Things to Do Before Closing on a Home

You have spent months or even years looking for the perfect home. You found a good real estate attorney, worked with numerous professionals and endured the extensive property and pest inspections. Now, it is almost time to close the home and officially move in. You are obviously excited and cannot wait to meet the seller and finalize the deal. However, before you go there, there are a few things that you need to take care of to ensure a smooth transition to your new home. Think you have done everything there is to do when moving to a new home? Well, here are some essential things that you probably haven’t taken care of yet.

Plan the renovations in advance

It is possible that your new home requires a few tweaks here and there to meet your style. You probably want to put a fresh coat of paint in your chosen colors, refinish the floor, get new furniture, or even knock down a wall. All these renovations require adequate planning, but most people are usually caught up in the purchase process that they don’t think about them. Planning your renovations will allow you to get the work started immediately after the closing date.

Considering the stress that’s associated with a property purchase deal, you should hire a designer to take over the renovation details. This way, you will not have to juggle all things at once and possibly end up making costly mistakes.

Set up the utilities

How bad would it be to move into your new house and realize that the power is disconnected? You may have to wait for days before you can fill out the paperwork and get the power back. Ask about the status of the utilities before the closing date. Don’t assume that there is a grace period because some utility companies don’t offer any. If the seller has canceled, call the company and get the services set up and the documents transferred from the seller to you. This will give you an easy time when you move in and allow your contractor to carry out renovations.

Know your neighbors

Do you want to move into a neighborhood in which you don’t know anyone? Well, no one wants that. Before the closing day, make a point of knowing your neighbors. You may want to build a fence on your property line, and a good relationship with your neighbor will come in handy at that time. If you are skeptical about a blind meeting, you can always run an online check through the use of a people search engine. This will give you details about your neighbors, including public records so that you can know who they are and what they do.

Organize for new locks

When a property is listed on the market, the real estate agent gets the keys to the home. They will most likely hand over copies to various contractors and inspectors who will be accessing the building during the period. This means that more than three people that won’t be living in the home already have the keys. Creepy right? Well, before closing, make sure that you organize for the locks to be changed. This is a lengthy process that will involve you choosing the types of locks you want and any other additional security such as a surveillance system, outdoor security lighting, and so on. Make sure that you have a security expert who can take care of this immediately after the closing day. This will ensure that no unauthorized person can gain access to the home once the final documents are signed.

Find a handyman you can call

Moving house is an engaging process, and simple things can make the task even more complicated. Imagine trying to decorate your new living room with wall décor only to realize that you need to nail holes in the wall? Having a handyman that you can call for such tasks will simplify the process for you. They can help you move furniture around, replace old furnishings, and even install lighting fixtures. If you moved to a new town, you need to research in advance so that you can have someone to call when you need help.

Closing a home may be exciting, but it also opens up a host of other activities that you have to take care of in preparation for moving in. Make sure that you iron out these things in advance to ensure that you have an easy time as the closing date approaches.