Do These 10 Things First After Moving to Your New House
Congratulations on your new home! The keys are in your hand, and the moving truck is in the driveway. It's an exciting time, but amidst the chaos of unpacking, it's easy to overlook some critical first steps. To ensure your new home is safe, clean, and functioning correctly, here are the 10 things you should do immediately after moving in.
1. Change All Exterior Locks
You never know who might have a copy of the old keys—previous owners, neighbors, contractors, or real estate agents. For your peace of mind and security, replace all exterior door locks or have them rekeyed immediately. This is the single most important security step you can take.
2. Reset Garage Door Openers and Keypad Codes
Just like your front door keys, garage door remotes and keypad codes could be in anyone's possession. Reset the codes on any keypads and clear the memory on the garage door opener unit itself to ensure old remotes no longer work. Then, program your own remotes.
3. Change Toilet Seats
It's a small expense for a huge upgrade in hygiene and comfort. Starting fresh with new toilet seats in every bathroom is a simple way to make the home feel truly yours. Plus, modern soft-close seats are a nice upgrade from standard ones.
4. Deep Clean Everything
Before you fill the cupboards and closets with your belongings, give the house a deep clean. Steam clean carpets, wipe down the inside of cabinets and drawers, and scrub the bathrooms. It's much harder to do this once your furniture is in place.
5. Schedule Termite Tenting (If Needed)
If your inspection report noted termite activity, or if you're in a high-risk area and the home hasn't been treated recently, schedule this before you move in. Tenting requires you to be out of the house for days and remove all food and plants—it's a nightmare to do after you've settled in. To keep the house termite-free this should be done every 7 years.
6. Address High-Priority Repairs from Inspection
Review your home inspection report and tackle the 'red flag' safety issues immediately. Loose railings, exposed wiring, or active leaks should be fixed before they cause injury or damage. Use your House Remainders account to store the report and track these repairs!
7. Collect Service Provider Contacts
Ask the previous owners for a list of their trusted service providers—pool cleaner, landscaper, pest control, and handyman. These pros already know the quirks of your house and can be invaluable resources. Also, ask if they have any invoices for recent renovations or repairs, as the work might still be under warranty.
8. Change Your Postal Address
Update your address with the post office immediately. You will often receive a confirmation packet containing valuable discount codes—do not ignore these! An extra 10% off from a hardware store can translate into significant savings when you need to buy supplies for all those little repairs and updates.
9. Test Smoke and CO Detectors
Don't assume they work. Test every smoke and carbon monoxide detector in the house. Replace the batteries immediately, or replace the entire units if they are older than 10 years (check the date on the back).
10. Change HVAC Air Filters
You don't know when they were last changed. A clogged filter restricts airflow, reduces efficiency, and can damage your system. Start fresh with a new filter and set a reminder in your House Reminders to change it every 3-6 months.