New Home Checklist

You’ve passed the inspection, cleared financing, made it out of escrow, signed on a hundred dotted lines, and finally, the keys are in your hand – congratulations on buying your new home! But now that it is yours, what should you do next?

12 New Home Tasks They Never Tell You About

Of course you know about the moving essentials of packing and unpacking, buying new furniture, setting up utilities, and forwarding your mail. There are many more tasks, however, that can help you be more comfortable in your new home and help you settle in smoothly and efficiently.

• Take Time Off Right when you take possession of your new home, it can be helpful to arrange a few days off work if possible. This is time you can put to great use making utility appointments, cleaning up, rearranging furniture, unpacking, and generally getting to know your new home without stressing about your work schedule at the same time.
• Inspect the House While you should have had a contractor inspection as part of the buying process, don’t miss a final walk through after you’ve bought your home. Look for problems that may have been hidden by furniture, for example, such as stained carpets or marks on the walls. Also look for any items the previous owner may have forgotten in cupboards or closets so they can be returned promptly.
• Make Immediate Repairs and Renovations If your home inspection highlighted any critical concerns, now is the time to make those essential repairs. It is also easier and less expensive to make basic upgrades and renovations such as a new coat of paint, new flooring, or extra insulation before you’ve officially moved in and your possessions fill up the space.
• Have a Yard Sale Before you start moving everything you own into your new home, consider having a yard sale or donating any items that won’t work in the new space or that you no longer need. Some furniture may not fit in your new home, for example, or you may not need that countertop microwave now that your new house has a built-in unit. The more you purge, the less you will have to move and organize in your new home.
• Clean House You can more easily and thoroughly clean your entire new home while it is empty and uncluttered. Many housecleaning companies offer new home specials, and you can also arrange for specialty cleaning such as carpet cleaning, window washing, and vent cleaning. Be sure air filters are clean, and don’t miss forgotten spots like ceiling fans and inside cupboards.
• Change Locks You have no way to know whether the home’s previous owners turned in all their keys, or if spare keys were given to contractors, neighbors, or anyone else. To protect your security, change the locks right away, and use it as an opportunity to coordinate all your locks to work with a single key if desired. Don’t forget to change any alarm or garage door codes as well.
• Find Safety Features Be sure you know where your new home’s safety features are located and how to operate each one, including circuit breakers and fuse boxes, water and gas shutoffs, toilet valves, and other emergency gadgets. Make a plan in case of fire or other emergencies, and know any new local emergency numbers to get help if needed.
• Test All Safety Detectors When you move in, test all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and install fresh batteries in each one if necessary. If the detectors are inadequate, install new, updated equipment so you can feel confident that you’re taking every step to keep your home and family safe.
• Replace Toilet Seats You have no way of knowing how clean the previous owners may have kept toilet seats, so why take the chance? Changing toilet seat covers only takes a minute, and you can be sure of the proper fit and cleanliness of each one you install.
• Update Your Address Even if you already put in a forwarding address with the post office, that may not cover all your mail. Update magazine subscriptions, driver’s licenses, car insurance, credit cards, online accounts, retirement programs, and other places that need your current address. Don’t forget to send fun moving announcements to family and friends as well.
• Explore the Neighborhood Get to know your new neighborhood, including the best routes to local schools and stores, the location of your preferred pharmacy and the nearest medical centers, and where parks, restaurants, banks, veterinarians, and other services are located nearby. At the same time, don’t forget to meet your neighbors.
• Write Reviews A lot of people helped you buy your home and move in smoothly, and now is a great time to write reviews to recommend their services (or to warn others of poor experiences). Many real estate agents, mortgage brokers, movers, utility companies, and other services have easy portals where you can submit online reviews and ratings.

Moving into a new home can be stressful and exhausting even as it is exciting and exhilarating. By taking care of these tasks before they’re forgotten, you will adjust to your new home and make it truly yours much more quickly and easily.