pictures go up, furniture finds its spot and thoughts quickly turn to paint colours.
When it comes to redecorating, though, it pays to be a little patient.
Giving your home time to dry and settle before making bigger decorative changes means any small shrinkage cracks can be dealt with first. It also gives new materials the chance to lose their remaining moisture.
You don’t need to put making your home your own on hold — just bear the settling-in period in mind before reaching for the paintbrush.
Keep the air moving
Everyday life adds moisture to a home too. Cooking, showering, drying clothes and even breathing all release water vapour into the air.
Good ventilation helps get that moisture back outside.
Use your extractor fans when cooking or showering, leave trickle vents open and avoid blocking ventilation points. If you do notice condensation on your windows, wipe it away rather than leaving it to sit.
These are small habits, but they make a real difference while your home is drying out — and they’re good habits to keep afterwards too.
Doors may need a little adjustment
Changes in temperature and moisture can cause timber doors and frames to move slightly as they settle.
You might find that a door feels a little tighter at certain times of year or doesn’t close quite as smoothly as it did before. Often, this settles naturally as conditions in the home change.
If something doesn’t seem right or is making a room difficult to use, let us know.
A home that’s settling into life with you
Your new Owl home has been built to be lived in, and that means it won’t stay completely untouched once everyday life begins.
A little drying, movement and settling is part of the process. Keeping your home gently heated, giving it plenty of ventilation and allowing it time to adjust will help it through those first months.
And if you see something you’re unsure about, you don’t have to work out whether it’s normal on your own.
Our Customer Care team is here to help.
Customer Care
Still concerned? Reach out to your customer care team
If something doesn’t look or feel quite right, or you’d simply like a bit of reassurance, get in touch with our Customer Care team. We know your home, and we’re here to help you understand what’s part of the normal settling-in process and what might need a closer look. Send us a few details, along with photos if they’re helpful, and we’ll take it from there.
