10 Steps to Buying a Home

It’s finally time to enjoy the fruits of your labor! After all, the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed, you can pick up your keys from the seller and prepare for the big move. But wait—you’re not quite finished yet. Before you settle in and get comfortable, you’ll need to do a few things to make your house habitable:

• Secure the house by changing the locks and codes
• Hook up the necessary utilities like gas, water, electricity, air, and internet
• Check the smoke and CO2 detectors
• Investigate the circuit box and learn how the breaker works
• Find out where the water mains are
• Review your home warranty and make a maintenance to-do list based on your inspection 
• Do a deep-clean

Once you’ve gotten these out of the way, you can focus on nice-to-haves like fresh paint and other decorative touches.