5 THINGS ALL NEW HOME OWNERS SHOULD DO BEFORE MOVING IN
By: Art Garcia Home Loan Specialist
Tags: First Home, Mortgage Loan, First Time Home Buyers, Real Estate, Home Improvement

Imagine, you just got the keys to your first home. You are all excited and you are telling your friends and family how happy you are. Front door pictures are taken with your favorite agent and the question finally comes up.

What do we do first before we move into your first home?

After helping a ton of happy new home owners get through a successful home buying experience and taking many calls asking “Hey Art, What is the first thing we should do before we start moving into our new home”.

I have come up with the top 5 things every new home owner should do before moving in.

Change the Locks.

With lots of people viewing the property before you fell in love with your new home. You really don’t know who else has a copy of the keys. You can change the deadbolts to most door for about $10 per door as your first DIY project.

You can also hire a professional locksmith to come to your house for a $20 to $30 labor fee per door. You can ask me through message or a call if you need a recommendation to a great locksmith.

2. Clean all cabinets.

Its a no brainer! Before you start bringing in all the cleaning products its important to wipe down all cabinets and replace the contact paper if necessary.

This needs to be done before our next step so all the left overs from the last owners goes away.

3. Steam Clean Carpets

Before you move your furniture in you should steam clean your carpets. Not only is your new home going to be very clean but its always good to start your home ownership fresh! I recommend hiring a professional carpet cleaning service that goes for $50 per room some have a minimum of $100.

You can also rent a steam cleaner and do it yourself to save a couple dollars. Alternatively you can ask frineds and family to see who can let you borrow one.

4. Check for plumbing leaks.

Your home inspector should have check this for you before closing. Its still a good idea to check all dripping faucets, running toilets, and your water heater. Most faucets and Running toilets can be fixed by you for around $20.

Here is a trick: Look at your water meter and write down the reading then hold off using any water for a period of 2 hours then check again after. If the two readings are different you have a leak.

5. Acquaint yourself with the Circuit Breaker Box and Main Water Valve.

Your first experience with the electrical system of your home will be changing a light bulb. As simple as it sounds you need to use caution and shut off the breaker to whatever room you are in. Where do you find the breaker? Well you will be ready if you find the circuit breaker box and know what breaker is for what rooms.

It is important to know where your main water valve is located in case of a plumbing emergency. If an earthquake hits or a tornado or hurricane or maybe you are laving for a vacation. Your valve should be located outside and sometimes inside the house. Test it by turning the valve all the way off and turning on a faucet. nothing should come out.

Remember if you are looking to buy a new home or you want to refinance give us a call at 213 431 2882 or send us a message on Facebook visit https://www.facebook.com/ArtGarciaHomeLoans/ .

Thank for reading!