When you move into a new house, you’re excited about decorating and getting situated but there are a few important items you should address right away.
1. Change the locks
Before moving even one tiny piece of furniture into your new home, change the locks—or at least have them rekeyed. It’s not that you don’t trust the sellers but there are numerous people who've had contact with those keys over the years, any of whom could have copied the keys for some unsavory purpose.
2. Change the alarm batteries
Making sure your fire and carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries may not seem like a pressing issue while you’re in the middle of a stressful move, but it’s the kind of thing that gets ignored and then forgotten. Better to deal with it now, when the home is empty and you can make a quick sweep of the house—without lugging a ladder around furniture.
3. Review your home inspector’s report
Inspection reports are often filed with the escrow papers—but don’t wait until something goes wrong to pull them out. A good home inspector will outline the most important issues in their report, so use their expertise as a guide for your first few days of ownership. If they’ve marked anything as particularly pressing that wasn't addressed by the sellers, make sure to handle it before moving in.
4. Find the circuit breaker and water shut off
If you were there during inspection, you should know where your junction box is, but if you don’t, finding it should be top on your list. During a move, when you’re plugging all sorts of electrical doodads into the wall, you don’t want to be lost in the dark hunting for that elusive metal box. Its a wise idea to also find the water shut-off, too.
Then, get familiar: If the panel is not already well-marked, have your spouse or another family member stand in different parts of the house while you flip different switches, and make a note of which ones handle different rooms.
5. Deal with any water problems
Deal with water-related issues immediately called out in the inspection report. These tend to be troublesome because they’re so easily ignored. A leaky toilet might seem minor, but the steady drip can damage internal structural components.
Check your roof, too: If the rubber vent boots on your roof are leaking, you might not know it for a while.
6. Caulk everything
This one isn’t mandatory, but caulking is a whole lot easier if you do it when the house is empty, letting you see all the nooks and crannies that might need a little sealing—and don’t forget the exterior. Caulking issues occur in just about every home and while they might seem minor, it doesn’t take long before cracking gives way to leaks and even more water issues.
7. Plan your emergency exits
Before you begin bringing in furniture, walk through every room and decide how you would escape in an emergency. This can help you spot problem areas or rooms that need some adjustments—say, removing bars or adding egress windows to a basement.
8. Clean your gutters
Don’t let the dullness of this 'out of sight' task push you to procrastination: If the previous homeowners didn’t clean the gutters, you need to do so ASAP.
If you have a need for a real estate professional, please contact me. I would also appreciate your vote of confidence by passing my name to anyone you may know who would benefit from my services.
1. Change the locks
Before moving even one tiny piece of furniture into your new home, change the locks—or at least have them rekeyed. It’s not that you don’t trust the sellers but there are numerous people who've had contact with those keys over the years, any of whom could have copied the keys for some unsavory purpose.
2. Change the alarm batteries
Making sure your fire and carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries may not seem like a pressing issue while you’re in the middle of a stressful move, but it’s the kind of thing that gets ignored and then forgotten. Better to deal with it now, when the home is empty and you can make a quick sweep of the house—without lugging a ladder around furniture.
3. Review your home inspector’s report
Inspection reports are often filed with the escrow papers—but don’t wait until something goes wrong to pull them out. A good home inspector will outline the most important issues in their report, so use their expertise as a guide for your first few days of ownership. If they’ve marked anything as particularly pressing that wasn't addressed by the sellers, make sure to handle it before moving in.
4. Find the circuit breaker and water shut off
If you were there during inspection, you should know where your junction box is, but if you don’t, finding it should be top on your list. During a move, when you’re plugging all sorts of electrical doodads into the wall, you don’t want to be lost in the dark hunting for that elusive metal box. Its a wise idea to also find the water shut-off, too.
Then, get familiar: If the panel is not already well-marked, have your spouse or another family member stand in different parts of the house while you flip different switches, and make a note of which ones handle different rooms.
5. Deal with any water problems
Deal with water-related issues immediately called out in the inspection report. These tend to be troublesome because they’re so easily ignored. A leaky toilet might seem minor, but the steady drip can damage internal structural components.
Check your roof, too: If the rubber vent boots on your roof are leaking, you might not know it for a while.
6. Caulk everything
This one isn’t mandatory, but caulking is a whole lot easier if you do it when the house is empty, letting you see all the nooks and crannies that might need a little sealing—and don’t forget the exterior. Caulking issues occur in just about every home and while they might seem minor, it doesn’t take long before cracking gives way to leaks and even more water issues.
7. Plan your emergency exits
Before you begin bringing in furniture, walk through every room and decide how you would escape in an emergency. This can help you spot problem areas or rooms that need some adjustments—say, removing bars or adding egress windows to a basement.
8. Clean your gutters
Don’t let the dullness of this 'out of sight' task push you to procrastination: If the previous homeowners didn’t clean the gutters, you need to do so ASAP.
If you have a need for a real estate professional, please contact me. I would also appreciate your vote of confidence by passing my name to anyone you may know who would benefit from my services.
