Tuesday Tidbits: Moving Into a New Home

Here at DCAR, we want to make your jobs easier. That’s why we’ve started up our Tuesday Tidbits series, a weekly email that will provide you with a useful, relevant piece of information that will hopefully come in handy as you work. If you missed any of the previous editions, those are archived here.

Much of the information we use in these emails comes from the National Association of REALTORS® resources RealtorMag and HouseLogic. We encourage you to browse through their content for other useful tips.

Moving into a New Home

Moving into a new home can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to lose track of the many tasks at hand. Some things can be made up once everything is settled, but other tasks must be handled immediately. It’s a good idea to keep this information handy for both you and your clients.

What to Do When You First Move In

HouseLogic, a site created by the National Association of REALTORS®, came up with a handy checklist of the most important tasks a homeowner must take care of upon moving into a new home. Check out the link below for more information on each of these tasks, and be sure to check out the rest of the site for other helpful tips.

1. Change the locks. You might have the only set of keys to your new home, or perhaps there are other pairs floating around. Either way, get those locks changed.
2. Check for plumbing leaks. Home inspectors are supposed to take care of this, but you never know what they might have missed, and you don’t want to find out the hard way.
3. Steam clean the carpets. This is an easy one to put off, but the best time to do it is before you move in the furniture for the first time.
4. Wipe out the cabinets. You hope the previous owners did this before they moved out, but you should do it yourself in case they only gave it a once-over.
5. Rid yourself of pests. Even if you don’t see any bugs or rodents upon moving in, there might be some lurking about. Better safe than sorry, as few things ruin the luster of a new home as much as an infestation.
6. Find the circuit breaker and main water valve. With any luck, you won’t need to use either of these any time soon. But if you do, you’ll want to know where they are and how they work.

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The information expressed herein is intended to serve as a general resource guide for the members of the District of Columbia Association of REALTORS® and is subject to change. While the District of Columbia Association of REALTORS® strives to make the information in this email as timely and accurate as possible, the Association makes no claims or guarantees about the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and expressly disclaims liability for any errors and omissions. This information should not be taken as legal counsel.