Blogger – Page 2 – Bethany Nolan

2019 Best of Black Friday Sales: Homeowner Edition

Today is a day to give thanks and gratitude! It’s also a day when people go CRAZAYYY for some deals and steals on what we all call Black Friday. Here’s the honest truth, I’ve never been a Black Friday shopper. Rushing to grab an item and the thrill of the shopping just never appealed to me, but now it does. Being a new homeowner means I need to fill up my home with lots of goodies like TVs, vacuums and lots of cooking utensils and appliances. So you can say that this year, I’m going to be a part of the Black Friday craziness!

There are a lot of great posts with overviews on Black Friday shopping, but I’m narrowing this down with the homeowner in mind. Whether you’ve recently bought a home, have been a homeowner for a minute or are just thinking about purchasing a home, these are ALL good finds!

|| WALMART ||

iRobot Vaccum – It’s under $200!! This is my number one buy!
Instant Pot – B E S T F I N D!! It’s $49 and you better grab it before it’s gone because it doesn’t get much lower than that!
Samsung Smart TVs (up to $50 in savings) – I’ll be purchasing the 50″ Smart TV to put in my home – it’s only $277!
TV Mount – Not your typical Black Friday find, but gotta save where you can!
Arlo Security Cameras– Saving $70 on a three camera system. My parents LOVE their Arlos and can pull up the system from an app on their phone with email alerts.
Keurig – Another low price at $40 and perfect for you coffee lovers!

Walmart’s Black Friday shopping begins on Thanksgiving Day at 6PM in stores.

|| SAM’S CLUB ||

Bamboo Pillows – Save $4 on already low priced pillow sets! They’re only $10.
Gas Fire Table – Great for backyard to keep you warm in the winter and $50 in savings.
Serta Mattress – Savings of up to $100 on Full/Queen Mattress or savings of up to $200 for King/California King.
Ninja Blender and Cups – Great blender for under $100.

Sam’s Club Black Friday shopping begins on Thanksgiving Day at 7AM in stores and last through December 1.

||TARGET||

Google Home Mini – Only $19, so that a $30 SAVING!
Amazon Echo – You’re getting about 40% in savings on this bad boy.
Serta Air Mattress – These are just good to have for extra guests… always! Only $50.
12 LB Weighted Blanket – This just sounds amazing and I’ve had my eye on it for a minute! Love the ivory choice.
Nest Thermostat– ON MY LIST!! These never go on sale and I love that I can control the AC from my cell phone!
Rubbermaid Storage Containers – We all could use more storage containers and these are the best. They’re $7.99 Y’ALL!

Target’s Black Friday shopping begins on Thanksgiving Day at 5PM in stores and doors close at 1AM on Friday and reopen at 7AM Friday.

|| BEST BUY||

Dyson Cordless Vacuum– Savings of around $200 – super easy to use around the house.
Samsung TVs – Giving Walmart a run for their money with a 50′ Smart TV at $279.
Samsung Sound Bar – Surround sound for $200 less? Sign me up!

Best Buy’s Black Friday shopping begins on Thanksgiving Day at 5PM in stores and doors close at 1AM on Friday and reopen at 8AM Friday.

|| BED, BATH & BEYOND||

Big deal of the day is 25% OFF in-store all day!

I’ll probably be buying some sheets and bathroom necessities like mats and more with that discount!

Crock-Pot Dual 1-QT Entertaining System – Less than $25 for an entertaining duo set. Great for dips and big crowds.
Air Fryer– With the 25% off coupon this fryer is $59 – like what a score!!

Bed, Bath & Beyond’s Black Friday shopping begins on Thanksgiving Day at 5PM in stores and doors close at Midnight.

|| AMAZON||

Amazon Smart Plug – $4.99 bundled with purchases. I try to buy these overtime I see them $20 off. Great for Christmas trees, lamps or outdoor lights!
Echo Dot – Drops down to $22 for Black Friday. Love listening to my podcasts and making notes on my phone while I get ready with mine!
Schlage Smart Deadbolt– Big fan of this at my parent’s AirBNB! You can control it with your phone AND it’s compatible with Alexa.
Fire TV Stick – Great to take along with you when traveling and easy to hook up to TVs.
Ring Peephole Cam with Echo Show 5– New product that pairs perfectly with Ring Doorbell. Super cool!

Happy shopping to you! Let me know what you’re buying this Black Friday!

Progress Is…. Progress!

