Congratulations on buying your new home. You have successfully made it through making the offer, the home inspection, mortgage application, financing, and closing. Everything is done in the correct order with no hurdles on your way. Now you’re just left with one last task; moving into your new home.
If it is a newly-built home, you can make your move right away. But when it’s a resale property, you might want to prepare for some extra work. In this post, I have shared five things you need to do before you move in. So let’s get started.
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Refresh The Paint
Painting a resale home is often a necessity than a luxury. It’s also one of the easiest and most cost-effective things you could do to uplift your house. Painting a house while it’s still unoccupied is easier. You don’t have to worry about moving your furniture or removing wall hangings.
The best part is that you could paint the rooms yourself and don’t have to be an expert. So go ahead paint those walls with the colours matching your personality.
The crucial part comes when you’re painting the exterior. Here you might have to hire an expert. Luckily for condo owners, this task is the condo association’s responsibility.
Get New Appliances
Often when you’re buying a resale property, you get some home appliances with it. Sellers usually highlight such add-ons when listing their homes. You may found such homes on ‘condos for sale in Mississauga.’
If you don’t want any home appliances coming with the home, you could buy new ones. While some could be luxury rather than necessity, you surely don’t want to move into a house with no dishwasher or an oven. If your new house doesn’t have these, buy them before you make your move.
Fix Smoke Detectors
Fixing the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is one of the most important tasks you should do before moving in. Start fixing by checking if these detectors just require a set of batteries. If that’s the case, bring the matching batteries and replace them.
If these detectors require a replacement, you might have to hire an expert to get their opinion on the best device and the spot to place them. According to some experts, homebuyers must install smoke detectors in the hallway since, most often, fires erupt from the kitchen or the laundry room. And if you have a multi-level home, it’s best to install smoke detectors on each level.
According to experts, it’s a best practice to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every six months. These experts also advise replacing batteries by that time, even when the current ones work perfectly fine.
Buy Home Warranty
Buying a home warranty must be on the top of your list of ‘things to do before you move into your new home.’
When you buy a resale property, the home warranty might already come with it. This home warranty could cover the home’s major systems or appliances. But if you don’t get it from the previous owner, buy it right before moving in.
When buying a new home warranty, make sure you get the best deal to cover various items. The more items get coverage, the better it’s for the homebuyers.
When you have bought a condo, you will get less burden on your pocket. Some of the items would be covered by the condo association. And that left with you won’t cost more than the items covered under this warranty.
Secure Your Home
Last but not least, check your home’s security. Before you move into your new home, make sure you change the locks and garage codes. After all, you don’t want an ex-owner to intrude without your knowledge. In fact, why anyone would be allowed to enter without your permission.
Do ask the previous homeowner for instruction manuals and codes for any electronic systems. And make sure to change the codes to new configurations on a priority basis.
Depending on the type of house you have bought, the expense for your security system could go from a few dollars to more than $1,000. Assuming you have bought a condo, the expense wouldn’t be as high as if you had a single-family home. That’s because some of the burdens fall on the condo association. They’re responsible for giving you a safe entrance to your condo. And from there, it’s your liability to secure your home.
Get a free list of the best home security systems here.
Did You Inspect Your House Before You Move In?
These were just five things to do before you move in. There are more you need to add to the list. Remember some of the upgrades, renovations, or improvements could be carried on after you make a move. But these five are the ones best done before you make a move.
Author Bio
Jessica is a professional content writer, writing for a few real estate companies like Condo Point. She has been writing for the real estate market for quite some time and now is in love with it. Besides writing for the real estate market, she also contributes to home improvement ideas/projects tips for buyers and sellers, and more. You may read her blogs here.