What to Check During the Final Walk-through:

Those 24 hours before closing —  the home stretch to homeownership — is crucial. Preparation is key. The “final walk through” is your chance to make sure the buyer is getting exactly what they’re paying for. Bring a copy of your contract to ensure all included fixtures are present, and accounted for.

Still unsure what to do at the final walk-through? Consider this your guide: What to Check During the Final Walk-through:

1. Stare at the walls: Without distracting decor, it’s easier to catch flaws. Are there water stains? Nail pops? Request a credit now, or live with it.
2. Let there be light: Flip every light switch on and off to make sure there are no electrical issues. Of course, the electricity would have to be connected for this one but it’s 24-hours before closing, you should have already switched the power to your name.
3. It’s getting hot in here:  Make sure the heating and cooling system works. This is a costly replacement if it doesn’t. Be sure to check the thermostat and vents as well.
4. Dump some trash: Test the garbage disposal and stove top exhaust to make sure they work and that they’re still installed! You would be surprised what seller’s try to take with them. While you’re at it, check the bathroom exhaust fans too.
5.  Cooking with gas: Make sure every eye on the stove turns on and that the oven gets hot.
6. Hold the door: Well, you should actually open and close the door to test for squeaks. Be sure the doors present are the same doors you feel in love with. You wouldn’t want those solid core vintage doors to be replaced with inexpensive hollow doors. Count how many door locks you need to replace after you close. Ring the doorbell, too.
7. Air it out: Open and close all windows and check that they are properly sealed. A draft could mean a high energy bill, however, this is something your home inspector should have noted in his report.
8. Power up: Bring a phone charger to check all that all the outlets work. If not, you might need to flick a switch on the circuit breaker. If that doesn’t work, you may have something to negotiate.
9. Last-minute leak:  Check for leaks or cracks around all visible piping.  Run all sinks, showers, bathtubs, and flush toilets. While the home inspection should have caught any leaks, this is your last chance to make sure you’re not stuck with a huge repair.
10. Don’t forget the garage:  Test the garage door opener. Make sure the auto-reverse feature works. More importantly, be sure the seller gives you all garage remotes or fobs.
11. Trash day:  Make sure the sellers didn’t leave a pile of rotting trash for you to clean up. Hopefully, the carpet has been professionally cleaned and the house is broom swept fresh.

Tips for Moving Into Your New Home

Congratulations, you’ve bought your home and it’s move-in time. Wait! Before you move in, read on to get some practical and important tips.

Change the locks. You’ve closed escrow and the keys to your new home are yours.

The first thing you should do is change the locks. It’s hard to say who may have access to your home. Anyone from real estate agents to the sellers or maintenance people: all could still have a set of keys to your home. Be safe and change the locks first thing.

If the home doesn’t have deadbolts on the doors, install them. If the door has glass on it, be sure you install a deadbolt that uses a key to unlock from both sides.

If someone is breaking into your house and there is glass on the door, it can be shattered and the intruder can just reach through the broken glass and turn the deadbolt. Instead use a key deadbolt and keep an extra key near the door but out of reach and out of sight from the outside.

Create an inventory of your belongings. Don’t risk losing something that means a lot to you. Take an inventory of all your belongings. It’s best if you can pack your items in clearly labeled and numbered boxes that are marked for particular rooms, such as kitchen or bathroom supplies.

Using an inventory sheet to detail what each box contains will make it so much easier to unpack and remember where things are. You may need to find something quickly before you’re fully unpacked. If you’re using movers or friends and family to help, the inventory sheet will also help you keep track of your stuff and make sure that it all ends up in your new home. You can find moving inventory sheets on the Web.

Repair and paint while the home is empty. It’s a no-brainer but sometimes goes overlooked. If you have to make major repairs, try to do them before you move in. It’s easier to take care of major maintenance or messy repair jobs when the home is empty.

So, give your new home a good look and mark down the maintenance needs, then try to plan your move-in dates for after the work is completed. Even if the work is being done in an entirely different room, it still helps to have the house empty. That way you can feel better about leaving workers in the home while you’re not there because your home is empty.

Whole-House cleaning. It’s maybe the only time you’ll have this opportunity. Give the entire house a good top-to-bottom cleaning. It’s a great way to start a new life in a fresh, clean home. Plus it’s a lot easier to clean everything when nothing is inside to be moved around.

This is a good time to make sure things like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are all functioning properly. Change the batteries on them so that you can track the need for new batteries with the anniversary of the home purchase.

Thinking ahead and taking a few extra steps will save you time and energy. It will simplify the move-in process and make your home a safe place to get good sleep on your first night.

Source: WRITTEN BY REALTY TIMES STAFF https://realtytimes.com/consumeradvice/buyersadvice/item/1000711-20170317-tips-for-moving-into-your-new-home?rtmpage=GaleTeam