Must Do’s Immediately After Closing on Your New Home

Must Do’s Immediately After Closing on Your New Home

Congratulations you just closed on your new home and you are officially a homeowner! Moving in, changing your mailing address, and turning on the utilities is probably at the top of your list. However, there are a lot of other things you should do immediately after closing on your new home that most new homeowners oftentimes overlook.

So before you start unpacking your boxes and settling in, you’ll want to make sure you do these 7 things.

Change Locks

You don’t know who has a key to your new home. So it’s imperative you change the locks immediately after closing. Even if you don’t plan on moving in right away changing the locks should be your number one priority. This will give you peace of mind knowing that you and your family are the only ones who have access to your home. Whether you decide to replace the locks completely or have all the locks rekeyed is up to you, but just make sure to change all of the locks.

Check Windows and Doors

Odds are you had a home inspection, so you’ll know whether or not the windows and doors are working. However, you’ll still want to double-check to make sure they are in working order and properly lock. In some cases, you may want to add additional locks or security bars on the doors and windows.

Replace Smoke Detectors or Batteries

Before spending a single night in your new home you’ll want to make sure you have working smoke detectors.

Your new home most likely came equipped with smoke detectors, but you need to make sure they work. Sometimes you may just need to replace the batteries while other times you’ll need to replace the entire smoke detector.

In addition to making sure they work you’ll also want to make a note to change the batteries every year. This is something that most homeowners forget to do, so mark your calendar and set a reminder to do so.

Escape Route

In case of an emergency make sure your family has escape routes, which goes back to making sure all of the doors and windows properly work. This may seem like common sense for some. However, when children are in a brand-new space they may panic and not know what to do in the event of an emergency.

So you’ll want to do actual fire drills, just as you did growing up in school. This way the entire family is prepared, they know how to evacuate and where to go.

Examine Driveways and Walkways

Your home inspector probably noted any trip hazards found, but it’s always a good idea to double-check and make sure nothing has changed since the inspection. The last thing you want is for someone to trip over a raised paver in the driveway, fall down, and hurt themselves.

Handrails

If you have any handrails inside or outside make sure they are secure to avoid any potential disasters. Handrails are there for safety and if they aren’t properly secured they can cause an accident.

Double Check Inspection Report

Even if you attended your home inspection and read through the complete report you should go back through it once you close and make any necessary repairs. Oftentimes when a new homeowner moves in these “minor” repairs tend to slip their mind and what might be minor can turn into major issues if they’re not taken care of.

Final Thoughts

Closing on your new home will be very exciting, but it can also be extremely overwhelming and stressful too. So in order to alleviate any unnecessary stress it’s best to come up with a “to-do list,” by doing so you won’t be trying to remember what you have to do nor will you forget to do something altogether.

Additional Real Estate Advice from Top Professionals

• What not to do after closing on a house? Ignore this list, it’s something that should be a top priority when moving into a new home.
• How soon after closing on a house can I move in? Unless all parties agreed the seller will remain in the property after closing you can move in immediately.
• How soon after closing can I buy furniture? Now that you are officially closed on your new home you can start buying furnishings.
• What to do after closing on a new construction home? The list remains the same. While the house is brand new doesn’t mean everything is perfect. Sure the locks are new, but does anyone else have the key? I rather be safe than sorry and just rekey all of the locks.
• Are you preparing for a cross-country move? If so there will be a lot more planning involved. Unless you plan on leaving your belongings behind you’ll have to find a way to transport all of your belongings, including your vehicles and your family.
• Moving containers VS moving trucks, will one of these options work for you? There are pros and cons to both options, so you’ll want to examine them and select the one that works best for you.
• What to do after house settlement? First and foremost, I recommend changing the locks and then tackling the 6 remaining items on this list within the first few days after closing.

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About the Author

Top Wellington Realtor, Michelle Gibson, wrote: “Must Do’s Immediately After Closing on Your New Home”

Michelle has been specializing in residential real estate since 2001 throughout Wellington Florida and the surrounding area. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell or rent she will guide you through the entire real estate transaction. If you’re ready to put Michelle’s knowledge and expertise to work for you call or e-mail her today.

Areas of service include Wellington, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Greenacres, and more.

Must Do’s Immediately After Closing on Your New Home