Just Bought a House? 6 Crucial Things You Must Check
This article covers 6 crucial things you should check right after buying your new house.
06/08/2020
After buying a new house, people often get
too excited and temporarily forget the things
they need to do. After all, the thought of
having your very own new home signals a start to
a new chapter in your life. You mustn't get
carried away with all the celebrations, and take
the right steps to ensure your new home is safe,
secure and ready to move in to.
This article is a guide to 6 crucial things you should check right after buying your new house.
Replace Hygiene Items
Bacteria builds up very quickly on hygiene items like carpets, mattresses and particularly toilet seats. Hence, these are the items you must replace before moving into your new house. It takes less than ten minutes to replace a toilet seat, and this very useful guide can give you more information about why you should do it. There are many step-by-step instructions on how to replace the lid and seat that you can find online. Most toilet seats come in two standard sizes so you will easily be able to find the size that fits and also the style that matches your bathroom decor. Having new, clean hygiene items like toilet seats will help keep dangerous viruses and bacteria away from your family.
Ensure Security & Safety
Security and safety should always rank first whenever it comes to a new home. You don’t want to keep the old locks on the doors, and have the previous owners or people that you don’t know being able to get into your house, just because you are not aware of all the other spare keys floating around. So the first thing you need to do is to change the locks, garage codes and security codes for all the gates. If you need to hide an extra key that you can use when you are locked out, make sure it’s not placed in an obvious location like under a flower pot or the doormat. At the same time, check around the house to find anything that may cause a fire, like a broken electric circuit or burnt out wires. It is really important to find out right away where the circuit box is, and then you can label all the circuit breakers. If you use a gas stove in the kitchen, check out the gas shut-off valve too. You should also test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that they are working properly. It is also a good idea to place a fire extinguisher on every floor in an easily accessible place.
Buy Home Insurance and Warranties
If you have not purchased home insurance yet, you should look into it as home insurance can help cover many expenses, from plumbing to fixing your air-conditioners. Sometimes, real estate agents will offer home warranty as an add-in purchase of the contract, but if not, you can still buy home warranty from the warranty companies directly. This will give you peace of mind in case anything happens to your house, as the warranty company can send someone to check the damage and determine how much they can cover.
Prepare for Emergency Situations
It never hurts to be well-prepared in the case of an emergency. There are several things you can do, such as preparing an emergency supply kit. The kit should include a first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, cash, a back-up cell phone, blankets and a change of clothing. It’s also sound to prepare a list of emergency contacts. Besides 911, you should have on hand the contact of the local police officer, some neighbors, your insurance agent, a reputable electrician and plumber and any other emergency contact numbers that you might need. Especially if you have moved into a house in a new area, this list may come in handy if a situation arises.
Clean and Paint Before Moving In
Before you move in, you need to clean the house thoroughly and have any repainting done that needs doing. Cleaning and painting are much easier when the rooms are not full of furniture, as this way your furniture can’t be damaged by the paint. If you are not much of a cleaner, just contact one of the many cleaning service companies out there. It’s also a good idea to check if your new house has any pest problems before moving in. A pest infestation could seriously affect your life, so call in the professionals to treat these issues if you find any.
Be sure to follow this guide to the top 6 things you should check after buying your new home. A little preparation can go a long way, and it will ensure you can enjoy your new life and your new home to the fullest.