I’m going to say the understatement of the year and it’s that my family has been just a littttttle busy this fall! From having the most beautiful Yamboree Queen (my little sister) at our hometown festival and then running all over for events with our Hereford Association to Fighting Texas Aggie football games, my weekends that are typically my open time to work on my home have been BOOKED!

Since the last time you had an opportunity to look at my little Dollhouse, it was just vacant and ready for DEMO!! Now we’ve completely gutted the place, changed my ideas here and there and have gotten moving with lots of different things! It was so fun to tear down all the fabric wallpaper and old walls to find all of the wood planks hidden behind. I know a TON of people would leave those wood planks raw and show them to the world but they’re just too wide for my taste and I promise the end result with be worth it! Ya girl over here needs her home to have some insulation and that has to go behind those planks.

So what have we done since the gut job? Here’s a little lowdown:

Foundation: When I bought this cutie of a home I knew that it wasn’t the most level space so getting my pier and beam foundation leveled was priority numero uno before I had any big work done. Luckily, this was an easy fix and Benchmark Foundation came in while I was booked during Yamboree to get it DONE!

Carpentry: A little carpentry work has made its way in. After the wall between the kitchen and dining was destroyed we waited for the carpenters to come in to install a beam between those rooms and frame up my master closet and the refrigerator area. It was my lucky day when they came because I didn’t need a beam so now it feels like one OPEN space!! The carpenters still came in, though, to frame up room in my closet, close in one of my FIVE exterior doors that was in my master bedroom and more.

Plumbing: Plumbers came in and replaced cast iron and have moved my lines for my refrigerator (was in where the original kitchen wall was and is now on a separate wall) and washer/dryer combo (was in the kitchen and is now in my master closet). They’ve also been busy, busy taking out all o the cast iron plumbing and replacing it throughout my kitchen and bathroom area.

Electricity: My electrician’s crew is in the works on putting some updates throughout my home – I am very lucky and a majority of the electrical work was updated before I moved in which is not typical for most 1930s homes… that’s what I thought. They actually had to come in and replace just about everything due to it not being correct with different sized wires. People – this is why you do it right from the beginning and hire the professionals! Since it is an older home, I’m also moving around some light switches (they’re in the oddest places) and plugs throughout the home. Most of the plugs are in my baseboards and we are replacing all of those, so the plugs are being pushed up a little and some will even have the USB capability.

Cabinetry: With what seems like it’s been an eternity, we have FINALIZED my cabinetry. I mean I knew I was picky, but WOW! Since I’m working with such a small space, I wanted to ensure I was utilizing every space I could with the cabinetry I am putting in my kitchen. After quite a bit of back and forth we are done and it will be built in the next 2-3 weeks. I’ve realized that what I thought was necessary in cabinetry sometimes isn’t, but I’m still getting room for my wine fridge and trash compartment because those are the little things that make me happy!

Insulation: Once the electrical was complete, insulation was inserted between the wooden boards and brick on all the the exterior walls and throughout my attic area. This will ensure I am warm in the winter and cool in the summers and is SO WORTH IT to get done while I’m down with the bare bones of the house.

Drywall: After insulation was put in, my drywall came in and now I have walls!! It was such an odd experience to walk in the house from being used to the wooden walls to having actual walls and seeing my vision of the home come to life. Big fan!!

A lot has already been completed, but here’s whats next on my list for December:

Tape, bed and texture: I’ll have some guys come in to tape, bed and texture the walls in the home. Once this is complete, it will be paint time!
Base boards: The carpenter will add in my new baseboard (trying to keep the original sizes).
Paint: Planning to paint the interior of the home with a light gray on the walls and white on all of my trim and the exterior of the home white.
Cabinetry: Installation of cabinetry for my kitchen, pantry and bathroom will be put into place. They will then be painted a super fun and funky green color. I promise it’s going to look GREAT!
Refinishing hardwoods: My original hardwoods are BEAUTIFUL and I could not be more excited to have them in my home. Unfortunately, they’re all a semi-different color in each room so we plan to refinish those as well to make it uniform. I mean – might as well while we’re working on it!

Hope you’re enjoying following along! A lot of work has been done but there’s still more to come!

A Little Before Action

It’s flippin’ happening! Get it?! Ha! Demo is in full swing and no time is being wasted on my watch! I closed on a Tuesday and from there I’ve been rocking and rolling. Over the next week, up until last Sunday, I did walkthroughs with family and friends to show everyone what the home looked like and to ensure I knew EXACTLY what changes I wanted to make in my little dollhouse. My Nanny and her friend Norma came over and awed over the little characteristics that this 1930s home has and my Grandpapa came over later on in the day and was just so excited about the neighborhood and backyard.

