Moving into your first home is incredibly exciting and marks the beginning of an important chapter in your life.
If you are thinking of embarking on some major upgrades, it may pay to get to know your new home well first.
It’s worth keeping a journal of your general first impressions of living in the property and how it might be improved.
Meanwhile, there are a few tasks that should be addressed in the first few weeks of occupancy. Try out these top tips to help you settle in:
Water valve
Locate the water valve just in case you need to shut it off because of a plumbing emergency. They’re often located on an exterior wall or in the basement. You’ll probably need to turn it clockwise several times to turn it off.
Electricity panel
It’s equally important to familiarize yourself with your electrical panel in case a fuse blows or flips a switch. Hopefully, each switch will be marked to indicate the area of the house it covers. If your home doesn’t have whole-of-house surge protection, ask an electrician to install one.
Smoke detectors
Check the expiry dates on your smoke detectors. If they’re battery-operated, consider asking the electrician to wire new ones into the mains. An alarm going off at 3am because a battery has run low is a nightmare. Seek advice on whether your home has sufficient coverage.
Filter replacements
It’s a good idea to refresh the filters for your furnace and air-conditioner. You’ll be at the top of the class if you replace your furnace filter once every month, as this is best practice.
Basement check
If you have a sump pump in your basement, check it’s working. Heavy and flooding rains are not the moment to find out it doesn’t. It should have a backup system in case it breaks down or the power goes out. If you’re not sure how to do this, call in a service expert.
Meet your neighbors
Don’t lock yourself away. Knock on a few doors to introduce yourself. If you’re new to the area, you should ask for recommendations for neighborhood plumbers and electricians.