How exciting! The home has been purchased, the inspection is done, and the closing date is set. Now what? It can be overwhelming to think about packing and moving, especially when there are some things to consider at the new home. As a Holly Springs, North Carolina based realtor, here is my list of 8 things to do before moving into a new home to make it a little easier.

1. Turn on your utilities

To make any repairs or clean in the new home before you move in, utilities should be on. While you may not need cable TV or internet, you’ll want to have water, electricity, and gas working.

2. Take care of any necessary repairs from the inspection

Your inspector may have found some items worth taking care of right away during the home inspection. Depending on what the agreement is, you may need to fix them after closing on the house. Prior to moving in, try and fix as many of the big-ticket items as possible. Completing repairs ahead of time will be one less thing to deal with after you move in. This is especially true if the repairs have anything to do with plumbing, electrical, or roofing.

3. Deep clean the entire house

The sellers may have hired cleaners or cleaned the home themselves, but it is always best to deep clean the house. Some people may opt to do this themselves, but there’s nothing wrong with hiring a professional cleaning service. This will ultimately save a lot of time. Some areas of the home to pay close attention to are cabinets and closets, flooring, appliances, and bathrooms. Make sure to thoroughly clean the floors inside of closets and to wipe down any shelving in closets, pantries, or cabinets. When it comes to flooring, you’ll want to hire a professional carpet cleaning service and evaluate hardwood, laminate, or tile flooring to see if it needs any extra TLC. In addition to that, consider changing the toilet seats.

4. Add any additional storage, shelving, or built-in features you want

If you purchased the home knowing that you were going to want additional shelving, cabinets, or storage, it’s best to get all of these items added and built out before you move in. This means that when you do move, you’ll be able to put away all of your things instead of leaving boxes to get unpacked after your new shelves are complete. It’s much easier to have this type of construction handled before you move in and have to worry about convenient scheduling and potentially moving your personal belongings.

This particular point is also true for new home buyers. If you purchased a new home build but knew that there were custom design options the builder would not include, the best time to add them is before you move into your new home. This is also true of any flooring changes.

5. Complete all interior paint if necessary

If you are planning on changing or even just touching up the existing paint in your new home, it’s best to get this done prior to moving in all your furniture and possessions. It will make the process significantly easier for both you and the painters if they do not need to worry about moving and covering furniture. Make sure you do this after any additional construction but before you put in new flooring or have the existing flooring cleaned.

6. Call in the exterminator

If you’re already aware of a pest problem, it’s an especially good idea to call before you move in. Even if you’re not, it’s never a bad idea to have pest control come out and spray your yard and home. If you have pets, it will be significantly easier to have them come before you move in. Plus it gives their extermination methods a little time to start working before you move in.

7. Reset your garage door code

More than likely, the previous house owners gave you all the garage door openers. But it never hurts to reset the code to be extra sure that no unwanted visitors will be coming in. This is also a good idea for new home build owners. Even if you’re putting a brand-new garage door opener in your garage, make sure to reset or change the code. Often the codes are not changed after the opener is installed, and having the manufacturer’s default code is never the best security practice.

8. Change your locks and keys

This is probably one of the most important of the 8 things to do before moving into a new home, and it should be taken care of last on this list. During the home selling process, keys are given to many different people like handymen, inspectors, and real estate agents, to name a few. In addition, homeowners typically provide backup keys to either close friends and family or even neighbors or house sitters. So even though you were provided “all” copies of your new keys at closing, you never know who might still have an extra copy. After you have finished all necessary repairs, cleaning, and construction, hire a locksmith to change your locks to ensure that only you have a copy of your new house keys.

Moving into a new home can be both exciting and stressful, but there are some essential tasks to complete before moving in to make the process easier. By following these 8 things to do before moving into a new home, you can ensure that your new home is clean, safe, and ready for you to start your new life. From turning on utilities to changing locks and keys, taking care of these items ahead of time will give you peace of mind and make the transition to your new home smoother.