Having your bid accepted on that property you’ve been eyeing for months is an exciting time, but it’s important to keep a cool head and focus your energy toward closing. To assist you with getting everything done and ease the transition to your new home, here are 5 things to do before and after closing in Atlanta.
Watch Your Finances
A piece of advice that can easily get overlooked amongst all of the other details is to keep your finances as steady as possible while purchasing a property, at least until after closing. This is true for all buyers, but especially for anyone attempting to secure financing through a mortgage lender.
The reason this is important is your lender wants to approve loans for applicants that are dependable with fairly predictable spending habits. Therefore, do not switch jobs, make other large purchases, or incur any other sort of major expense prior to closing on your new home.
The best thing you can do to make this a reality is to create a realistic budget early on in your home search and do your absolute best to stick to it.
Inspections
Part of being a responsible homeowner is understanding how your home functions and how to maintain it for years to come.
Taking the time to have at least a whole home inspection done by a licensed and experienced home inspector goes a long way towards that ideal. Being present for the inspection is a must and will provide you with mountains of useful information while pointing out potential problem areas to address sooner or later. Some of these problem areas may make their way into your repair contingencies and then get taken care of by the seller prior to you taking ownership of the property.
Reducing your to-do list of repairs can be a serious help with everything else going on during and after closing.
Final Walkthrough
A day or two before closing on your new home, schedule a time for you and the seller to meet on the property and go from room to room checking everything out. This is the opportunity to notice any last-minute concerns as well as check on the results of any completed repair contingencies.
Be firm with any problems that may arise and gauge the seller’s attitude toward those concerns to determine if it’s worth it or not to press for a mutually agreeable solution. If repair contingencies are left ignored, weigh the options of walking away from the deal completely versus taking care of the repair yourself after closing.
If the seller is becoming increasingly difficult, there’s a point where you would likely have trouble trusting that the seller will address the repair with any earnestness.
Complete Any Preparations
After you have closed on your new home there’s likely a rather long laundry list of things you’d like to complete before doing the big move.
This to-do list could involve bigger jobs, such as patching and painting walls, flushing the water heater, and doing a full HVAC cleanout. Remember that having the house emptied out provides you with an easier time maneuvering to get these jobs done, so handling them now is perfect.
One of the most critical things to check off your list on day one is changing your locks. Next, ensure power, water, and garbage services are all set to begin on the correct date.
Sort Your Paperwork
Finally, you want to get all of your personal information updated. Go to the DMV to update your address on your license and fill out any change of address forms to have your mail sent to your new home.
Once you feel that everything has been taken care of, put all of your home inspection reports and closing paperwork together and stow them in a secure spot in your home.
Guidance Before and After Closing in Atlanta
If you’re wondering what you need to do before and after closing on a home in Atlanta, contact our experienced team today at (404) 977-5054 for help!