Top Home Upgrades All Expecting Parents Should Plan Now
by Kaitlin Krull
If you have a baby on the way, home renovation projects can feel like unnecessary stressors during what is already a full-on period of your life. While forgetting about the rest of the outside world may seem like a good idea in the months immediately before and after your new bundle of joy is born, there are a few jobs that really should get done before baby arrives. Here are a few of our recommendations for home upgrades that all expecting parents should plan for now.
Safety updates
At the top of most expecting parents’ prep lists is babyproofing. Although you can find a wide variety of pre-packed safety kits at your local baby store, making your home safe for a child is about more than covering outlets and installing stair gates. It’s simple enough to include these basic childproofing products, but it’s also a good idea to consider the general safety of your home. Install multiple door locks that are both difficult to open and out of the reach of little fingers. Ensure that all of your home windows are child-proofed and secure. Check all fences and gate latches, fit pool guards and covers where necessary, and consider upgrading or installing an at-home security system. After you’ve completed these upgrades, make sure to practice safe home techniques well before your baby can move around. After all, mobility happens sooner than you think and you can easily be caught off guard if you put these kinds of tasks off now.
Nursery makeover
While many babies spend the first few months in their parents’ room, getting your head around the idea of a personalized nursery space for your little one is an essential part of the journey to parenthood. Think up a color scheme and/or theme, purchase and assemble basic furniture pieces, and complete basic decoration jobs before your due date rolls around. As mentioned above, failure to do this prep work now may mean that you end up overwhelmed later on when you’re ready to transition your baby to their own room.
Early days essentials
The first few months of your baby’s life may feel like a sleep-deprived blur, but there are a few small home upgrades you can make now to make the early days as comfortable as possible. A feeding station equipped with a comfortable chair, side table, lamp, and storage basket will ease the pain of midnight feeds and give you and your baby a relaxing retreat from the rest of your busy home. While you’re organizing this area of your home, make room in the rest of your house for the overwhelming amount of baby accessories you’ll accumulate in the months and years to come. Focus on areas such as the kitchen (for bottles and other feeding accessories), bathroom (for baby baths, towels, and other bathing equipment), and your living room (include plenty of storage for baby toys). When you’re swept up with the busy schedule of baby, you’ll be glad you prepped while you had the time.
Pressing DIY projects
You may feel motivated now, but you won’t have time to complete any large-scale home renovation projects once baby arrives. Ticking off a few of the most urgent items on your to-do list now is a good idea—especially if they involve plumbing, electricals, or the most frequented spaces in your home. A few tips: enlist help where necessary, make sure mom-to-be is well away from any fumes and potentially dangerous projects, and only complete the most essential tasks now so you don’t push it too close to baby’s due date. Until then, stock up on all the sleep you can!
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Kaitlin Krull is a writer and mom of two girls living the expat life. She enjoys writing for the window repair experts at Modernize with the goal of empowering homeowners with the expert guidance and educational tools they need to take on home projects with confidence.
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