After letting my grandparents in the home, I took ALLLL of the before photos and have them in a slide show for YOU! It is a goal of mine to keep track of all of the progress from beginning to end so I want to document it on my blog and Instagram. I hope you love the character and charm that this home gives and love what I plan to do over time!

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Last Sunday we had a full on clean out! The sweet little lady that owned the home before me had lots of books, some pretty neat National Geographic Journals (like up to the 1940s), furniture and random trinkets throughout. After clearing out all cabinets from the kitchen to closets my Dad, mother and older sister Ilissa came over to start covering up those original hardwood floors. We got builders paper and taped it throughout every room to make sure that it doesn’t get ruined and scratched up during demo. We’ve already started tearing down the walls and insulation because I’ll get new insulation and drywall along with updated electrical throughout where it is needed.

After protecting my precious floors, my Dad decided to get a little adventurous and we started checking out what was behind those walls and it’s just a whole lot of wood planking. Nothing too fabulous but neat nonetheless. So far we have demoed out FOUR full rooms and that’s my living room, dining room and guest bedroom. It’s been a family affair and I’m so thankful for everyone that has helped me get this thing rolling including my dad, mom and sisters! It’s so fun seeing the small changes over time that I know will be BIG in the end! Hope you enjoy and follow along!

Home Buyers in a Hot Market

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired of a HOT, HOT, HOT real estate market? Real estate agents and sellers are certainly not mad at how quickly homes are moving, but being a home buyer in this situation is just a little frustrating to say the least. I say this from experience because I’m currently a home buyer that’s growing increasingly impatient in a market like this.

Homes are hitting the market and hours later they have a contract or you enter into a bidding war and while it can be exciting, not everyone wins. This is just a little frustrating and a little discouraging for some buyers. When you’re a home buyer in a hot market, it’s important to remember a couple of tips:

Don’t settle. Well, duh! This is an important reminder, though. When there’s only so much inventory to choose from, buyers tend to get a little too excited and settle on a property that they don’t truly love. I recommend my buyers really take a step back, look at their need/want list and ensure in their gut that this is THE HOME for them before signing their name on that dotted line.
Be decisive. When you’ve gotten to the point of house hunting, you should have already been pre-approved by a lender or bank and have a general idea of what you want. I think it helps to look a couple of homes to guide what you like and dislike, but when homes are moving as quickly as they are in a hot market you have to remember that time is of the essence. So basically, know what you want!
Do your homework. Drive by homes, know the neighborhoods you desire and know what is NON-NEGOTIABLE when buying a home. Doing drive-bys and research beyond what your agent provides you with can really eliminate a lot of running around!
Stay patient. Inventory may be low or you may have a very specific need when it comes to finding a home. Good things come with time and you need to keep your eyes wide open and know that something will come along, it just may not be in the next 24 hours, 2 days or even month.
Help your agent. I am constantly watching the market and sending my clients homes that are hand picked specifically for them with regards to school districts, bedrooms, acreage and more. When your agent is contacting you or sending you emails, let them know if they’re hitting the mark or not getting anywhere near what you’re wanting in a home. They can’t help you if you don’t help them. And that’s a fact, Jack!

As an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®), I can hone in my skills to represent the needs of my home buyers from the comprehensive knowledge I’ve received from real estate education. Each and every home buyer is different and it’s important that you as a buyer are treated that way. I want all of my buyers to know that this process is for THEM and only them because it’s their money and their home. When the housing market is hot, people tend to throw all reason out the window and it’s important to stay grounded and ensure that the home you’re buying is what you know in your gut is the right home for you and your future. After all, this is an INVESTMENT!

Enjoy the house hunting and don’t let the stressor of a hot market get the best of you! Happy hunting!

Amazon Prime Finds: Entertainment Pieces

I hate to admit it, but I can sometimes be impatient. WHAT?! I know… But thankfully I don’t have to wait long for items when it comes to Amazon Prime! It truly has made my leave easy peasy when it comes to ordering closing gifts for clients, buying items for our flip homes and just personal shopping for myself.

I know I’m not the only one in this crazy busy world that knows and loves all the perks of Amazon Prime. I’ve decided to start a series in my blog highlighting some of the great pieces that I’ve either bought for myself or clients or have on my list. I plan to cover entertaining pieces, outdoor necessities, kitchen gadgets and more! I search on Amazon more than I do on any other site, so sit back and let me do the searching for you!

