Congratulations! You’re a new homeowner. You have just purchased a home that you have worked hard to get. While you may not be able to wait to move in, there are a few things you should consider tackling before hanging those family photos on the walls. Some of these things are pre-cautionary tasks and others are things that will make your life easier before the furniture is moved in. Take a look!
1. Change the locks – For peace of mind, it’s a good idea to change out the locks on your exterior doors to ensure that anyone the previous owners may have given a key to can no longer access the property. To many, this may seem like an overly cautious thing to do. But really, you don’t know what the previous owner did or how many keys were knowingly (or unknowingly) given out. According to Home Advisor, the average homeowner spends between $100-$300 hiring a locksmith. You can always ask your real estate agent if they have a preferred locksmith.
2. Paint – Don’t love the lemon yellow the previous homeowners chose for the master bedroom? Or that bright red wall that carries over from the living room to the kitchen? Painting your new home will be infinitely easier if you can do so before moving furniture into the space. Head to your local paint store to pick up a few samples to test before committing. Take your time and be sure to view the color swatches in different lights before committing. You can also learn about our money saving tips for painting your home. You don’t want to spend a lot of money if you are only painting a few spaces!
3. Take care of your floors – This is an often overlooked aspect of the home. You may not have taken a careful look at the condition of the floors before you bought the house. Before you move in, take a careful look at your floors and carpets. Like with painting, treating and refinishing floors is much easier without furniture in the way. Costs for this project will vary depending on the size of the job, but you can estimate roughly $200 for supplies and equipment.
4. Make any necessary repairs – Does the bathtub need to be re-caulked or the tile re-grouted? Do the floor boards creak? Make a list of priority repairs and tackle them one by one. You’ll be happy you did a few months from now when other projects crop up on the honey do list.
5. Clean from top to bottom – The only thing better than a new home is a clean new home. Now is the best time to give every nook and cranny of your home a deep clean. Dust the high up corners, clean the high up windows, and get the grout. Scrub the inside of appliances like the refrigerator, oven, dishwasher and microwave. Wipe down walls and baseboards with a damp cloth. We’ve got even more tips on our blog including 20 things you probably forgot to clean.
6. Set up your utilities – Call your electric, gas, cable and water utility providers to make sure service is transferred to you after closing. You’ll also want to research when trash and recycling pick-up are scheduled for your zone. You’ll be amazed at how much trash you generate after moving.
7. Change your Address – While you may want those mortgage bills to be sent elsewhere, it’s important to file a change of address with the US Postal Service to ensure that all mail is forwarded to your new address following your move. Also be sure to alert friends and family of your new address. They’ll need to know where to send that housewarming gift!
After accomplishing these tasks, and moving all of your stuff, it’s time to kick back and enjoy your new-to-you home!
Looking to buy or sell in the Nevada County area? Give a Coldwell Banker agent a call today!
