What to do after closing on a house

What to do after closing on a new house

Things to Do After Closing on a Home as a New Homeowner

Buying a home is frequently a stressful and exhausting process, with ups and downs along the way. You will be eager to conclude the home buying process and get to your closing date so that you can begin to enjoy your new home.

But even when closing day arrives and you get the keys to the property, there are still some other important things you need to think about and deal with. These are simple steps you can take to make your life in the new home better and less costly.

We look at the things to do after closing on a house to streamline your move into the new property.

Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Perhaps the easiest and the first thing to do after closing on a house is to check the installed detectors. This will make sure you and your family are safe in your new home by ensuring that the smoke and carbon monoxide testers are functioning.

It is an easy job that is often overlooked, but it shouldn’t be missed. If the testers are battery-operated, fit new batteries since you don’t know how long ago, they were last replaced.

Update Your Contact Information to Your New Address

Many companies have your address and you need to remember to inform them when you move. It is best to make a list of companies you need to contact because it will probably be more businesses than you initially imagine.

The following organizations and more may be on your list:

  • Utility companies
  • Banks and financial institutions
  • Credit card companies
  • Insurance providers
  • Tax agencies
  • Your doctor’s office and other medical providers
  • Companies you have subscriptions with
  • Your employer
  • Friends and family

While you will be able to deal with many of these address changes online, some companies are going to be more important to notify. Utility companies will need some advance notice so that they can ensure you have their services when you need them.

To help with an address change, the post office provides a service to redirect your mail to your new address for free. You can visit a post office to fill out forms for their service or use the USPS website. There is a small charge when setting this up online to confirm your identity.

Dealing with the DMV

The idea of dealing with the DMV isn’t attractive but is something necessary to update your address. The requirements in each state might vary slightly, but typically you’ll have a week or two to update your address on your driver’s license. Fortunately, most of the time you’ll be able to avoid visiting your nearest DMV by going online.

If you’re moving to a new state, there might be more paperwork involved or even the requirement to have a road test. Find out what the requirements are in advance, so you don’t end up breaking the rules.

Update Your Auto Insurance

Your car insurance premiums are partly dependent on where you live. So when you move, you will not only have to update your address with the insurance company, but you could find you’re paying more for your insurance as well.

When you are moving to a different state, not only will this be a problem, but you may also find that you need to change insurance companies altogether. Some states require the insurance company you use to be located within the same state, Florida is one example.

List Home Maintenance Jobs

There will be tasks that need to be carried out at regular intervals to maintain your new home, as well as minor repairs required. While you might plan to hire someone to complete many of these jobs, it’s still going to be easier to make a list so that things do not get missed.

Your home inspection report should give you an indication of some of the largest things that need to be maintained or renewed. Since your inspector is very likely to find some problems with the home, even if it’s a recent construction, it can be your starting point for what needs to be done.

Even if there are a lot of problems listed in the report, you don’t necessarily need to rush to do all of them immediately. You should categorize the problems highlighted by the inspector based on how urgent they are. You can work towards repairing the most important issues first before dealing with things further down your list of priorities.

Emergency Numbers

If something goes wrong in the home, having a list of useful numbers on your phone can save a lot of stress. If you have already got the number of a reliable plumber, locksmith, electrician, and a number for your home insurance company, if something does go wrong it won’t be as bad as it otherwise would have been.

You can ask for recommendations from friends or family in the area, or find local businesses and check their customer feedback. Then if the worst happens, you’ll know where to turn for help.

Check Your Water Heater

While your home inspector will have looked at your water heater, they won’t have drained it. Once you own the home, you can drain the water to check the condition of the heater. You can also alter the settings on the heater to reduce your energy usage.

Change the settings on the heater to suit your hot water temperature preferences, and you can change the water pressure as well. You can adjust things to reduce your energy usage and utility bills, guides are available online to help you do this.

Being Prepared for Plumbing Emergencies

Suddenly discovering a leaking pipe is a stressful enough situation, but if you don’t know where the shut-off valves are, things are going to be a lot worse. If the home has been unoccupied for a while before you move in, there could be a greater chance of problems occurring with the plumbing.

Get ahead of potential problems by locating the shut-off valves and letting other people in the home know about them as well.

Breaking the Circuit

Circuit breakers trip when a fault in the electrical system is detected. This prevents a surge of electricity that could damage appliances and other devices within the home.

When you first move into a new home, you’ll want to find out where the circuit breakers are located and familiarise yourself with how to reset them.

HVAC Servicing including The Furnace

While you might not need to use your heating or air-conditioning when you first move in, you will at some point. You probably won’t know how frequently the previous owner had the HVAC system cleaned and serviced, so when you first move in this should be on your list of things to deal with.

