10 Steps to Take After Closing on Your New Home
Congratulations on closing on your new home, and welcome to the exciting journey of homeownership! This is reason to celebrate, but also a time you are intensely busy. On top of work and family obligations, you may be dealing with packing and unpacking, buying and installing furniture and appliances, cleaning and making a few repairs. However, now is the time to prioritize safety, accuracy, and asset protection. This includes making sure there is no unauthorized access, registering with the city, changing over utilities, and avoiding new home buyer scams. Given you just acquired a major asset, it is vital to secure legal documents, update addresses on financial accounts, and to create a plan with a will and power of attorney document to ensure your asset and family members are cared for in the future. Read on to learn our “10 Steps to Take After Closing on Your New Home”! Step 1: Change Locks and Key Codes Changing locks after moving into a new home is critical for safety and security. Previous owners, real estate agents, and contractors, as well as their respective relatives and associates, may still have access into the residence. Don’t risk any unauthorized access (intentional or unintentional). Look for and change any key locks at the front door, back door, basement, windows and sheds. Reset key codes for digital and smart locks, doorbells, and related online accounts. Step 2: Change Addresses on Accounts Updating your address on your personal accounts is essential after relocating to a new home. This ensures that all your mail and packages are accurately delivered to your new location, avoiding lost, stolen, or mishandled mail. Many institutions, like banks and government bodies, require up-to-date address information for important communications or legal purposes. Make sure you do not miss crucial information or notifications, such as bills, renewals, tax information, and identity verifications. Here is a list of key accounts to prioritize changing the address: Step 3: Change Utilities to Your Name Changing utilities to your name after the closing is essential. This is ensures continued access to critical utilities and provides you control over these services. A swift change will help manage any issues effectively and effectively, as well as ensure you have accurate billing and usage information. The primary utilities to change to your name include electricity, gas, water, and sewer services. Life, including work from home and internet, could be interrupted without the change. Depending on your home, you might also have to consider other services such as trash collection, recycling services, pool services, septic services, and lawn care. To change utiliites, ontact each utility company directly, either online, by phone, or by visiting their local office if neessary. Be ready to provide personal identification, the address of the property, and a copy of the new deed. Companies might require additional details such as your move-in date, or meter readings upon moving in. Step 4: Save Key Legal Documents After a real estate closing, a buyer receives several official documents including: Securing … Read more