Just Closed on a Home? Here’s Your Essential Post-Closing Checklist

Congratulations! You’ve closed on your new home! Now the real work begins. Before you pack up your bags and hire a moving company, you should make a running list of what needs to be done before you move in. Think everything from changing the locks to setting up the utilities and cleaning.

“Post-closing, above all, is a good window to protect your investment,” says realtor Alexei Morgado. “Neutral tasks, such as looking at the inspection again, setting up a maintenance calendar or walking the property with new eyes, can be powerful in stopping larger issues later on.”

While you may have a lot on your plate, you don’t have to let it overwhelm you. If you stay focused on the priorities, you’ll be settled in and enjoying your house in no time. We help you get there.

Create a Checklist 

Be ready to jot down all of your to-dos to help you keep track of what has to be done before you get comfortable in your new place. Your checklist should involve home security checks, learning about your utility system, the best way to clean your new home before you move in, inspections and energy audits. Once you cover these basics, you’ll be able to move on to buying essential items for your new house, like appliances.

It’s also helpful to make up a list of questions for the former owners, then ask your real estate agent to pass them along, preferably before closing, so you still have their attention. “Do this immediately, because you may not have another opportunity to ask the former owners questions about the property,” says real estate investor Jerry O’Reilly. “They may move and their agent may lose track of them later when you need a question answered.”

Home Safety, Security Checks and Replacements  

One of the first tasks is making sure your home is safe from outside intruders. These days, setting up a DIY security system is easy, considering all the smart security tech available.

“One of the first things I advise after closing is to change the locks,” says real estate attorney William London. “You don’t know who still has a copy of the keys—former owners, contractors, cleaners—and it’s a simple way to secure your property.”

You might consider smart locks, so you don’t have to worry about keys. And then there are the indoor threats to factor into your safety checks, like carbon monoxide and fires. With a little research, you can target the best locations in your house to install a carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarms.

Get to Know Home Utilities and Systems 

Once you have the utilities set up in your home, it’s important to spend some time understanding how they all work. That’ll help you identify areas where you can make those systems more efficient. Whether you’re learning how to prevent your pipes from freezing, your basement from flooding with a backup sump pump, or connect a new circuit in your breaker box, preparation is everything.

It’s also vital to find your shut-off valves and circuit breaker so you can act fast in an emergency, as well as read all of the manuals and other instruction information.

In one case, O’Reilly’s clients bought a vintage home, with unusual features including a lift elevator, laundry chute, radiators and sump pump, all of which required extra operating information from the sellers. They also provided recommendations for local repair people to fix them if problems occurred

Preparing the Home With Cleaning To-Dos 

A new house may look clean, but it could still benefit from a good scrub from top to bottom. Cleaning your new home and learning tips from the pros before moving in will get rid of hidden dirt and dust as well as pests like cockroaches. Plus, it’ll be much easier to clean before you unpack all those boxes and start moving furniture.

While you’re at it, it’s also wise to replace your toilet seats and HVAC filters, for hygiene and air quality reasons, says broker Jon Wade. “No one wants poor airflow, higher bills and a house that still feels like someone else’s,” he says. And those tasks are easy to DIY, plus not too expensive, with new seats running under $50 and filters less than that.

Storage and Organization  

You can’t live out of boxes forever. As you unpack, you’ve got a chance to get control over the clutter right away, so it’s important to have storage and organization solutions ready to go. Implementing these solutions can help you save space, which in turn can make cleaning much easier.

As you’re unpacking, O’Reilly also recommends making up your own inquiry checklist for specific rooms in the house. “This allows you to stay organized and ensures you aren’t going to miss anything, or fail to get an answer to a question,” he says.

Inspection 

The report prepared by your home inspector is a great starting point for deciding which projects need your attention right away. Beyond that, use your own judgment. Give the house a thorough inspection to determine what needs to be addressed and when. Using a few simple DIY inspection tools, you might be able to ascertain some issues with your walls, plumbing and more without a professional.

Also, “take photos of the home’s condition on move-in day to document everything for insurance or potential disputes,” says London. “And check for any unpermitted work with the city. These issues can delay future renovations or sales.”

Energy Audit 

You don’t want to be shocked about your first power bill, so one of the first things to do is give your new home an energy audit. Whether you choose to hire someone or do it yourself, this will help you identify trouble spots in your heating and cooling system and other utilities and get them fixed. And if you really don’t like surprises, we have a list of 20 things that you can do — anything from replacing a furnace filter to cleaning your refrigerator coils — that will keep your house running efficiently and give you peace of mind.

About the Experts

• Jerry O’Reilly is a real estate investor at Cash Home Buyers Crew in Houston, Texas, with a specialty in helping homeowners sell their properties quickly, especially in challenging situations.
• Alexei Morgado is a realtor in Florida, and CEO and Founder of Lexawise Real Estate Exam Preparation.
• Jon Wade is a real estate expert, resort market professional and Broker Owner at The Steamboat Group, a family-owned real estate firm in Colorado. He has been working in the industry since 2005.
• William London is a California real estate attorney at Kimura London & White, where he helps first-time homebuyers navigate contracts, disclosures and inspections. He is also a recipient of “Lawyers of Distinction” and “America’s Top 50 Lawyers” awards.
• Jeff Lichtenstein is CEO and broker at Echo Fine Properties in Fort Lauderdale, and has 25 years of experience in the real estate industry.