The day has officially arrived where your new home is officially closed and it’s now all yours! Sure, there’s a tall to-do list, but you’ll be able to tackle it properly with the right advice to help you get the most out of the first week or so. Let’s take a look!
Change all the locks
Realistically speaking, you have no idea who has keys to the lock of your new home. You should ideally have a set of new locks ready to go on move-in day so that you can change them over immediately (yes, all of them)!
Replace the batteries in the smoke/gas detectors
From carbon monoxide and gas to classic smoke detectors, you’re going to want to replace the batteries in all of the detectors so that they’re all working properly and you don’t need to think about it for another 6 months. Plus, who knows when the last time they were replaced, it could have been a year a go or a day ago.. but your family and home safety is worth the cost of the extra batteries.
Be ready for an emergency
From a fire evacuation route to a muster point, you should have a plan ready for an emergency so that everyone knows how to keep themselves safe and sound. New home and new surroundings call for a new plan. This is especially important when you have kids and family members that may need extra help or care.
Reread your inspection report and make a plan
The inspection report from the pre-home purchase will tell you what needs to be addressed first, if it wasn’t already prior to the closing You can start making a list of what needs your attention and put in order of importance and priority. Welcome to the joys of homeownership… there is always something that needs to be done.
Do a thorough deep clean
There’s nothing like living in dirt, but at least it’s your own dirt, right? Before you move your stuff in, have a professional company come in and clean every single crevice and corner so that it’s extremely clean and ready for you. Plus, if there was work done on the house, or it laid vacant for a period of time, nothing like a good once over cleaning to be sure you are putting your stuff on clean walls, in clean cabinets and flooring. Did I mention a good carpet or floor cleaning is a good idea? What a better way to start your spring cleaning than with an empty house!
Find your water/gas/power shut-offs
Shut-offs always should be located as soon as possible so that you know where to look and how to turn off your connections if you need to. This should really be part of your emergency planning anyhow.
Service the HVAC
If it hasn’t been done already before closing, you’ll want to have your HVAC serviced so that it’s fresh and ready for you to move in. Oh, don’t forget to change out the filters!
Update your address with your insurance agent
You may have your homeowners’ insurance policy ready to go, but make sure that you update your address with your insurance agent with regard to all of your other policies and maybe you need to cancel the other homeowners insurance, if you were selling and buying a house. And, of course don’t forget to put in those change of address orders with the local post office.
Get up close and personal with your mortgage
Whether you’ve had a mortgage before or not, make sure you understand the financial workings of the mortgage and how the payments come out, etc. The sooner you know, the easier it’ll be to adapt to it! Put it on your calendar or create a recurring payment so you don’t get slapped with a late fee and note on your credit.
Closing your home is an exciting time, but it does come with some additional challenges that you might not have thought about. This list will help you keep it all manageable so that you can enjoy it to the fullest but still keep your sights focused on those practical features that need you. Feel free to share with your friends and comment with some of the things you thought of when closing on your first or most recent home.