5 Things to Do After Closing

Here’s a list of important steps you should take immediately after closing on your home:

1. Copy and Store Documents

Buying a house involves a lot of paperwork, and you may need to refer to ownership documents for any number of reasons in the future. Make copies of all the important documents you collected throughout your home buying journey and store them in a secure place—preferably a safe, but a dedicated drawer in a file cabinet will do.

2. Change the Locks

You should receive all the keys to your new home upon closing, but you’ll never know for sure if you got the full set or if other copies are floating around. The only way to be certain no one else can open the doors to your home is to have all the locks changed. The minor expense is well worth the sense of security. If your house has an alarm system or smart technology, make sure you update the keycodes too.

3. Update Your Address

Let important institutions know you’ve changed addresses so you don’t miss out on any essential information (or leave it in the wrong hands). Start with USPS so you’ll get all your mail, then update your contact info with your job, banks, credit card companies, utilities, and medical facilities.

4. Complete Urgent Repairs

Do a sweep of your entire house and make note of anything in need of immediate maintenance. You’ll probably see a lot of things you’d like to fix, but nicked wood and faded paint can wait. Rotting floorboards or faulty wiring, however, can cause major problems if they aren’t addressed right away.

5. Check the Water Heater and HVAC Systems

If hot water, heat, or air conditioning are not available when you need them, moving into your new home won’t be nearly as fun. More importantly, these systems could be fire hazards or lead to poor air quality if they’ve been neglected for too long. Make sure these systems are working, adjust the water pressure if necessary, and change the air filters so you get a fresh start.

Take care of these immediate safety and security needs first so you can go about the rest of your move-in process at a more leisurely pace. Enjoy living in your new home!