So, you’ve finally done it. You’ve gone through all the hard work and saving up and now you finally own your own home. The excitement is immense and wanting to get settled in your new home is always a priority. There are countless blog posts detailing all the steps to buying your home. However, there aren’t any in what’s best to do once you first move in. This blog post will solve that problem, as we list the top 10 things you should do when you enter your new home.
What's Included?
1. Change the locks
This is probably the most important thing you should do when you enter your new home, which is why we have put it at the top of our list. Your home is your own personal sanctuary where you will eat, sleep, and raise your family. You want to make sure that you and your loved ones are safe in your home and it’s such an easy thing to do. All you need to do is change the locks to all the outside doors and buy new locks. These can easily be bought at B&Q for roughly £25. This way only you will have the correct keys for the doors and your house will be secure.
2. Check for any damage
If you have bought a new build house and you are the first owners of the property, then it may be wise to go round and conduct a thorough inspection of all the rooms to check for any damage. Sometimes during the later parts of building projects ladders can be left leant against windows causing scratches or outside guttering being knocked. These small issues can sometimes go unnoticed so it is best to look out for these things and if you do find any issues then get in contact with the building company and/or housing association and these issues will be solved, usually free of charge.
3. Test all fire and smoke alarms
Back to safety now and another easy job. This job is to go around the house and test all the fire and smoke alarms in the house. This is to make sure that they aren’t either broken or need the batteries replacing. You can test the alarm by pressing a button on the box that will set the alarm off and give an immediate indication as to whether it is working. If there is an issue with the alarm, then luckily, it’s a quick and cheap fix whether that be buying a new battery or a new alarm which averages at about £20.
4. Make note of your gas and electricity reading
The next thing you should do is locate your gas and electricity reader and make a note of the date and the reading that it gives you. This is because when a new person or family move into a house, most energy providers will place them into a standard tariff category by default. More often than not these tend to be the most expensive ones, meaning more money. By making note of the gas and electric reading you will be able to check that you won’t be overcharged in your first energy bill.
5. Check the windows
Our last tip on safety and its one some people don’t consider. When on your walkthrough in your new home you may want to inspect the windows. Many windows differ in a lot of different ways so you will want to see how secure the window is. Look for whether it requires a key to open it or not etc. For peace of mind, you may also want to think about investing in an alarm system for your home, or if you already have one get acquainted with it and make sure you understand how it works.
6. Check your personal finances Once You’ve Moved Into Your New Home
Buying a house and the cost of moving is high and it will certainly make a dent in your finances. So it’s good to go through and check your finances once the move is complete. With this check you should see how much you have in your savings. Look to see if you need to change up some spending habits. Also assess if there are certain things that need paying for in the house and how important they are. A written out financial plan is always a great way to plan out your finances to see what needs to be done and when you can pay out for certain things or when you can estimate to be back on your feet.
7. Check your council tax
It is common to move into a different council borough when moving house and this will affect your rate of council tax. This is because each council sets their own tax rate. You can check what your council tax rate is by checking on the Government website
8. Update your address to your new home
This needs to be done so that you can still receive your post and packages. The first one you should do is your bank as you don’t want other people receiving your personal bank statements. Luckily a simple call to the bank is all that’s needed to solve this one. With online delivery companies changing your address is quick and easy as you can just change it when you checkout online. Finally with general post you can go to the post office and give them your new address and they will make sure all your post goes to your new address for a charge.
9. Locate the Stop Cock and Electrical Box in Your New Home
Another thing you should do is make sure you know where the stop cock and electrical box is placed. This would be handy to know for future reference. Down the line you may need to turn off the water or the electricity, whether that’s because of a leak or wiring new plug sockets. In an emergency situation like a burst water pipe, you need to act quick. So if you do it when you first move in you know where they are, and you’re prepared.
10. Enjoy Your New Home
Once you’ve done all of these you can finally sit back, make a cup of tea and relax. Enjoy your new home and your new life.
Credibble offers two fabulous solutions.
If you’re preparing to take a mortgage, never apply until you’ve tried our unique and FREE Credibble Home app. Our smart technology will tell you what you need to fix so you avoid rejection. The app predicts when you will be able to buy, for how much and tracks your month-by-month progress to mortgage success. We’ve even added your own mortgage broker, so you get the best deals available.
More focused on your credit rating? Well, get started for free with Credibble’s 24- Factor Credit Check to truly help you improve your creditworthiness and how lenders view you. (Remember: lenders don’t use your credit score! We’ll show you what lenders look for and how to get your credit report in the best shape possible).
