Important Things to do After Moving into Your New Nashville, TN Home

If you have just invested in buying a new home, we congratulate you. Closing on a house in the challenging market today is something that you should be proud of. Now you have made it from the start of house hunting to making the offer through the mortgage process and the closing, you might think it is time to kick back, relax, and enjoy your new living space. Don't get too comfortable just yet. Moving into a new home will mean that you will need to take action right away to ensure that you will live a successful life as a homeowner now and in the future.

In this article, we will discuss eight important things to do after moving into your new Nashville, TN, home.

1. Connect the Utilities in Your Home

Before you move yourself and your family into the home, be sure to connect your must-have utilities. Think water, gas, and electricity. This can help pave the way for a smooth move to ensure that you have all the necessities that you are getting settled. No one wants to unpack boxes and start organizing their house in the dark.

2. Ensure Your Home is Secure

The first thing to do when you are getting ready to move into your new home is to change the locks, garage codes, and access to other entry points to the home. These security-related tasks should be done before you move into the home. The cost of changing locks can vary based on the level of security, the complexity of the lock, or whether you opt to hire a professional locksmith or do it yourself. If your home is equipped with an alarm system, you are likely going to have to pay to reconnect service or choose a provider.

3. Double Check the Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors

To ensure that your family will stay safe in your new home, we recommend ensuring all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in the best working conditions. This can include installing fresh batteries or replacing the units entirely. Most home safety experts agree that you should check and change the batteries in your detectors every six months. If you keep a calendar, it is easy to set a reminder. Check-in with your local fire department for help if you are unsure if you are doing this correctly.

4.  Look Over the Home-Warranty or Purchase a New One

Homebuyers can receive a home warranty purchased by the previous owner to cover all the home's major systems or appliances. If you have received a warranty, review the specifics so that you know what is covered and how to file the claim. If you don't receive a warranty, consider purchasing one. Shop around for the best deal.

5. Find the Emergency Shut-offs & Appliance Manuals

If your home is not brand-new construction, it is going to be new to you. It is vital to understand how things work. Ensure you know where the emergency shut-off valves are and where the circuit-breaker box is. If the box is unlabeled, add labels to the individual circuits so that you know which ones go to what room or appliance. Gather up all the appliance manuals for easy reference if needed.

6. Refresh the Flooring and Paint

One of the best cost-effective ways to make a house your home is to give the interior a fresh coat of paint. Unlike renters, when you are an owner, you can dictate your color palette and timeline, it will be on your terms. If you get the painting done before moving your furniture in, you won't be required to move pieces around again and worry about splatter or drip messes. Like refreshing the walls with paint, refreshing the floors is cheaper and easier to do when the home is empty. Flooring can make all the difference in a home's appearance. If yours are in less-than-pristine condition, consider replacing them altogether before moving in.

7. Utilize the Inspection Report for a To-Do List for Upkeep

After purchasing a home, you should review any issues that have been flagged on the home inspection report but are not yet fixed. Using the report as a common guide, we recommend making a list of things that need repairing, updating, or maintaining for the future, ranking them from most to least urgent. You will want to address items that can cause problems later, like leaky pipes, gutters, or doors and windows that need to be resealed.

8. Create a Maintenance Schedule

Maintaining your home can be a marathon rather than a sprint. Instead of tackling all of the tasks immediately, be thoughtful about the things that should be done over time. This can include replacing air filters, cleaning the gutters, pressure washing the home's exterior, etc...

Bottom Line

Relocating to a new home can be overwhelming, but with all the right preparation before and after, it won't have to be. Whether you are planning for moving costs, hiring professional movers, or updating your car registration, this checklist should be a good starting point in a checklist that can make it so nothing falls through the cracks. Trust the real estate professionals at Benchmark Realty to guide you in finding and settling down in the home of your dreams in the many beautiful, thriving urban neighborhoods that make up Nashville, TN, today.