The process of buying a new home is a long one. With so much uncertainty, endless legal forms, bank meetings, sleepless nights and pressures on your family budget, it’s easy to understand why they say buying a house is one of the most stressful things you can do.
Of course, the moment the sale goes through and you get handed those keys is cause for celebration but just because you’ve cleared the final hurdle doesn’t mean you can rest on your laurels. When you move into a new home your “to-do” list gets a whole lot longer and every task on it is just as important as the one before it. To make this simpler, we’ve listed the most important tasks you shouldn’t neglect on your new home checklist, read on to find out more.
Take Out Home Insurance
Taking out home insurance is an important task for any homeowner. Having protection in place in the event of structural damage to your property or in the event of theft is key to peace of mind. While finding quotes on house insurance can feel laborious, it’s important to shop around for the very best policy and price for your specific needs. You may wish to only take out buildings insurance (where your home is protected in the event of fire, flood damage, storm damage or even subsidence) or only invest in contents insurance (where your belongings are covered in the event of damage, destruction or theft) you may even choose to save time and money and take out a combined policy.
Don’t forget to check and compare prices online to ensure you’re getting the best possible deal, and also look at ways you can keep your monthly premiums down, such as installing burglar alarms and updating the locks.
Get The Locks Changed
As well as having a positive impact on your monthly house insurance premiums, changing the locks in your new home when you move in is another essential task. There’s no way of ever knowing who might still have keys to your new property, so get in touch with a local locksmith to get things updated. You should also get the window locks updated too, as in most cases, these are rarely changed.
Get A Head Start With Your Meter Readings
We all know how the cost of utilities has skyrocketed recently, so in order to keep control of your bills and monthly payments, you need to take photographs of the meter readings at your old home before you leave and at your new home when you move in. This will keep things as accurate as possible and it won’t be left to the utility companies to give an “estimate” of your usage.
Update Your Address
Our Addresses are on everything so it’s important to get a head start and create a list of those you need to update as a matter of urgency. The first will be your banks and credit card providers, followed by utility providers, mobile phone accounts, your Dr and dentist, the kids’ school – the list goes on. It can be a lengthy process so make a start as soon as possible.
Final Thoughts…
Congratulations on buying your new home! Follow the tips above to ensure that everything goes smoothly and there are no nasty surprises!
