What to Do Before You Close On a Home
Here's an easy guide that prepares you for all the financial contracts and plans you should consider before you close on your home.
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Being organized is the name of the game right before you close on a home. It’s important to have all of your financial documents in order and create a plan around reviewing and purchasing the best home protection plans that fit your needs and lifestyle. Also, be ready to set up and schedule your utilities and do a change of address!
Consider what actions you should take before you close on your new home.
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Finances and Documentation
The financials around a home can be daunting. When you become a new homeowner, purchasing homeowner’s insurance is an essential step in protecting your new asset in case any damage should occur or if someone outside your family gets injured on your property. A home warranty is a contract that helps provide repairs and/or replacements for any of the major systems or appliances in your home.
Here we provide tips on how to shop around and save for these plans, as well as how to best organize and store all of your documents.
Insurance
Let’s face it: No one gets excited about buying insurance, but it’s part of being a responsible homeowner and can pay off dividends in case a problem arises. That’s why it’s vital to shop around and know the type of coverage you need; not doing your research could have you making common home insurance mistakes that can cost you in the long run. Learning cost-saving measures can also make a huge difference.
- Does Insurance Pay for Bed Bug Extermination? Some homeowners assume that homeowners insurance covers bed bug infestation, but you can save money trying to get rid of it yourself. We provide some tips on how to DIY the extermination process, but prevention is key.
Home Warranty
Unlike homeowner’s insurance, which covers losses from accidents, a home warranty is a service agreement that covers the costs of appliances and systems that could break down due to wear and tear. When shopping for a home warranty, you should refer to these coverage tips that can help you identify what a warranty typically covers and the add-on options that you may want to include.
Organize and Store Important Documents
How you organize and store your documents is vital since you’ll most likely be referring to them at the early stages of being a new homeowner. You’ll not only want to store your property docs in one place, but it’s also smart to include other important papers with them, including birth certificates, tax returns, bank statements and even monthly bills and payments.
How to Schedule Your Utilities and More
Before you close on your new home, you should already be considering how you’re going to setup and schedule your utilities, change your address and contact professional services. Not only that, but you’ll also want to take actionable steps on a security plan, like changing the locks on your door.
- How to Re-key a Door Lock: If you’re worried about an extra set of house keys getting into the wrong hands of your newly purchased home, you should re-key all of your door locks. In fact, this should be one of the first things you do. If you want to save on costs, consider purchasing a re-keying kit, or if you want to upgrade your home tech, go for keyless door locks.
More New Homeowner Tips and Information
Here are some additional tips and information that could help best prepare you to make the right decisions as a new homeowner — from checking your electrical and HVAC systems, compiling a list of contractors for needed repairs and creating an inventory of all your valuable assets you’ll be moving in with.
New Homeowner Products
There’s no shortage of things you could buy for your new house. It’s a list that could get long and very expensive pretty quickly. The key here is to focus in on what you need. Use this list for guidance and know what to avoid.
New Homeowner Resources
If you have any questions on products that you’re considering purchasing for your home, these national home improvement chains are tried-and-true resources.
