Things To Do After Closing: A Checklist From Real Estate Expert Brandon Patrick
When you walk out of the closing as a new homeowner, a flood of emotions is running through you. Your main concern is making sure that you do everything to protect your new investment. So how do you do that?
The first thing you will want to consider is changing the door locks. Even if it is a new home you won't have any idea who may have a key. It is best to make the home secure and have them all changed at the same time. You can even have all of the locks keyed to one master key for convenience.
The mountains of papers that you received at closing are extremely important. Make sure that you keep them in a safe place where you can put your hands on if they are needed. Countless times there is a document issue that needs resolving or a question that requires answering. Putting your hands on them easily may avoid headaches down the road.
About two to three weeks after closing contact the county records office to confirm that the title has indeed been recorded. Sometimes, depending on their workload, it may take longer. Regardless, keep in touch until you have verification.
Make sure that you have verified having the utilities worked out. If you are purchasing from someone it is best to have them transferred instead of disconnected and reconnected. This will avoid a delay in service. Some companies will even waive the connection fee if they do not have to send someone out to the home twice. Builders can even make this arrangement if you let them know before closing.
It is highly recommended that you chronicle your possessions after you have moved in. The best way to do this is to videotape everything in the home as well as the home itself. This will serve as an invaluable tool in the unfortunate event that something happens. Your memory will never be able to take the place of live footage and you will encounter less resistance from your insurance company if you have to prove something was present. Also, make a detailed written list, too. Keep a copy of both in at least one location outside of the home, such as a safety deposit box.
For more tips on having a smooth closing, contact real estate expert Brandon Patrick with Reliant Realty at 615-578-7507.
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