If you know me and my family, you know that we LOVE to entertain! From pitchers to cheese boards and everything in-between, I’m sharing some entertainment pieces that are sure to be a hit at all your parties.

CHEESE BOARDS

PARTY BOOKS

PITCHERS

CARAFES

DECANTERS

SERVING PLATTERS

COASTERS

BEVERAGE GLASSES

DISPOSABLE DINNERWARE

BOARD GAMES

These are all fantastic entertaining pieces to add to YOUR home that are the perfect additions to parties and more! If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, sign up with this LINK for a FREE 30 Day Trial. At the end of the day, it’s been a GAME CHANGER for me from ordering last minute gifts to prettying up my space or setting up the perfect place to host parties.

Please note, I am an Amazon Influencer and can earn from qualifying purchases.

Upfront Costs in Purchasing a Home

Money, money, money! When you first start the home buying process, a big concern can be the money and cashflow that you’ll need to pay upfront once you have an accepted contract. Payments can start adding up, so I always try to make sure that my buyers are aware of what checks they’ll be cutting from the beginning once their contract is accepted.

While closing costs are a big concern to buyers, those don’t really come to fruition until closing day (end of the deal). When it comes to upfront costs, you’re top costs will include your Option Period Fee, Earnest Money and paying for your Inspection. I’ve pulled the ranges and explanations for each below.

UPFRONT COSTS IN PURCHASING A HOME

Termination Option Fee: Typically ~$100

Your Termination Option OR Option Period is typically a time frame of 7-10 days where you complete your inspections, come in and get quotes/estimates on any repairs you’re needing and ensure that you’re ready to move forward on purchasing the home. This period starts the next day after the contract is executed.

The Termination Option Fee protects your Earnest Money so that if you back out of the contract within your 7 to 10 day period due to the seller not agreeing to repair certain items or the home not being quite up to par, you would get your Earnest Money back. After the 7 to 10 day Termination Option Period, your property will go UNDER CONTRACT.

This fee is written out the seller of the home as they’re giving you this time frame to complete any inspections, etc. You do not have to complete an inspection or have a Termination Option Period, but it is always recommended. Your Termination Option Fee CAN BE credited to your closing and negotiated on price point and day period.

Earnest Money: 1% of home purchase price

Typically, your Earnest Money is 1% of the overall price of the home. For example, if you purchase a home for $200,000 then your Earnest Money check will be $2,000. That is 1% of the purchase price. Is the 1% fee negotiable? Yes! But the Earnest Money is seen as good faith that you’re ready to rock and roll as a buyer so most buyers and sellers stick to using the traditional 1% number. If you’re in a bidding war, you may put down more in Earnest Money. It all depends on the buyer and the seller.

This fee is written out to the title company that is handling this transaction. Your Earnest Money IS credited at closing to your costs and can be negotiated.

Inspection Fee: Truly varies on square footage of home/company – ~$360-$600

Is this a required fee? Not necessarily, but some lenders do require an inspection and I ALWAYS recommend my buyers order one so that they know the ins and outs of the home from a licensed professional. The fee ranges by the company you use and the square footage of the home. The bigger the home, the higher the cost. In my opinion, this cost is WORTH IT!

This fee is paid directly to the inspector or inspection company. This IS NOT credited to your closing and if you back out of the contract you will not receive a refund for the fee. Inspections are there to give you piece of mind and know what’s going on from plumbing to foundation to electricity. It’s beneficial on ALL fronts!

While there are some other upfront costs in purchasing a home, these are the main costs after you receive and accepted offer on a property. These are all fee to expect and later on pull money for your downpayment, lender (appraisal, etc.) and closing costs. This is used to help guide you at the very beginning stages after a contract is accepted.

Preparing Your Home During The Stormy Season

April showers were supposed to bring May flowers, right? But all we feel like we’re getting are scary tornado watch calls from Mark Scirto from our local news station.

In the grand scheme of things, you truly need to worry about finding a small, windowless interior room in the home. Duh! But we also need to think about how you can protect your home during this stormy weather from hail damage and more. Here are a couple of things you can do to protect and prep your home.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO

Trim those trees. Look at the limbs close to your roof, where you park your vehicle or near any lines. While I always recommend hiring a professional, if it looks like a smaller job these tree trimmers can help lighten the load and stress. This can help prevent much larger issues after storms.

