Buying a home? Don't forget these pre-moving essentials

Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or you just haven’t done it in a while, it can be easy to forget some of the most important steps, like setting up your electricity. The last thing you want to do is move into your home with no power.

If you plan on moving into a new home soon, brush up on some of these commonly forgotten items.

Attend the Final Walkthrough
Your real estate agent will schedule a final walkthrough so that you can ensure that your new home is in good shape before you officially move. If you negotiated repairs or improvements, you’ll want to verify that they were done correctly.

Schedule Utilities
At least several days before your scheduled moving day you need to ensure that you have set up utilities at your property under your name.

• Water and sewer
• Electricity
• Gas
• Trash pickup and recycling (if your city or county does not provide this service)
• Cable and internet
• Home security system

Change your locks
There’s no telling how many keys your former owner gave away to friends, family, or even handymen. Scheduling your locks to be changed immediately will give you peace of mind that your home is secure.

Update your address
Have your mail forwarded to your new address. Change your address with your employer, your banks and credit card issuer, insurance, and subscriptions. You’ll also need to update with the Department of Motor Vehicles to change the address on your vehicle registration and driver’s license.

Make sure you have blinds or curtains
Privacy is important. If your new home doesn’t have blinds or curtains, you’ll want to install some right away. You can either hire someone or install them yourself. If installing yourself, you’ll want to start with the bedrooms and bathrooms before moving on to the rest of the house.