You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you need to either heat or cool your home, and the heating or air conditioning fails.

Furnace or air conditioning filters could need replacement. Having old or the wrong type of filters could cost you money, so improve efficiency and your air quality by having the filters changed.

Checking the Fireplace

If your new home has a fireplace, you should get it checked out by a professional before you start using it. Whether it is a gas or a wood-burning fireplace, you’ll want to make sure there aren’t any blockages in the flue or chimney. If there are, that could prevent smoke and dangerous gases from leaving the home. Who knows when the last time the previous owner had it cleaned was?

Backing Up Important Documents

If you thought you were done with the paperwork once the closing documents were signed, unfortunately, there are still a few things you need to do. It is advisable to make copies of any important documents that were involved in the purchase of your home

You might benefit from keeping a copy of the purchase agreement, closing disclosures, the home inspection report, your buyer’s agent agreement, as well as the property deed. You could then put these documents in a safe deposit box or store them in your own home in a fireproof safe.

School Districts

If you have kids and your new home is in a different school district, you’ll need to begin the process to transfer your children to their new school. If you are going to move in the middle of the school year, it is particularly important to do this quickly.

The process involved in transferring children will differ between school districts, so you will need to begin the process as soon as possible after closing on your new home.

Changing the Locks

While the seller of the home will probably try to provide all the keys they have, they may not know about every key to the home. Even if you have this included in the purchase agreement, there could still be other keys.

To make sure your new home is secure as it should be, you’ll need to change the locks. If the home has any keypads, you’ll need to change the code for those as well. If it isn’t obvious, or if there isn’t an instruction manual to tell you how to change the code on the keypad, you can check the manufacturer’s website for the instructions.

While this additional expense and hassle aren’t ideal after a stressful and costly move, it is important to make sure your home is secure.

Take Measurements

The best time to measure for window treatments, or check that new furniture will fit, is before you have moved into the home. Even if you don’t have any immediate need to measure, it’s still a good idea to take measurements while you have this great opportunity.

Deep Clean the Home

Before you have moved in and placed your furniture in the home, you should take the opportunity to do a deep clean. While the seller of the home may have cleaned up, corners could have been cut and you want to have a fresh and clean start to your time in your new home.

Hiring a professional cleaning company to carry out the deep clean can save you time and remove dirt from the carpets that vacuuming wouldn’t. Your real estate agent might be able to recommend a professional cleaning service that specializes in this type of service.

Clearing Your Gutters

Cleaning the gutters is one of those chores that can get easily overlooked until there’s a problem. It’s quite possible that the previous owner didn’t clear out the gutters for many years, and this can lead to water leaking into the home.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

If you know you want to change the color of the walls in some of the rooms, getting this done before the furniture is moved in will save you a lot of hassle later. If you can arrange this quickly after closing, it will make things easier in the long run for you.

It doesn’t just have to be decoration; this is a good time to do minor renovations or repairs to the home as well. Perhaps you want to change interior doors, floor coverings, or make other changes, and before you move in is the ideal time.

Making Your First Mortgage Payment

If you are a first-time buyer, you won’t be used to paying a mortgage each month. Failing to pay your mortgage on time and in full can negatively affect your credit score and isn’t a great way to begin your homeownership.

Check the documents you have from your lender to make sure you have enough money to cover your first mortgage payment when it is due. Your closing disclosure will give you the information and dates that payments are required. The initial payment could be different from the normal payment you’ll be expecting, so you need to be prepared for that.

Meet Your Neighbors

Buying a house means new neighbors, and you want to make sure you start on the right foot with them. If you have a good relationship with your neighbors, it should improve your time in the home, and it will better help you settle in.

Say hello to your neighbors when you see them, and consider introducing yourself. You might find it is the beginning of lifelong friendships.

Summing Up What You Should Do After Closing on a New Home

After closing on your new home, there are still a few things that need to be done. Make sure to complete these tasks as soon as possible after closing so that you don’t have any last-minute surprises.

About the author: This article was written by Luke Skar of MadisonMortgageGuys.com. As the Social Media Strategist, his role is to provide original content for all of their social media profiles as well as generate new leads from his website.

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Filed under: Real Estate

Luke Skar

Luke Skar is the web developer and content strategist for MadisonMortgageGuys.com. Currently working for NRL Mortgage which serves 47 states including Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Florida. Guided by his 20-plus years of various mortgage marketing experience, Luke provides top-quality SEO services, effective social media management, and web development and maintenance. Luke’s career in the mortgage industry began back in 2001, as a loan processor. After becoming a loan officer for a number of years, Luke now runs madisonmortgageguys.com. To ensure that all the information he posts is fresh, accurate, and up-to-date, Luke relies on the knowledge which his years of dedication to keeping up with the constant change that the mortgage industry provides.

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