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Buying your first home is a thrilling experience. While getting a mortgage and finding your dream home can be stressful, there’s a lot of relief once you’re finally done with the process. You’re not completely done, however. You’ll need to know what to do after buying your first home.
Quite a few things will be obvious, such as moving your furniture in and changing your address on various documents. You’ll have to do much more than that, but that doesn’t need to be as complicated as you might think.
What To Do After Buying Your First Home: 7 Things To Do
1. Secure The House
Securing your house is the first thing you should do after getting the keys. While it shouldn’t be at risk, you never know who might have spare keys for the property, making changing the locks a vital part of moving in. Do this as quickly as you can.
If you’re changing the front door, you should make sure it comes with a new lock. You also shouldn’t overlook the garage when you’re doing so, which many people do. Changing the codes or locks on this is vital.You should also make sure you update the alarm system and ensure it’s working properly. Checking each of the windows is also vital, as it’s possible that some of them could be loose or easy to open from the outside.
2. Connect Utilities
One of the first things you’ll need to do is connect your utilities, although this can often be one of the easiest aspects of moving into your first home. Getting it done as early as possible is recommended. If you’re purchasing the house through a real estate company, then they may be able to help with this.By having this done before you move in, you make sure that you actually have utilities when you do move in. There’s nothing worse than having no water or electricity for a few days or weeks while things get set up.You might have to jump through a few hoops when you’re doing this, depending on where you’re moving to. It’s worth researching this in advance and getting things done as quickly as you can. You could be able to schedule a turn on date so you don’t need to pay for days before you move in.
3. Update The Warranties
When you buy your home, you’ll need to check the warranties. In many cases, you can be given your appliance’s warranties by the person selling the property, if any appliances are included with the sale. Should that happen, you’ll need to review them and determine the specifics. Figuring out how to file a claim and when you can do so is vital.If there aren’t warranties for your appliances, you should purchase warranties. While this might seem like a waste of money, it could end up saving you a lot in the long term. If the appliances that come with the home are relatively old, they’re at risk of developing issues in time.These can be costly to fix or replace. Spending some money on the warranties now will save you from the headaches and hassle in the long term. If you’re getting new appliances, then it’s recommended you invest in the warranty when buying.
Doing so prevents the stress of dealing with issues in the future.
4. Update The Paint
Perhaps the most obvious thing to do after buying your first home, it’s worth getting this done before you move your belongings in. By painting the walls before you move things in, you avoid getting paint on any of your belongings. You also don’t need to move them out of your way during the process.The best part of this is that you’ll have complete freedom with what you do. Whatever color paint you want to put on the walls, you can. There’s nobody that can stop you. Coupled with that is how affordable this can be. Since you can do it yourself, all it could cost is a can of paint. With how easy this is to do, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you from doing this. You could get it done across a weekend. Make sure to air the home out as you’re doing so.
5. Get A Pet
While this is optional, getting a bet is a recommended way of making your house feel like home after you move in. If you’re considering starting a family, then think of this as a way to get started on that. Though you’ll need to put effort and time and effort into looking after your pet, it can be more than worth it.Getting one doesn’t need to be difficult, as there are plenty of ways to either buy or adopt a pet, although you may need to put some research into this. Choosing local options is recommended. If you’re in Michigan and looking for a retriever, try here: https://chocolatelabradorretriever.ca/lab-retriever-michigan/.
If you decide to take this approach, remember to keep in mind that a pet isn’t a short-term choice. They’ll be with you for years, if not decades, to come. You’ll need to be prepared to put in the effort long term.
Should you go this route, however, it can help fill your home with love.
6. Update The Floors
The walls aren’t the only things that can be refreshed or updated. The floors can be, too. You might think that you’ll need to put a lot of effort into this. Images of the floor being ripped up and another one being put down could pop up in your mind. While these are an option, they’re far from the only one. Instead, it could be as simple as changing the color of the floor. If you have a hardwood floor or something similar, this will be easier than you’d expect. The number of floor types that can be painted could be surprising. While you’ll need to put some effort into this, it’ll be worth it once you see the end result. Then there’s the likes of adding carpeting and similar features to your home. Though these can be expensive, they’re worth considering to make your home more appealing.
7. Have A Maintenance Schedule
You’ll already know that you’ll need to take care of where you live. There’s a difference between looking after a place you’re renting and one you own, however. You’ll need to put in more effort to make sure everything’s looked after, as the ball’s in your court with these.
That not only means knowing what kind of maintenance needs to be done, but also having a schedule to do so. Taking advantage of this could be as simple as getting in a handyman every so often to give things a once-over. Some of the more obvious home maintenance tasks to do include:
- Cleaning the gutters
- Replacing air filters
- Pressure washing your home’s exterior
- Giving the property a deep clean
While this seems as though it’s a lot of work, it isn’t. Much of this can be spread out over time, making it more manageable. Think of it as a marathon rather than a sprint.
Maintenance To Do After Buying Your First Home
When you’re figuring out what to do after buying your first home, one of the first things you’ll need to take care of is the maintenance. While the property might already be in good condition, you should make sure that even the little things are taken care of.
Taking this approach will mean everything’s in good shape. It’ll also make sure your home is protected long-term. Having and getting through a maintenance checklist is recommended for this. While this could seem complicated, it’s far from it.
It involves focusing on various tasks when you first move in, including:
- Give your home a deep clean
- Replace air filters on relevant electronics and appliances
- Determine where your utilities are
- Check safety devices, such as carbon monoxide detectors, and replace batteries
While this could seem like a lot to do, it’ll be much easier to get through your maintenance checklist than you could think. Most of the above are quick and easy, so you shouldn’t need to spend much time getting through them.
It’s also worth getting through this checklist every so often when you’re living in your home. That’ll ensure no issues develop over time and works as a form of protection for your property. Think of it as a way of making sure your house is safe from the moment you move in.
What To Do After Buying Your First Home: Wrapping Up
When you’re thinking about what to do after buying your first home, you could assume that it’ll be complicated. While there might be some legal things to take care of – such as finalizing the documents – these will be quite straightforward.
Outside of that, there’ll be quite a few other things to take care of. Each of the above can be vital during the move-in process. You don’t need to get overwhelmed at the process, however. Though it could seem like a lot, they’ll all be relatively easy to get done.
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