Congratulations! You bought a new home. It’s been a long process. Your brain is overwhelmed, there’s so much to do, you’re planning the move, and you can’t wait to move into your new home. However, there are some tasks you should consider doing before you move in. Here are some tips for the first things to do with your new home that you might not have thought of.
Change the locks
You have no idea who still might have keys to the home: a realtor, a contractor, a family member of the previous owner, a neighbor, a past tenant… You don’t want any uninvited surprise visitors. Hire a locksmith to re-key all the locks in the home. They can also key gates and doors alike so it only takes one key. They can also upgrade old locks to better quality ones, repair defective door locks and deadbolts, and install door security devices.
Take care of major interior projects
If you want to paint the home or replace flooring, for example, consider doing this before moving in. It will be much easier while the home is empty without having to move around furniture and personal belongings. Such projects can also result in some dust or dirt that you don’t want on your furniture or personal belongings. As a bonus, painting and replacing old carpet can also help eliminate odors in the house. So when you’re done, the house will both look and smell better.
Deep-clean the home
You don’t want to discover other people’s filth after you moved into your new home. Before you move in, while the home is still empty, is a great time to give the house a thorough cleaning. Consider hiring a professional house cleaner who knows where all the nasty spots are and how to clean them. I recommend you do this even if the house appears clean at your final walk-through. The sellers only have to broom-clean it, and they don’t care about your comfort. I have inspected many houses that looked clean but were filthy under the fridge, behind the range, inside cabinets, on top of shelves, etc.
Additional cleaning tasks to consider while the house is empty:
- Windows
- Air ducts
- Dryer vent
- Bathroom fans
Install new smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Don’t bother keeping old smoke or carbon monoxide alarms even if they are present. They are likely old, dirty, haven’t been maintained, have low batteries, or use outdated technology. Rip them out, throw them away, and get new ones. Ideally, buy the ones with a 10-year battery so you don’t get woken up by that infernal beeping in the middle of the night.
Find and test all main shut-offs
Find all the main shut-offs for water, electricity, and gas (if applicable). Test them to make sure they are accessible and actually work. If you had a good home inspector, they will have included photos with their locations in the inspection report to make it easy for you to find them.
If any of the shut-offs are defective, have them serviced by a qualified contractor immediately.
Take photos of all appliance model and serial numbers
Take a photo of the data plate of each major appliance in the house such as refrigerator, dishwasher, range, HVAC system, water heater, etc. This is for two reasons:
- Most of the time, the house does not come with appliance manuals. Use the model number to search online for the appliance manual. You can usually download the manual for free as a PDF file from the manufacturer website. This will make your life easier when you want to configure appliance settings your way, learn how to perform maintenance, or troubleshoot something.
- In case of an insurance claim because of a stolen or destroyed appliance, you can submit the photo with the model and serial number to your insurance to ensure proper reimbursement. This is especially important if you have higher end appliances.
First things to do with your home
Hopefully you find these suggestions helpful and they save you some grief or make your move into your new home a little better. Let me know if you have other things to add to the list.