Congrats on your new home! Closing on a house in today’s market is a big accomplishment. After going through house hunting, making an offer, getting a mortgage, and finally closing the deal, you might be wondering what comes next, aside from moving in. Are there other things to consider or do now that you’re a homeowner?
After signing the papers and getting your keys, there are several tasks you’ll want to do for peace of mind and a smooth transition into your new home. This article will help you with 16 important things to do right after buying a home.
1. Secure your home
Making your new home secure starts with an important step: right after you get your keys, change the locks, garage codes, and all the ways people can get into your home. This simple but very important step helps you control who can come into your property, making your home safer and giving you peace of mind. You never know who might have a copy of the old keys.
The cost of changing locks depends on things like how secure you want them to be, how complicated the locks are, and whether you hire a professional locksmith or do it yourself. If your home has an alarm system, be ready for possible fees to reconnect it, or think about switching to a different provider.
When you’re closing the deal on your house, make sure to ask for instruction manuals and codes for electronic systems, like home alarms and garage codes. Then, change these codes so only you know them. If you can’t find the manuals, you might find instructions online to reprogram them for extra convenience.
2. Set up safety measures for kids and pets
If you have little kids or pets at home, make sure to make your space safe for them. This is important to keep your new home safe for both your children and furry friends. Put safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs, cover electrical outlets, attach heavy furniture to walls, and keep furniture away from windows. Secure long cords for electronics and window blinds, and use locks on cabinets to keep kids and pets out.
Also, keep dangerous things out of their reach. Store cleaning products, detergents, trash cans, heavy pots and pans, sharp objects, and things that could be harmful in safe places. These steps make your home safe for kids and pets, reducing possible dangers and making it a safe place for everyone in the family.
3. Complete necessary paperwork
During a big move, dealing with paperwork might not be your first priority, but it’s important to handle important documents after moving. Some filings have strict deadlines, and overlooking them could result in fines.
Change your address
Within a week of moving, update your address on the USPS website and at the local DMV. It’s also important to let critical entities like the IRS, state tax agencies, banks, credit card providers, employers, and insurance companies know about your new address. In some states, updating insurance information requires getting a new state driver’s license.
Forward your mail
After telling relevant agencies about your new address, set up mail forwarding through your old post office. This ensures that important documents won’t be sent to the wrong address during your move.
Update your voter registration
If you plan to vote in local or federal elections, update your voter registration when you update your driver’s license at the DMV or through online options. Remember to check for state-specific deadlines, usually 15 to 30 days before an election.
Make copies of your closing documents
Keep copies of your closing documents and store the originals in a secure place, like a lockable filing cabinet or safe.
Create a checklist of home projects based on the home inspection
Use your home inspection checklist to address immediate household problems. Prioritize major issues for safety before tackling minor repairs.
4. Double check your homeowners’ insurance
When it comes to insurance, especially homeowners insurance, they usually know about your address change when you’re getting a mortgage. That’s because getting homeowners insurance is a regular part of getting a mortgage. The insurance company is told about your new property and address to make sure your home is properly protected against possible risks and problems.
But it’s really important for homeowners to talk to their insurance company actively. This makes sure that the coverage matches the specific details and needs of their new home. The right amount of coverage considers things like where the property is, how big it is, what it’s made of, and the potential risks in the area. By looking at and updating your homeowners insurance on your own, you can make sure that you have enough protection that fits the special features of your new home.
5. Purchase or review your home warranty
Even though it’s not something you have to do, some homeowners decide to get a home warranty for extra security, financial protection, and peace of mind. Choosing a reliable and reasonably priced home warranty acts like a safety net for unexpected problems with important home systems and appliances. This can be a smart choice, especially for people buying a home for the first time, giving them reassurance in case of unexpected repairs. Sometimes, sellers might include a home warranty as a bonus to close the deal, so it’s a good idea to check the coverage details. In these situations, looking closely at the terms of the home warranty helps you understand what it covers, making you feel more confident about owning a home.
6. Connect the utilities
Make sure to turn off the utilities at your old home and set them up at your new place. Researching utility companies before you move helps you pick the best one for you. Depending on the company, there might be fees for transferring or starting a new service. If you’re a new customer, talk to the utility company to find out what you need to do to get things set up.
