You’ll feel many things when you move to a new home. There is excitement, fear, stress, anticipation, and a lot more.
For most people, all they actually want to do is to get from their old home to the new one and start unpacking so they can make it feel as comfortable as possible as quickly as possible.
Unpacking is important, but there are some other things you’ll need to do before you can truly relax.
Read on to find out what it is you’ll need to check when you move into a new home to ensure it’s going to be as safe as it can be.
The Roof
It’s not many people who will clamber up onto their roofs once they get the keys to a new place, but if you don’t check it out (or ideally have an expert do this for you, as they’ll be safer and they’ll know exactly what to look for), you might have some problems further down the line.
Problems with your roof could mean your home gets damp and moldy as the water gets inside.
Even if that doesn’t happen, you might be paying too much for your energy bills because your heating and cooling is escaping through the roof. Checking the roof can save you money and even health problems.
Pests
Pests are everywhere. Some are tiny, like ants or termites, and some are much larger, like rats and mice.
Yet any kind of pest, whatever the size and whatever it does in your home, will be a problem, and it’s not a nice thought to be sharing your new home with some kind of creature or insect.
Look around for signs of a pest infestation. This could be droppings, chewed wires, and even walls, or perhaps nests. If you find anything, contact a pest control expert immediately. They will be able to remove the issue, and your home will be yours once again.
Change The Locks
You’ll probably be very pleased to be handed the keys to your new home, and it can even feel like an achievement or a rite of passage. This could mean you’re reluctant to change the locks in your new property; you might even be superstitious about it.
However, it’s not a good idea to keep the same locks as the previous owner had simply because you have no control over who has a key to your place.
You don’t know who the previous owners gave copies to, and although it may not seem likely that any of those people would want to get inside, you can’t ever be sure.
Change your locks as soon as you can, and you can enjoy a brand new set of keys as well as the feeling that you’ve made your home that little bit safer.
Make sure you employ a qualified locksmith to do this for you, as trying to change your own locks is a complicated process that can easily go wrong and might even invalidate your home insurance.