You Bought the House — Now What?

You signed what felt like a thousand documents.

You transferred the money.

You survived inspections, disclosures, negotiations and probably more than a few sleepless nights.

And finally…

You got the keys!

Congratulations! Now you can move in, unpack the boxes and relax.

Well… almost.

There are a few things new homeowners should take care of fairly soon after moving in — and some of them are surprisingly easy to forget.

Table of Contents

1. Change the Locks
2. Find Your Main Water Shutoff
3. Learn Your Electrical Panel
4. Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
5. Start a Home Information File
6. Learn Your New Neighborhood
7. Don’t Try to Fix Everything the First Month
8. One Last Thing

1. Change the Locks

This is one of the first things I recommend.

You received keys from the seller, but you really don’t know how many copies of those keys might exist.

Previous owners, family members, house cleaners, pet sitters, contractors or neighbors may have had one at some point.

That doesn’t mean there’s anything to worry about. It’s simply good practice to start fresh.

Have the locks rekeyed or replaced and don’t forget about side doors, garage access doors and other exterior entrances.

Then you know exactly who has a key to your home.

2. Find Your Main Water Shutoff

Please don’t wait for water to be spraying across your kitchen to figure this one out!

Find out where the main water shutoff is and make sure you know how to operate it.

You should also learn where the individual shutoffs are for toilets, sinks and other fixtures.

A small plumbing problem can become a very expensive problem surprisingly quickly.

Knowing how to shut off the water could save you a lot of damage while you’re waiting for the plumber.

3. Learn Your Electrical Panel

Open the electrical panel and take a look.

Are the breakers clearly labeled?

And more importantly — are those labels actually correct?

Homes change over the years. Electrical work gets done, rooms get remodeled and sometimes the little handwritten descriptions inside the panel aren’t quite as accurate as we’d like them to be.

You don’t have to become an electrician.

You should simply know where your panel is and have a basic understanding of which breakers control the major areas of your home.

4. Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Your inspections and transaction may have addressed these, but once you’re living in the house, they become part of your regular home maintenance.

Test them.

Learn which ones use batteries and which are hardwired.

And make yourself a reminder to check them periodically.

This isn’t glamorous homeowner stuff.

It’s important homeowner stuff.

5. Start a Home Information File

This is something I wish every homeowner would do from day one.

Create one place for information about your house.

It could be a binder, a folder on your computer or both.

Keep things such as:

• Appliance manuals and model numbers
• Contractor information
• Receipts for major repairs
• Roof information
• HVAC records
• Plumbing and electrical work
• Paint colors
• Warranties
• Improvement records

Five or ten years from now when someone asks, “When was that water heater replaced?”, you won’t have to stare at it and guess.

And when you eventually sell the home, some of that information may be very helpful.

6. Learn Your New Neighborhood

Here’s the fun part.

Go explore!

Find your grocery store.

Try the little restaurant around the corner.

Figure out garbage and recycling day.

Find the nearest park.

Walk the neighborhood.

Meet your new neighbors.

Drive your commute at the time you’ll actually be making it.

Find the coffee shop you’ll probably be visiting far too often.

Buying a home isn’t only about owning four walls.

You bought a neighborhood and a community too.

Enjoy discovering it.

7. Don’t Try to Fix Everything the First Month

This may be the hardest one.

You move in and suddenly you want to change EVERYTHING.

The paint.

The flooring.

The light fixtures.

The landscaping.

That bathroom.

Those cabinets.

And whatever on earth the previous owner was thinking when they chose that tile.

Give yourself a little time.

Live in the house first.

You may discover that something you thought absolutely had to change really doesn’t bother you.

You may also discover other improvements that are much more important.

Unless something needs immediate repair, you don’t have to transform the entire house during your first month of ownership.

Your home will evolve with you.

8. One Last Thing

Take a picture.

Seriously.

Before all the boxes are unpacked and before you’ve changed everything, take a picture of yourself standing in front of your new home.

Buying a home — especially here in the Bay Area — is a big accomplishment.

Someday you’ll look back at that picture and remember exactly how you felt when those keys were finally yours.

Then go inside.

You’ve got boxes to unpack.

Have a question about buying, selling or simply owning a home?

You don’t have to be moving to have a real estate question.

Selma Michael, REALTOR®
DRE #01339617
510-517-2346
selmamichael.com
Serving the Greater Bay Area