Here’s a quick list of utilities you’ll need to take care of:
- Water/sewer
- Gas
- Electricity
- Trash collection (if your new home has it)
7. Check safety alarms
Not all home security measures are just about stopping burglars; some are made to keep you safe from health dangers and possible accidents. Alarms in your home, like those for dangerous gases and fires, are really important to make sure your family is safe. When you’re getting to know your new home, it’s a good idea to check these alarms to make sure they have batteries and are working well. Some common alarms in houses include smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, radon detectors, and sensors for doors and windows.
If any alarm isn’t working right, you should replace it quickly. Also, even if an alarm seems to be working, regularly check when it was installed. If it’s more than ten years old, replace it to make sure you’re keeping the safest measures in place.
8. Set up TV, internet, and phone services
Many companies provide packages that include TV, internet, and phone services all together. After you pick a service provider, you can decide if you want to set up the internet or cable on your own or if you prefer to schedule a technician to do it for you. This gives you the flexibility to choose a convenient and personalized way to get your preferred services in your new home.
9. Find the circuit box, review emergency shut-offs and appliance manuals
Getting to know your new home is really important. Figure out where the emergency shut-offs are, like your main water line and the circuit-breaker box. If the circuits don’t have labels, take a moment to add them, saying which ones go to each room or appliance. Keep all the manuals for your appliances in one place so you can easily look them up when you need to. Knowing these things helps you handle and fix problems in your home quickly and efficiently.
10. Use your inspection report as a to-do list for upkeep
After buying your home, go back to your home inspection report to check for any unresolved issues. Use the report as a guide to make a list of repairs, updates, or maintenance tasks for the future. Put these tasks in order based on how urgent they are, focusing on fixing things that could cause problems later on. Take care of issues like clogged gutters, leaky pipes, or doors and windows that need resealing. Make sure to address the most important concerns first to protect your new investment and avoid potential problems in the future.
11. Test your water
Making sure your home’s water is safe is really important for different reasons. Your water could have harmful things like pesticides, bacteria, lead, nitrates, and other germs, which can be bad for your health. Also, tap water might have things like sediment, which can lead to problems like pipe erosion, hard water deposits, and irritation for people with sensitive skin. To deal with these concerns, it’s a good idea to do a water test through a certified lab. You can find a local lab through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stay on top of potential water quality problems and protect both your health and your plumbing system.
12. Conduct an energy audit
Electricity is usually the most expensive utility for homeowners, and in recent years, energy costs have gone up. To avoid being surprised by a high electricity bill, you can do something called an energy audit. This is a thorough look at how your home uses energy and how efficiently it does so. You can ask your utility company for an audit, or you can hire someone independent to check your whole house. They’ll look at how each room uses energy, the total amount of energy your home uses, how well your heating and cooling system works, and how much insulation your house has.
13. Change HVAC filters
There’s no assurance that the people who lived in the house before you took care of all the necessary repairs and maintenance. It’s better to be safe and change your home’s HVAC filters as soon as you move in, considering we’re not sure when they were last replaced. If the filters are clogged or damaged, it can lead to problems like bad air quality, damage to the HVAC system, and other issues. It’s a good idea to put in a new air filter when you move in and then replace it every three months to make sure everything works well.
14. Develop a regular maintenance schedule
Instead of trying to do all the maintenance tasks at once, take a careful approach and spread them out over time. This could include doing things regularly, like changing air filters, cleaning gutters, pressure washing the outside, and more. By making a regular home maintenance checklist, you make sure to take a sustainable and efficient approach to keep your new home healthy and working well for the long term.
15. Create an emergency plan
Even if it seems a bit extreme, creating an emergency plan is an important step that might save lives during a natural disaster. Take some time to draw a map of your new home, figure out the best ways to get out, find where the fire extinguishers are, and choose a meeting spot outside – all of these are essential parts of a well-prepared family emergency plan.
16. Introduce yourself to neighbors
Meeting your neighbors after moving into a new home is an important step in creating a friendly and pleasant community. Building connections with people who live nearby not only makes the neighborhood feel welcoming, but it also forms a network of support and friendship. Getting to know your neighbors can also make you feel more secure, as they can be helpful allies during times of need or emergencies.
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