Things to Get Done After Closing on a Home

After purchasing a home, it's important that you create a checklist of your next moves. From preparing your home to storing documents, learn what to do next with these tips from Schutt Law in Fort Myers.

Get Your Home Ready With These Tips

Before you start moving your items into your new home, there are some crucial steps you need to take. Prepare your home for a more welcoming and peaceful transition so you can focus on enjoying your new space.

If you're buying a new home, you're not protected if you don't have title insurance in Fort Myers. To learn more about title insurance, contact the experts at Schutt Law. Give them a call at (239) 540-7007 to get your questions answered.

Store Important Documents Properly

During closing, you may find yourself signing a lot of important documents. After doing so, it's super important that you hold onto the ones that belong to the homeowner. These documents may be needed at some point in the future, so storing them somewhere safe that will you be able to remember is a must. Because of this, it's recommended that you store them in a fireproof and waterproof safe in your home or in a safety deposit box at the bank. Before you do that, however, it's a good idea to make some copies you can keep on hand just in case. Scanning them and putting them on the cloud is also a great way to ensure you have easy access to them. Some of the important documents you should store include the mortgage promissory note, deed of trust, the deed, closing disclosure, and the transfer tax declaration if this applies in your state.

Change the Locks for Safety

Before moving into your new home, it's important that you have the locks changed. The old owner of the home will be required to hand over all of the copies they have, but this doesn't guarantee that you're getting all of the keys that exist. They may have forgotten how many people they gave copies of the keys to, meaning there may be more out there. Changing the locks will ensure no one has a copy of the keys and therefore won't be able to walk into your home unnoticed. It's best to get the locks changed so that you feel more comfortable and safe in the home upon moving in.

Get Ready to Deep Clean

Another thing to take care of before moving in is cleaning. Ideally, the previous owners would clean the home, but this probably isn't a priority for them. They may do some cleaning, but not nearly enough. In some cases, the home may have been empty for some time, meaning it'll be dusty and may even have some rodents. To avoid moving into a dirty home that will still need to be cleaned, take a couple of days to do some deep cleaning. This will help you feel more comfortable moving in since you'll know the home is clean how you like it. If the home needs a lot of cleaning, hire a professional team to help you out and make the job more manageable.

Be sure to purchase title insurance in Fort Myers to protect your investment. To learn all about the importance of title insurance, contact the friendly experts at Schutt Law at (239) 540-7007.

Know What Needs to Be Fixed

Ideally, the seller should have disclosed what areas of the home need work or maintenance. If not, the home inspection may have alerted you. Whatever the case may be, create a checklist of items that need repairs, maintenance, or upgrades. Plan out when this will need to be done, and take care of the items that are best taken care of before moving in. Fumigating the home, replacing the flooring, or even painting the walls can all be taken care of before your move to make it easier. Things like replacing appliances or yard work can be taken care of at a later time.

Change Your Address

Finally, take care of some paperwork. Be sure to fill out a change of address form at the post office before your move so that you don't miss any of your mail. It's also important to change your address on important accounts like your bank accounts, credit accounts, and insurance policies. Let your workplace know about our move as well as your friends and family.

Protect your home investment with title insurance in Fort Myers. The title insurance experts at Schutt Law can answer all the questions you may have. Give them a call at (239) 540-7007 to get your questions answered.