First Things You Should Do in Your New Home

Summertime is moving time for a lot of people. If you have plans to move into a new house this summer these are a few items that you should take care of first.

Change all the Exterior Door Locks

It doesn't matter if the old owners tell you they gave you all the keys and no one else has one. You will never know for sure! There could be a contractor who is not very honest that received a key so they could come in and complete work. What if they made a copy?. Have all the exterior door locks changed and keyed so that one key will fit them all. To change the locks, you can take the locks to a local hardware stock and have them done or have a locksmith come to your home, which can be pricey. If the locks are fairly old, its probably best to get brand new ones to protect your home and feel more secure.

Have your HVAC System Inspected

Regardless of whether or not you had your home inspected before you purchased, inspectors have a quite a lengthy checklist to cover in a few hours. He or she may have turned on the furnace and air conditioner to make sure if it works. Beyond that, their inspection may not have been very complete. They are not HVAC pros anyway. Instead of risking an air conditioner failure when it has to work hard in very hot weather, get a professional heating and air contractor go thorough a full inspection. If any repairs need to be made, take care of them now so your unit works well when you need it. If it has documented problems, it might be worth it to complain to the home inspection company. Ask for a partial rebate on the fee you paid them to inspect the home.

Develop a Plan for Exiting the Home if Fire Breaks Out

This is especially important if you have young children or elderly adults in your home. Be sure that all family members have a way to escape and that you have a common meeting place outside of your house. As part of the process, check all smoke detectors in the home and make sure you have a fire extinguisher on every level, especially in the kitchen and near the clothes dryer.

There are so many things you want to get done when you purchase a new home. Try to take care of these few items to make sure you feel safe, secure and comfortable in your new house.