Cover or move your outdoor items. Do an inventory of your outdoor items like patio furniture, planters, firewood, grills, etc. Either cover those items or bring them inside to a garage or shop area. You can use patio furniture covers, grill covers and more to protect your outdoor favorites. Securing them to the ground is also very helpful.

Check those gutters and downspouts. Ensure that they’re not logged with leaves or full of miscellaneous items by using gutter cleaners. Clear them out to prepare for proper flow of water during the storms.

Follow local news. Be informed. Pay attention to the weather either on your local weather radars, sign up for texts, calls or email alerts from your local weather station to be in the know on upcoming weather.

Inspect your roof. Hail storms and high winds are not your roof’s best friend. Keep an eye on the condition of your roof and if you see any significant damage, be sure to get in touch with your insurance adjustor to see what they can help cover repair costs.

Do you have an emergency kit? Grab the basics: first aid kit (bandaids, ointments, etc.), food (water and non-perishable snacks – put in those granola bars), flashlight with extra batteries, radio and fully charged phones or portable chargers. Have those ready just in case.

Lastly…

FIND THAT SAFE ROOM! Be prepared and have a cleared and clean windowless, interior room or area identified for storms. Stay safe!

Stay safe out there, my friends.

Closing Costs: Here’s Your Breakdown

Home buying… it can be fun, it can be stressful and it can be overwhelming! There are so many steps and processes and costs involved in the process, and as a Realtor it is my job to have answers to all of my client’s questions and concerns. While I always get asked about negotiations, inspections and more, one of the main questions I receive from my buyers is…

“What will my closing costs look like…?”

Honestly, it’s important to have a nice breakdown to show where all of your money is going and possible costs that seem hidden to the first time home buyer. This is likely BIGGEST purchase a person will make during their life, so people need to know what it’s going to cost and where their money is going. It can get complicated on whether the buyer or seller is paying for certain portions of closing costs, but that’s where your handy-dandy Realtor swoops in to guide you in the negotiating process!

So first of all… what are closing costs? Closing costs are fees associated with the purchase of your property/home that are paid at the closing of your real estate transaction. A closing is when the title of the property purchased is transferred from the seller to the buyer. Closing costs are incurred by either the seller or the buyer, these CAN be negotiated.

Now that we understand the high level description of closings costs, let’s break it down. While there is a rather large list of items that can go into closings costs, what I’m going to do is break down the biggest costs first and dwindle it down to other associated costs.

CLOSING COSTS

Title Company Fees (Cost Ranges Follow the Descriptions)

Appraisal: Paid to appraisal company to ensure fair market value of purchased home. Cost: Ranges are ~$500.
Flood Certification: Pulled by third-party, determines if property is located in a flood zone. Cost: Ranges close to $10-$15.
Postage or Courier Fees: Cost for transfer of documents. Cost: Ranges close to $40.
Recording Fee: Recording of public land records. Cost: Typically around $130-$150.
Settlement Fees: The title company is paid for handling the closing. Cost: Ranges from $200-$300.
Survey: Goes to a survey company to verify property lines. This is not always necessary as some sellers already have a survey on file. Cost: Ranges around $650 for a normal lot.
Tax Services: This includes transfer taxes, property taxes that will either be prorated or handled at the closing table. Cost: Ranges close to $100.
Title Search: The title company is paid for their search of the property’s records. They check on the deed of the home and ensure there are no liens, etc.

Lender Fees (These fees vary, so depend on lender for guidance with your situation)

Credit Report: Pulled by lender, grabs credit history for loan approval.
Homeowner’s Insurance: You’re typically paying your first year of insurance at closing. Simple as it sounds, it’s insurance and covers any potential damages to the home.
Origination Fee: Covers lender’s research and administrative costs. Typically 1 percent of loan.
Owner’s Title Insurance Fees: Can be optional, but protects you in the event that there are challenges to the ownership of your home.
Underwriting and Processing Fee: Goes to lender and pulls history/researches buyer for loan approval.

A great estimate that I like to give my buyers on their potential closing costs would be to vary it from 2 to 4 percent of the overall purchase price of the property. So if you’re purchase a $200,000 home, you can think ~$8,000 on the very high end and ~$4,000 on the low end. I find it better to give my clients an estimate that near a number than nothing at all. It gives my buyers and sellers a little piece of mind.

Love is in the air, but so is the flu… let’s get your home clean!

The flu is HERE and it has hit the East Texas area with a vengeance. I am currently writing this blog while I’m quarantined in my bedroom with the flu. I think I actually laughed at the doctor when he told me I had the flu because of course I do… it’s everywhere!

