9 Things You Must Do Immediately After Closing on Your New Home
After long weeks of searching and negotiations, you’ve finally closed on your new home! Congratulations! But the work doesn’t end in closing it—there are still things you need to do:
1. Safe keep the paperwork.
Buying a home involves a lot of documents and paperwork to procure, sign, and execute. These documents may come in handy in the future for various things, that’s why you need to keep it safe. Collate all contracts, titles, floor plans, permits, and other documents in an envelope and store them in a safe or private filing cabinet. You can also store digital copies in your Google Drive or Dropbox.
2. Change the locks.
Replace all locks and keys in your new home. It’s one thing that you should do first before moving in, to make sure that you and your family are the only ones who has access to your home.
3. Do a home maintenance list.
Go through your new home from inside out and jot down all the things that will need maintenance in the future. Doing this can reduce major repairs costs and expenses, as you will catch the small things and fix them before they become major issues. You can stick the list on your refrigerator door or do a detailed spreadsheet—what’s important is you’re actually planning your new home’s maintenance. A tip: break down the home maintenance tasks by seasons or months, so they are manageable and not too heavy on the pockets.
4. Let important people know.
Another thing you should not forget is notifying important people and companies about your new address so that mail and other important news will come straight to you.
Here are some people and companies you need to notify:
Postal service
Friends and relatives
Medical offices such as your physician and dentist
Work
Internet, cable, and phone companies
Financial institutions
Schools
Newspaper and magazine subscriptions
Accountant
Insurance companies
5. Deep clean your new home.
After closing on your new home, deep cleaning is recommended. It is to make sure that you will move into a clean and fresh home. Here are some things you should start on:
Steam clean the carpets.
Wash any curtains or draperies included.
Clean and polish the flooring.
Scrub tile grout.
Wash windows from the inside and outside.
6. Check if all systems are in working order.
Check if the electricity, water, and HVAC are in working order once the closing process is done. Even though they might work fine in the final walk-through, you should still check them after closing just to be sure.
Make sure that all lights and sockets are working.
Check the water pressure and temperature.
Make sure that your HVAC’s filter is new.
7. Do an energy audit.
Ask a local company to perform an energy audit on your new home, especially if it’s a bit old. This will make sure that your new home is energy efficient and would cost less on your electricity bill.
8. Research all deductions and discounts.
Many home buyers are unaware of the fact that there are discounts and tax deductions for homeowners. Ask an experienced accountant about deductions and discounts available in your area.
9. Say “Hi” to your neighbours.
After closing on your new home, say “Hi” to your neighbours! Aside from it being a nice thing to do, this is also an opportunity for you to exchange contact information with them in case of emergency.
Closing on your new home is the start of another journey with a new dwelling, so make sure that it is as hassle-free as possible! If you have any more questions about closing on a new home, you can always shoot a message.
