You found a good Realtor®, you went to open houses, you found the perfect home, you made an offer, you went through inspections, you negotiated with the seller, you’ve secured your home loan, and now you’ve closed! Great news, that’s just the beginning, there is plenty more to come after you’ve gotten the keys.
Here are some things that should be at the top of your to-do list for your new home:
Find the main water shut off
You probably were shown this if you were with your home inspector, but in case you weren’t you NEED to know where this is located in your home. If there are ever problems with your water lines, or you need to do any maintenance with plumbing, the main water line is going to be where you go first.
Hire a pest control company
Hopefully this is a precautionary step, pests can be a terrible for you and your home. Shop around and find a company with a good reputation, you’ll want to have someone you can rely on if you are ever invaded by unwelcome guests. It’s also important to have annual maintenance on your house to prevent pests that can cause major damage, such as termites.
Clean the gutters
Your gutters are you first line of defense against water damage. It’s important to regularly get your ladder out and clean the gutters of any debris that’s collected otherwise water can just spill over onto the ground which can find it’s way into the foundation of your home.
Tell EVERYONE about your change of address
This one is pretty simple but can seem never ending. Go through and update your driver’s license, all of your contacts, your subscriptions, your services, your billing. It’s important that anything that sends you mail needs to get your new address, otherwise how will you get all of those bills you love?
Change Every Lock
You never know who the former owners gave a house key to. A locksmith can rekey your locks if they are expensive ones, and some stores can also rekey certain brand named locks, which can be done quite inexpensively.
You can also choose to get four digit keyless locks. That can be a great option especially with kids who lose their keys all the time anyways. Also, don’t forget to reset a garage door keypad from the outside of your garage. There are great instructions online on how to do it, or call a garage door company for assistance.
Contact Government Officials About Homesteading
You can get a reduction in your assessed value by thousands of dollars – which gives you a discount on your property taxes – by just filling out a form saying you occupy the home you just bought. Some counties give other homestead exemptions like for senior citizens or returning veterans. It all depends on your city or your county of what type of homestead credit is available.
Cover The Windows
The former owners might have taken all the curtains and blinds with them. So before your neighbors get to know you real well because they can see through your windows, purchase coverings to give yourself some privacy.
There is PLENTY of things you can put on a to-do list as you're moving in but don't let it stress you out. Ultimately these are things to make for a better quality of living in the long term. Make it fun & Enjoy your New Home!
Source: https://mymortgageinsider.com/things-you-need-to-do-after-closing-on-your-house/
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