Congratulations, you’ve bought a house! Now what?
You’ve gone through the highs and lows of a real estate transaction, paid lots of money, and you’re finally handed your keys!!! Time to celebrate! But after you’ve popped the champagne and picked out paint colors, what do you really need to think about?
Here is a quick reference list of things to consider after closing on a new home.
Rekey your home. How many people have a key to your new house? The only way to control that situation is to have your home rekeyed. You can do it yourself or hire a professional, but I always recommend clients have their resale home rekeyed. If you happen to live in the Moore County of NC and need this service, I highly recommend Aberdeen Lock Shop.
Change your address. There are so many places to change your address, it can be hard to remember them all! Credit card companies, USPS, Amazon… Here is a quick list for you. But this one is important!
Ensure your utilities are on! Sometimes there can be glitches or oversights. It’s best to make sure that all of your necessary utilities are up and running and that you have your portals set up to receive your new bills. This is also a great time to set up extra utilities you may want like internet, trash, etc.
Make as many changes as you can to the home before you move in. Paint? Easier with no furniture. Flooring? Same thing. I realize this isn’t always possible, but if you can schedule that work to be done prior to moving in, it will make things happen so much more smoothly. If you’re in the Fort Liberty area and you’re looking for quality professionals to help get your jobs done, here’s my list!
Save all of your important paperwork. You just closed on a home, and that came with a LOT of paperwork. Closing disclosures, lender information, appraisal reports, home inspection reports… gather everything and keep it somewhere safe! Whether you keep physical files or digital files, make sure you have everything together and you can access it easily. You will need to keep those things!
Be prepared for junk mail. Get ready… your mailbox is about to be FULL! Some of it looks so official! You don’t need to refinance. You don’t need to pay for a copy of your deed (available for free through public records and your agent can help you get a copy easily). You will be contacted by furniture stores, pest companies, security companies, and everyone else under the sun. Read the fine print at the bottom and ask your agent or lender or attorney for clarification on anything you’re unsure of.
Consider having the house professionally cleaned. If it wasn’t done before you closed, you many chose to do it before you move in. Your level of “clean” and someone else’s may be very different. Ick. If you’re not interested in hiring a professional, at least make sure you take the time to clean your new house. And don’t forget things like the air filters, microwave screens, light bulbs, drains, edges of the carpet…
Change your toilet seats. Apparently this is the first thing most new homeowners change after moving in. And with good reason. Just swap those babies out.
Get your copy of my 12 Month Homeowner Checklist! A free resource for you to keep up with maintaining your beautiful new investment, plus help you plan for future projects.
Leave your agent and lender a review. Last but not least, if you had a good experience with your lender or agent, a client testimonial online goes a long way in helping them grow and sustain their business! Leave the review, and be sure to send friends and family their way!
BONUS ITEM: I’m adding this to my list after talking to my contractor about it. After you move in and you rekey the home, don’t forget to replace the screws in the exterior door frames. What’s likely there are small 1 inch screws. This makes it easy to kick in the door! But if you replace those screws with 2 1/2 or 3 inch screws, it will go directly into the stud, making your home much more secure! Here is an instagram reel showing what I mean.
Hopefully this list helps you thinking about what will happen after closing! After you close on your home, take these few extra steps, and get moved in, don’t forget to REST and ENJOY!!!
