A new home is an exciting prospect, but have you thought about a new home checklist? Your first few nights in a new home can be ruined if there are any major problems that you have to deal with immediately.
This is especially true if you could have taken care of these issues before moving in. If you have the keys but aren’t in your new home yet, here are a few steps you should take to create a new home checklist.
Check your utilities first
These are the lifeblood of the home, so it’s a good idea to include utilities on your new home checklist. Turn on the water and run all the taps one by one, flushing any toilets in the home. Try all the lights and plug something into each socket of the home to test them out. It’s important to make sure your heating and AC are working, too, but the quickest way to do it for those particular utilities is to work with a local HVAC engineer.
Make a DIY list
Unless the home you’re moving into is brand new, every new home is going to need a little work. Carry out an inspection around the home to see if there are any little fixes to make or if there are any renovations that you want to make. You might not be able to complete them all before you move in, but it’s better to be aware of them than to let them be “little surprises” for you down the line.
Secure your property
Even if you trust the seller implicitly to have turned in every key that they know about, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any other keys to your property out there. It’s a good idea to get the locks changed in a new home with the help of mobile locksmiths as soon as possible. Knowing that you’re the only person with copies of your key can help you rest with some peace of mind.
Ensure your safety
It’s a relatively small step compared to the others, however your new home checklist must include checking all the detectors in the home. This means any smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and any other security features that you might have. Replacing the batteries in these is simple and even if you have to buy new detectors, they’re not too expensive.
Get to know the area
Take the time to explore the area surrounding your home. Get to know it with a friend during the day and also in the evening so you start to feel more comfortable. You might also want to look up your area online to make sure there are no outstanding issues that could make your life there anything less than pleasant. You can’t predict the future, of course, but you can do your homework.
Undertake a new home checklist to ensure it’s ready for you. Follow the steps above and take care to leave no major issues lingering that could ruin your first few nights there.
