Moving into a new home is exciting. But with that excitement, comes a lot of anxiety too! When you’re moving homes, you’re starting from scratch, and often, there’s a lot you need to get done before you even move in! With the mountain of things that need to be done, you might find yourself overwhelmed and confused about where you should start! Well, that ends here! In this post, we’ve put together somewhat of an “ultimate checklist” of everything you need to do to your home right after you get the keys. So by the time you fully move in, you’ve got everything sorted and ready to go!
#1: Get a full inspection done
The first thing you need to do as you’re moving in is getting a full inspection done of the home. Even if the home looks great, or is brand new, it’s important that a professional take a look at it so they can clear it. That way, you’ll know for sure that there aren’t any hidden problems that will end up causing you trouble later on, and if there are any issues, that they’re dealt with as soon as possible!
#2: Take as many photos of the “before” as possible
This is something that is absolutely essential when you’re renting a home, but also useful when you own the property. When you’re renting, you need to keep the home in the same condition, or as close to it as possible to get your deposit back. When you have “before” photos, you can easily reference them at the end of your lease to prove that you’ve kept everything as it was! If you own the property, the photos can still be a great way to track progress, or to make sure that everything stays maintained through the years!
#3: Find all the important valves and switches
There’s nothing that ensues more of a panic than finding out that your electrical panel is malfunctioning, or that your water valve needs to be shut off in an emergency, and you not knowing where it is. Not turning off the electrical panel, the water valve, or any other important switches in the house in time can lead to devastating results. You could end up with intense damage to your home that may take a long time to repair, not to mention the cost the repairs would come with. That is why it’s important that you’ve located all of these important things before you properly move in, so you know exactly where everything is when you need it!
#4: Fix anything that may be broken
This is a step a lot of people tend to miss. Even though there’s a lot going on with moving in that you might think you can get to the repairs, later on, it’s usually not a good idea to leave them hanging. If you’ve spotted something that needs repairing, repair it as soon as you can. If you think you can’t get the repairs done on your own, you can easily call a Handyman in NYC or a handyman in your general area to come and handle the repairs for you! Either way, it’s important that the repairs are done on time! This will ensure that everything is in working order when you move in and will make the process a lot smoother.
#5: Switch out the locks
Finally, whether you’ve just bought a new home, or are just renting, it’s important that you’re the only person that has access to the keys to the home. Even if the previous owner or the landlord tells you they’ve given you all sets of keys, it’s possible that extra keys exist somewhere, so switching out the locks is the best bet at security! It’s always safer to have new locks, than old ones!