Congratulations on your first house! While first-time homeownership can be very exciting, it also comes with several things for you to do to ensure your home is protected and you are as comfortable as possible.
Before you can sit back and relax, here are a few things you should get sorted out first before you enjoy your new first house.
1. Do a Deep Clean
It doesn’t matter whether your home is new construction or was occupied by another family, it’s essential to clean your house thoroughly. There’s likely to be dust and debris lurking in the corners of your home, and you don’t want to move your belongings until everything is clean. Not only will a deep clean ensure everything is spotless, but it will also help you identify anything that may be broken, damaged, or otherwise in need of replacing.
2. Get Insured
No matter how well you take care of your home and how careful you are with guests, there’s always a chance that something unexpected could happen. Home repairs are expensive, which is why it’s essential to find the best home warranty coverage possible for your property. This will ensure that unexpected repairs and replacements will be affordable, and you won’t have to empty your bank account due to something breaking unexpectedly.
3. Contact USPS
Your mail will be connected to your old address, and the last thing you want is to miss out on important bills and documents because USPS delivered them but to the wrong place. So, make sure to contact USPS and get your address changed. Luckily, this is a relatively easy process, and you can complete it online from the comfort of your new home!
4. Make Sure the Utilities Are Connected
Before you move into your new house, you need to ensure that you’ll be comfortable when you get there. This doesn’t just mean having the best furniture and HVAC system – it also means ensuring that the water, heating, Internet, cable, lights, and other utilities are connected.
If your home had previous owners, you will need to contact the utility companies to get the bills transferred to your name, and if they had everything turned off before leaving, you will have to get everything turned on before you make the final move into the house. Additionally, check to see if you need to schedule and pay for trash and recycling pickup in your new neighborhood so that you’re prepared.
5. Change the Locks
No matter how much you trust the people you bought your new home from, you need to ensure that there’s no way they can enter your home without your knowledge. This means getting all the locks changed, including the locks to doors within the house. After all, you don’t want to invite them over only to find they’ve entered a private room, do you?
6. Get Your Address Changed
Aside from USPS, there are a number of other places where you need to get your address changed. This includes your employer, your doctor’s office, the DMV (you will need to get your license updated as well), the banks, and the insurance companies. You will also need to get your voter ID updated, and may have other places you need to update your address with as well, so make sure to get that sorted as soon as possible.
Buying your first house is one of the best times of your life, but it can cause major logistical issues if you’re not careful. However, if you make sure to get everything updated and handle the logistics of your move carefully, you’ll soon be resting comfortably in your new room.
