10 Things to do After Buying a Home

Congratulations, you’ve bought a home!

This is one of the largest investments that you will make in your entire life. But, what now? Here are a few tips for 1^st time homeowners on what to do first in your new house.

Turn on Utilities

Lights, water and WI-FI are the basics to living in today’s world, so let’s knock that out first. Having these things is mandatory for the rest of the process and the sooner the electrical is on, the sooner you can have the ac cooling down your new house.

Pest Control

I recommend doing this before bringing in all of your belongings. In the scenario that a company would have to spray insecticides throughout your house, this eliminates the chemicals from getting onto all of your stuff. This also means that your furniture will not be in the way, ensuring that they don’t miss any spots and get rid of all of the creepy-crawlies.

Deep Clean

Do this AFTER the pest control guy has done what he needs to do but BEFORE you bring in your furniture. This is more for those not buying new construction. In most cases the construction company will hire a cleaner to go in and prepare the house for move-in. This is not the same to those purchasing a used home, though.

A deep clean consists of: a wall/baseboard scrub, dusting, wiping all windows and mirrors, cleaning cabinets and closets, scrubbing and disinfecting your bathroom, cleaning all floors and don’t forget to clean the appliances. (You do not know the last time that this stuff was done)

Unpack

This is the obvious part. Whether you decide to do it before or after paint is up to you! This is likely going to take multiple days so don’t worry about trying to get everything done the first day and stick to the essentials. Any perishable food, drinking glasses, plates, silverware and a pot and pan to eat. Don’t forget your bed! Picking and choosing what to unpack on the first day can be difficult, but this is a must. Nothing feels better after a hard day of moving than your cozy bed.

Paint, Paint and more Paint

For those moving into a new construction build, please keep scrolling. Moving into a home with some age requires more work but it is well worth it in the end. Painting your new home offers protection from moisture, adds value to your home and also allows you to add your personal touch to your new space.

Change your locks & Security Codes

This is a VERY important step. You don’t know who the previous homeowner trusted with a key. It is recommended to change all of your door locks. Don’t forget to make a few extra and store one in a safe location outside, like a coded lock box. Also, reset your garage security code (this one is often forgot about). There are tutorials online for guidance or you can replace it completely.

Check all emergency products & devices

This means check all of your Co2 sensors, Fire detectors, water leak alarms and fire extinguishers. All of the things that are automatically supposed to alarm you that there is an emergency in your home.

Make your inspection your to-do list

Your inspection report will break down everything that is wrong with the home. If there are repairs needed that the previous owner wasn’t contractually obligated to fix, make a note of them. List them from the most important repair to the least important. Then, make a plan to tackle the list and give yourself a timeline for when you’d like to get it done.

Form a Home Binder

A home binder should have but is not limited to: Appliance receipts and manuals, warranty information, evacuation plans, plat map, vendor names and contact info, insurance info, municipal office info and service tech info. This binder should hold anything and everything that you could need to reference for your new home.

Throw a house warming party!

Not only does a party give you incentive to unpack but it also offers a load of other benefits. A few more reasons to host a house warming party are to inform friends of your new address; via e-vite friends and family will be alerted of your new address and ensures you won’t miss any mail, discover your new space; see how many guests comfortably fit in the kitchen and where they tend to gravitate, get to know the neighbors; though you don’t have to invite the whole block, a casual invite while walking the dog is surely a good way to get to know the people around you, and break in your new home; no matter the custom or tradition your friends and family will be happy to bless your home how they see fit. Sometimes all it takes is your loved ones to make your house feel like a home.

We hope you enjoyed our post: