You've bought a new home, congratulations! Now What?
Buying a new home is an exciting and sometimes overwhelming experience. Once the deal is done, the focus then shifts to preparing to move, which brings its own list of 'to-dos'. Many of these may be obvious, but there are also a few often forgotten items to add to your list. In our experience, working with new and existing home owners, we have put together a 'New Home Move-In Checklist' that we give to our clients to ensure they are move-in ready before closing day.
1. Secure Funds - your funds for your down payment and closing costs should be in an account that is easily accessible. Closing day is exciting, but can easily become overwhelming, make sure you have all of your funds secured and ready to go to make the transaction go smoothly.
2. Set-up Property Tax Payments - this may have already been taken care of with your mortgage, but if you're not adding your payments to your mortgage payments, make sure this is in place before closing.
3. Confirm Lease Takeovers - Confirm that any leaseholds or takeovers you are inheriting from the seller are in place
4. Transfer/Set-up your Utilities - Make sure your home is ready to be lived in by ensuring that your power, water & gas are set up and ready to go for move-in day. Depending on the time of year, there could be a few weeks to a month lead time necessary, so the sooner you can get this in order, the better.
5. Connect TV/Internet - You'll want to be connected when you move in. Take time to research the services available in your area and be sure to give 2-3 weeks lead time to ensure that you have the services you need for move-in.
6. Update your address - Changing your address is often over-looked but can be very frustrating after the fact with the risk of losing important mail if it isn't taken care of. In Canada, you can purchase a change of address service from Canada Post which will change your address for you. Otherwise, you'll be left trying to remember everyone that needs your new address.
7. Gather important documents - Knowing where all of your important documents are will give you peace of mind during your move. Placing items like birth certificates, insurance documents, social insurance numbers, etc. in one spot and keeping it close during your move is always a good idea.
8. Purchase Home Insurance - it is important to ensure that you have home insurance in place before the day of closing. Home insurance is made up of coverages that may help pay to repair or replace your home and belongings if they are damaged by certain perils, such as fire or theft. It may also help cover costs if you accidentally damage another person's property or if a visitor is injured at your home.
9. Document Valuables - If you're hiring movers, it is always a good idea to take photos of your valuable items should anything happen to them during the move. Ensure that the photos are time-stamped and this will give you evidence should anything occur.
10. Book Time off Work - The move day is one thing, but often, there are many loose ends to tie up in the 48-72 hours after you gain possession. Utility hook-ups are often only available during workday hours, so ensuring that you are flexible in the days following your move will be invaluable.
11. Change your Locks - Even though the previous owners will typically supply the keys to the home when you take possession, you never know what random keys may exist out there from previous owners or others. Hire a locksmith and have new locks installed for full peace of mind.
12. Test smoke-detectors - As new owners, it will be difficult to know when the smoke detectors were last checked. It is always a good idea to test them all and replace batteries or have them serviced if they aren't working properly.
13. Locate shut-off valves and circuit breaker - You may have had a chance to locate these items during one of your pre-purchase showings, but it is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with these areas when you move in, just in case should you need to shut something down or trip a breaker in an emergency.
We hope this New Home Move-In Checklist will help you transition into your new home without issue! If you found this helpful, feel free to share with any of your friends or family preparing for a move in the near future!