No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.
Congratulations on moving into your new house in WA, OR, ID, or CO! But hold on. Now that the house is yours, there are a few things you will want to do in order to make life in your new home more comfortable and secure. Before you plan your housewarming party, there is a list of things you should do after you move in.
Making sure your home is secure, comfortable, and ready for you and your family to move is important. And ideally, the tasks on your plate should be conducted even before you spend your first night on your new home.
As the new homeowner, you have no way of knowing how many others have keys to your new home. The previous owner may have made copies for their housekeeper, their parents, the babysitter, a neighbor, or anyone else. You definitely don’t want anyone else having keys to your home, even if they don’t have any bad intentions.
One of the first things you do once you move into your home in Seattle or Denver is have a locksmith come in and change all the locks. The investment will ensure that only you have the keys to your home and will help you sleep soundly.
If the contract you entered into with the previous owner did not involve a survey, you might want to get a hold of paperwork that will show you what your property’s boundaries are. Check in with town hall to see if there are documents on file that lay out the boundaries for the land you just purchased.
If not, consider having a land surveyor come out to mark the boundaries around your new Colorado or Oregon home. This will ensure that you don’t accidentally do things that encroach on your new neighbor’s land, such as planting trees or flowers, erecting a fence, setting up a swing set, installing a pool, or building a shed.
It’s not unheard of for neighbors adjacent to one another to quarrel over encroachment issues, whether they were intentional or not. It’s always best to know precisely where your property ends and where the neighbor’s begins before you start any work on a project.
While it’s customary for sellers to leave homes in “broom-swept condition” before vacating the premises, you’ll still want to clean the place before you settle in. You’ll rest easier knowing that the place has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before you rest your head on your first night.
In fact, you may want to do this even before you move all your furniture and belongings in, which will make the clean-up process a lot easier. If you don’t have the time or desire to do that job yourself, you can always hire a professional team of cleaners to do it for you. After all, the process of buying and moving is a taxing one!
There are plenty of people and businesses that will need your new updated address. If you haven’t already, set up a change of address with your post office before you even move in. Then, start notifying others of your new address, including your friends, family members, doctor, bank, loan providers and creditors, subscription services, utility companies, IRS, and anyone else who you have regular mail correspondence with.
Pencil in a day to go around and meet your new neighbors. Don’t wait too long to do this; the longer you wait, the more awkward it becomes. In theory, they should be introducing themselves to you, but these days you could be waiting a long time for an apple pie to show up at your door.
Just wait for the weekend and give a light knock on the doors on your street. Or else, go for a walk or hang out on your front porch and wait for people to walk by. Your neighbors will appreciate the gesture and you might just meet a new friend. Plus, it’s always nice to know people in the area, especially when you’re ever in need of help.
Do you know where the main water valve is in your Portland or Boise home if there’s ever a burst pipe? How about the electrical panel if a breaker goes out? This is where having a map of the components of your home can help.
A house map is just a general layout of where all the important fixtures are. The map should include the furnace, all outdoor spigots, the main water shut-off valve, the septic tank lid cover (if applicable) and the circuit box.
Finally, invest in some fire extinguishers and mark their locations on the map, too. Have it laminated and put it someplace where all the family members can access it.
Once you take care of these things after moving into your Washington or Idaho home, you will feel better knowing that you’ve done all the necessary chores. Now, just sit back and enjoy your accomplishment!
At Sammamish Mortgage, our goal is to personalize every experience for each mortgage applicant. That’s why we have a full team of experienced mortgage loan officers, transaction coordinators, processors, and funders.
Mortgage loan processing is what we do, so each team member heavily experienced. If your personal loan officer is unavailable for whatever reason, and you need to talk to someone about your loan, someone will be available to you.
Sammamish Mortgage has been assisting many home buyers in the Pacific Northwest since 1992. If you’re in the market for a mortgage, we can help. Sammamish Mortgage offers mortgage programs in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Contact us if you have any mortgage-related questions or concerns. If you are ready to move forward, you can view rates, obtain a customized instant rate quote, or apply instantly directly from our website.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
{hours_open} - {hours_closed} Pacific
No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.