14 Things You Must Change (Immediately) in a Newly Bought Home

Whether moving into a new rental or diving into home ownership, your to-do list is likely overflowing. 

The top things on your mind are probably getting your walls painted and rooms furnished (and finding your new favorite coffee shop) and worrying about how to pay your new mortgage or rent.

But there are logistical steps you need to take to make sure your home is safe and set up.

From changing the locks to transferring the utilities, these are steps that you should take as soon as you move in. The best news? They're all pretty affordable and accessible to do on (mostly) your own.

There’s no better time to clean every nook and cranny of the house than when there’s nothing in it. Take advantage of the empty house by breaking out the mop and deep cleaning every room.

Don’t feel like doing it yourself? You can usually hire a cleaning service for a few hundred dollars.

It’s impossible to know who the previous owners gave keys to over the years. Their dog sitter may have a key or their second cousin. The safest thing to do is start fresh and change the locks before you move in.

Don’t spend a single night in your home before you’ve made sure that the smoke detectors work. Test them and replace the batteries (or the entire unit!) if necessary.

Getting the internet set up should be a first step, regardless of whether you work from home or simply want to ensure you don’t get behind on your favorite streaming shows. 

Look into what services are available near your new home and schedule installation ASAP.

Whether you have pets or kids, it’s helpful to survey the home to find unsafe spots.

There could be stairs that need a gate, outlets that need to be covered, or doors that need to be secured. Make these safety moves before you move in.

If you’ve ever had your air conditioning go out in the middle of the summer or your heat in the winter, you know that’s a situation you don’t want to be in again.

Get your HVAC system serviced before you move in so you won’t have any surprises.

Look into doing it as soon as you move in, especially if it will help you feel more comfortable as you navigate a new neighborhood. 

Some options range from simple cameras you can install yourself to service providers that offer home monitoring while you are home and away.

From your Amazon account to your magazine subscriptions, make sure you update your mailing address so that you don’t miss a single package. That includes updating your address at the post office and with specific online accounts.

Because it’s nearly impossible to update your address with every single person or company that could send you mail, it’s a good idea to set up mail forwarding with the post office. This is typically for a finite amount of time, and you can pay to extend it.

Whether your utilities have been shut off between ownership or you simply need to transfer from the old owner to the next, it’s best to do this immediately. Water, sewer, gas, electricity, and trash collection are all utilities to make sure are successfully transferred.

Make sure you’re prepared for anything that comes up, particularly as you navigate a new home.

Locate the fuse box and other items like the water shutoff to make sure that you’ll be back in action if any emergencies happen.

If you get a traffic ticket and it turns out that your license has an old address, you could end up with a second ticket. Update your license as soon as possible after moving into your new home.

Particularly in a year like 2024, it’s critical to make sure you update your voter registration as soon as you move. Once you update it, check on your new polling location. Even if you’ve moved within the same city, it could still change when you have a new address.

Whether you’re renting or owning, you’ll need to update your insurance as soon as you move. 

Your new address will need to be reflected in both renters and homeowners insurance, which could raise or lower your premium depending on factors such as location and security.

One of the benefits of changing your address with the United States Postal Service is receiving all the coupons and deals that will come in the mail shortly thereafter.

You’ll find deals from local businesses and big box stores geared towards getting your home set up.

Take advantage of these deals, combine them with a rewards credit card, and take steps to save and earn money while buying a new home.