In case you haven’t paid attention to your calendar, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner as well. With love in the air and flu germs following around to sour your plans, I’ve pulled together some ways to keep your home as germ-free as possible! Since I already have the flu, I’m sharing tips that I’m using to help my family and friends avoid the flu and keeping the home as clean as can be.

Quarantine the sickling.

Rude… I know. I’m currently listening to a podcast and chilling alone, but it reduces the spread of germs. This prevents me from touching other surfaces, remotes, etc.

Wash your hands. DUH!

Keeps those hands washed and clean. As soon as you get home, touch an items you know someone else may have used… clean those hands because germs are everywhere!

Clean all communal surface areas at least once a day.

LYSOL IS YOUR FRIEND! Clean those kitchen countertops, bathroom areas and everywhere in-between.

Door knobs are just as germy.

Get those disinfectant wipes and wipe down all door handles, light switches, alarm code pads… anything that is used on the daily.

Tissues with some issues.

The sickling needs to handle their own tissues. I will be disposing of my own tissues and so should you. Prevent spreading your sick self’s germs by disposing of your own items!

Disposable is the only way.

Use disposable cups, paper towels/plates and separate those toothbrushes. You don’t want everyone else in the home touching the same towel you dried your hands with. It’s easier to use throwaway items. Avoid using a sponge and only use cleaning products/items that can be thrown away!

Laundry may get dicey.

The sickling’s towels, bedding and clothes are GERMY! When you’re transporting those items to the laundry room, keep them in a hamper that you can disinfect and don’t carry/hug them because it could spread the germs over to YOU!

Stay safe out there, my friends. This flu is no joke and it pities no one… I mean it’s found it’s way to me!

First Things To Do When You Move In

So you bought a home! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Now that the closing is complete and those shiny new keys are in your hand… what’s next?

Yes, turn those utilizes on and pack up those boxes, but there are also items that are often forgotten when you first move in! Below I’ve pulled together a here’s what and WHY you need certain items when you move in.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN YOUR NEW HOME

FIRST: CELEBRATE!!

Pop a bottle of champagne, grape juice, club soda… whatever your preference is! This is a moment to be celebrated so do it and be proud of your BIG purchase.

Batteries

Go buy batteries for your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors OR install new smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Would you rather be safe than sorry? ABSOLUTELY! New batteries will start a new timeframe and ensure that these detectors are ON and doing their job.

Change Those Lightbulbs

Change your lightbulbs to LED lightbulbs. They last longer and are more efficient! If you’re feeling ambitious, you can always move to a smarter home and install smart lights that can connect to an Alexa or Google Home!

Toilet Paper and Curtains

Seems obvious, but you’ll want toilet paper and curtains in the home while you’re slowly moving in the rest of your items. There’s no guarantee that the previous owner will leave any curtains or blinds (unless they’re attached or a fixture of the home), so don’t expect it!

Deep Clean

Either do it yourself or hire a maid service. I recommend hiring someone the day of OR day after closing to just get it DONE! Focus on those carpets, clean those vents and bathroom tubs and floor because they need a good scrub! It’s not necessary, but it gives your new place a completely CLEAN slate and washes away all the dust.

Meet The Neighbors

“I’ll do it later…” No you won’t! Don’t be intimidated by you neighbors, just go around and say hi. It’s great to build a good relationship for when you travel out-of-town or if you ever need a helping hand. A familiar face is always helpful!

Forward Your Mail

It’s simple as one, two, three! SERIOUSLY! Go online to www.usps.com to change your address. You’ll want all those wedding announcements and Christmas cards to make it to your new home! Also, go ahead and change the addresses for your banks and bills.

Change Your Locks and Reprogram Garage Door

Yes, you were given those shiny new keys… but who else had those spares? Go to your local hardware store or Amazon and change out those locks or even get those great smart locks if you have a lot of people in and out of your home.

As for the garage door, a simple reprogram will do because your previous owners (as sweet as they were) may have had it programmed to their cars, so better to be safe!

Replace Air Filters

Clean the air! Who even know the last time those air filters were changed, so give yourself a piece of mind and replace those filters.

Pro tip: Buy multiple filters and label the extras with their change date, to keep yourself on track!

WEIRD ADDITION: TOILET SEATS!

Interesting addition, right? But think about it… you’re going to want your own, nice and new toilet seat that wasn’t shared with the previous owner.

I hope this prepared you for moving into your home! Did I forget anything? Let me know!