Congratulations!  You’ve said good-bye to your old apartment, closed on your new pad, and you’re a homeowner now.  I think it’s safe to say that the really intense part of home-buying is over, but don’t count yourself done yet.  There are still a handful of things that you should do to protect your investment before you get really settled into your new home.

  1. Change the locks and digital codes on all entry doors, including the garage.  There is no telling who has a key to your house.  The Real Estate agency alone will have made at least one copy, sometimes four or five copies.  It’s also possible the previous owners gave a key to their neighbor to watch the house when they were out of town.  You just don’t know who could have access to your house, and you don’t want to find out the hard way.  Change your locks on day one.
  2.  Get your paperwork in order.  First, make copies of all your paperwork and store it somewhere off-site, like in a bank box, with your attorney, or at your mom’s house.  Next, put together a binder of all your house paperwork with everything nicely labelled so that you can easily reference it if need be.  Third, go ahead and set up your mortgage payments, especially if they’re with a new lender. Lastly, if you haven’t already, be proactive and start saving up for an emergency fund.
  3. Clean.  Hopefully, your house was professionally cleaned when you bought it.  Even if this is the case, you should still go ahead and clean it yourself.  It’s a good way to get to know the property, and to take possession.  You will learn so much about your new home by doing this and it may even alert you to issues that were not divulged by the home inspection.  Use the opportunity to make an inventory of repairs and updates that need to be made.
  4. Take steps now to make your new home energy efficient.  This means everything from getting maintenance done on your appliances, to insulating your water pipes, to caulking your doors and windows.  Think about cleaning out the dryer vent, checking the gutters, and setting an appropriate temperature on your water heater.  While you’re at it, make sure that your circuit breakers are properly labeled and check for plumbing leaks.  Taking these steps will not only save you money, but will also make you safer in your home as your appliances will be less likely to fail upon a thorough inspection.

The goal in all these things is, ultimately, to achieve one thing: peace of mind.  You just made what is conceivably the biggest purchase of your life and there’s no walking away from it now.  Do yourself the favor and take care of business up front to ensure that your first weeks of homeownership are safe and pleasant ones.  With a little planning and a little effort, you’ll be able to confidently relax in your new home for years to come.

Amanda was raised in a small farming town at the base of the Rocky Mountain range.  She enthusiastically experiments with foraged foods, occasionally dabbles in creative design, and is fast approaching a life list of 200 birds.  Currently, she lives and works in Alaska’s capital city.  Amanda can be reached at: amanda_pilley@hotmail.com.