Moving into a new home is an exciting, albeit stressful, time in anyone’s life. After you’ve got everything delivered, you might want to immediately take the opportunity to start relaxing or even decorating. However, before you settle into your new life too much, you should make sure that you are taking care of some of the essentials, as well. Here, we are going to look at some of the first things you should do after you first move in.
Take The Time To Inspect It
A home inspection should, typically, be done before you buy a home. You can make sure that there are no major changes that need to be made before you move in. However, not everyone opts to get a professional home inspection, whether to cut down on the costs of buying or otherwise. What is more, certain aspects of the home should be double-checked even if you have had a home inspection. This includes checking the condition of the roof to make sure there are no cracked, damaged, or missing tiles that could allow for leaks and heat loss. You should take the time to try every electrical socket and fixture in the home, as well as all of the taps and plumbing fixtures to make sure that you can rely on your utilities. If you do have to repair any of these, then it’s best to learn that ASAP.
Locate Where Your Mains Are
If you ever have a plumbing or electrical emergency, then one of the most important first steps can be to turn off the utility entirely. To do that, you have to know where they are. Take the time to memorize the location of your circuit breaker, main water valve, and gas shutoff valve, if you have one. Then, you will be able to immediately turn these off should there be an emergency in the home or even if you’re just looking to do maintenance. You should never try to fix your plumbing fixtures if the water is still running, after all, or the resulting water damage could cost you a lot more than the initial fix.
Secure Your Home
Your security is vital, and it is going to feel especially important when you have just moved into a new neighborhood that you do not know. To that end, you should take the time to replace all of the exterior locks and if there are any keycodes, such as for electronic garages, then you should update those. Even if you trust the seller to not have any spare keys floating out there, you simply will not know until you take the time to confirm it yourself. Furthermore, this allows you to update the security of the home at the same time, opting for tamper-proof locks that can ensure your safety even further.
Ensure The Home Really Meets Your Needs
If you have some time before you actually have to move in, but you already have the keys and ownership (or a tenancy agreement) of the place, then think about whether or not it could better meet your needs. With the help of a home remodeling team, you can take the time to ensure that it ticks all of your boxes. Whether you want to update the kitchen or the bathroom, change your home to a more open-plan design, or even expand it with an extension or a space conversion, make sure that it really offers everything you want before you move in. it can prevent a sense of frustration from building before you decide to incorporate those changes anyway if you get them done in advance of making your life there.
Deep Clean It (If Necessary)
A lot of people, when moving out or selling a home, will be certain to deep clean their home out of courtesy to those who are moving in after them. However, this isn’t a guaranteed part of moving home, by any means. Move in with your mops, brushes, and microfiber pads ready. Deep clean your home room by room, making sure that you clean from the higher spaces first, working your way down so that you don’t have to clean any surfaces twice when you knock some dust or dirt free from above.
Test Your Safety Equipment
Once again, this is often part of an initial home inspection but, given how much time might have passed, it is always a good idea to test the safety equipment in the home. Your life may very well depend on it. Locate and test all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers. Even if they are working, it is a good idea to replace the batteries in the powered equipment to guarantee the family’s safety. You might want to consider expanding on it, too, such as with smart systems that can link up together. For instance, it’s now often recommended that you have smoke (and heat) detectors in at least two rooms of the home, and many can connect with each other wireless so if one senses something, they both go off.
Familiarize Yourself With The Area
Once you’re moved in, you might want to take the time to get to know your surrounding area, as well as the people living around you. Take a walk or a drive out when the sun is out and the weather is good, preferably with someone with you who can help you memorize it and feel safe in a new environment. Introduce yourself to your neighbors so that you can swap some details. This way, they can know who you are, and that you are not someone who has broken in next door. It can also help you establish a sense of community, and even get recommendations for local service providers.
If you do next take the time to truly make sure that your home meets all of your needs, then it can be difficult to get truly settled. With the help of the tips above, you can ensure it feels safe, comfortable, and in keeping with your standards, giving you some real peace of mind.
