What to do once your purchase is complete

As exciting as buying a new home is, often there is enough stress to weigh down the elation of completing on your dream property.

And, sometimes, the pressure of a move doesn’t end once the last bits of furniture are inside and the removals men on their way.

Whitegates is always on hand to help ease the burden of a big move, so take a look at our guide below outlining everything you’ll need to do once the keys are in your hands.

Arrange insurance policies

Buildings and contents insurance are two of the most important policies you can take out. Yet many new homeowners neglect to do so.

We always recommend buildings and contents policies at Whitegates. Protecting your dream home and the treasured things inside it could not be more important, so start looking at insurance to cover them as soon as you can.

Know where things are

When you move in to your new home, make a point of finding the gas and electric meters. Most importantly, find the water stopcock so you know how to shut off the supply in an emergency leak situation.

Being prepared from the outset is hugely important.

Test alarms

As well as ensuring all smoke alarms are functioning correctly, make sure you know how the property’s burglar alarm works, if it has one.

As lovely as your dream home is, you won’t be spending every waking hour there so ensuring it is protected by a functioning burglar alarm is important.

If any smoke alarms need new batteries or replacing completely, get this done as soon as you can. It simply isn’t worth the risk to delay.

Who else has keys

One of the most important things you can do as a new homeowner is changing the locks. If your new home has had a multitude of owners, it can be hard to say how many people may have keys to the property.

Getting the locks changed is sometimes expensive, but brings with it peace of mind that only you and people you trust to have keys can gain access to your home.

Be patient when renovating

Renovation work can be a long process and it can be tempting for new homeowners to jump in quickly when getting major work done.

Take your time. Of course, you want to make the property your own, but large jobs require planning, timeframes and budget so plan all these things out before you start.

If you are bringing in contractors, explore your options and look for recommendations. Don’t just go with the first person you speak to in a bid to get things moving.

Your local Whitegates office will be happy to put you in touch with their contacts (plumbers, electricians etc) if needed.

Service plan for your boiler

Like a well-oiled motor engine, your boiler can benefit from a regular service.

Even if the seller of your new home had the boiler serviced before you moved in, consider a regular service contract with a provider like British Gas.

This will help ensure one of the most important things in your house remains in tip-top condition – especially when the weather starts to get colder.

Call in the cleaners

To the naked eye, it may appear as if your dream home is spotlessly clean. But dirt and grime can get into places not visible at first glance, so one great way to make the property feel like your own early on is to do a deep clean.

While it is possible to do this yourself, Whitegates recommends you bring in a local, trusted cleaning company. For a far-from-huge cost, a professional cleaner will get into the places your bottle of antibacterial cleaner won’t.

Decorate before unpacking large items

If you can, it can save a whole lot of effort to do basic painting and decorating before unpacking and building things like beds and dining room tables.

If you know you will be giving the bedroom walls a lick of paint in the first week, don’t build your king size bed in the first few days as you’ll soon be packing it up again to paint.

Find key people like doctors and dentists

Even if you explored the area around your new home when viewing the property early on in the process, it’s unlikely you will have taken time to find the local doctor and dentist.

Try to get out for a good look around in the first few days you are in your new home.

Familiarising yourself with your new postcode is hugely important and as well as finding key amenities and services, you might also find a gem of a coffee shop or restaurant to try!

The address change list

It’s a given that your bank, child’s school, mobile phone company and place of work will need to know your new address. But what about family, friends or colleagues?

Try to make a list of everyone you need to tell about your new home. Unfortunately, the chances are you will forget one or two people so paying for Royal Mail’s post redirection service is highly recommended by Whitegates.

It will ensure your mail doesn’t end up in the wrong hands and can enable you to tick people off the list who you may have forgotten.

Introduce yourself

Making early contact with your neighbours is important. Once things have settled down and your to-do list is starting to become shorter, pop around to your neighbours and say hello.

Living in harmony with those around you can ensure you get the maximum enjoyment from your new home and have people looking out for you.

Given how hot the summer of 2018 has been, being on good terms with the people either side could see them keep your plants happily watered while you take a well-earned break in the sun for a week.

If you have any questions about buying a property, speak to your local Whitegates office who will be happy to help.