A Checklist For Moving in to Your New Omaha Home

Moving into a new Omaha home can be exciting and very busy all at the same time. There is much to do beyond making an offer and having it accepted, and then taking ownership. Just packing in itself can require a lot of time, attention, and details that can quickly become overwhelming. 

One thing that can help to alleviate some of the stress is making a checklist of all of the small details and tasks to pay attention to and accomplish in each area of making a new home purchase. One of the things that might get lost in the shuffle of all of your tasks is the things that are important to do (beyond unpacking and setting up your things) once you get into your new home. 

A Checklist for Moving Into Your New Home

Change the Locks

The first thing to do when taking ownership of your Omaha home is to change the locks. This ensures that no one else has extra keys or the codes to any entrance in your home. Make sure to reset all codes to the garage and anything else with a keypad to something new. If a lock has a key it is a good idea to get a completely new one even if the lock is mostly accessed with a key code.

Often the old homeowner will hand you all the keys to the home when you take ownership, but you never know when one might be forgotten or there might be a friend or relative with their own key. It is better to use the utmost caution and change all the locks so you know that no one has access to the house you are unaware of. 

Check Ventilation

While the inspection process does look over the HVAC system it is good to do another check and make sure that the air filters are clean and that the system itself is clean and ready to create a comfortable living environment. It is always good to do a check before turning the system on. 

This is especially helpful when you are moving during times of extreme hot or cold weather. You don't want to start setting up your things, turn on the system, and find out something needs to be fixed. It is best to check these things out before getting started on other things. 

Check Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

These are key safety monitors in your home. It is not uncommon for a busy homeowner to put off making sure the detectors in the home are up to date and in good working order. Check every detector for working batteries and if they are hardwired into your home's electrical system make sure that they are in working order with your electrical system as well as have backup batteries in place. Backup batteries on hardwired systems help when the power goes out. A simple way to check these is to press and hold the test button on each unit until it beeps.

Carbon monoxide alarms might require a bit of closer inspection. Some carbon monoxide detectors are actually fake so it is good to ensure that the system you have in place is real and does actually do the job it is intended for. If you discover a fake carbon monoxide detector you of course want to replace it with a brand new one.

Do some deep cleaning

Now that the home is safe and comfortable it is a good time to get the home deep cleaned before bringing all of your stuff in. Some homeowners find that they like to pay for professional services to make sure that the home is in the best possible condition before they settle in and get comfortable. This can include carpet cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, and natural stone cleaning and sealing. All of these things are good items to get done once a year and are even easier to accomplish before bringing your belongings into the home. When moving into a new home it is prime time for hiring professionals to get these deep cleaning and maintenance tasks done in your brand-new Omaha property.

You might even find that once the home is nicely cleaned it is a good opportunity to change up any paint colors that you are not favorable of. Now that the house is clean and nicely prepped you can get to painting without having to cover up all of your belongings. Once your home is safe and the structure is clean and ready to go you will be able to bring in your belongings and make the home all yours.

If you were interested in finding a home for sale in Omaha that you can see yourself settling into and enjoying for many years to come contact me. I am highly knowledgeable in all Omaha real estate and would love to help you find your ideal Omaha property.