The moment has arrived – you have the keys to your new home in hand! The first thing you do is start carrying in boxes, loading in furniture and slapping some new paint on the walls, right?
Wrong! This is not what you are supposed to do.
Before you even think of opening a box, here is a list of things to check:
1. Are all the inclusions in the house, like the fridge, stove, washer, dryer or any other items that you had in your Agreement of Purchase and Sale? Sometimes mistakes happen and sellers forget to leave certain items. Refer to your agreement to verify that all inclusions are in fact accounted for.
2. As you are verifying that your inclusions are in place, test them too, especially the appliances. Make sure that the fridge and freezer are operational, run a small load of dishes in the dishwasher and throw in a quick load of laundry. Be sure to also turn on your oven, test the stove burners and run the vent hood, if there is one. Don’t forget the HVAC system too – make sure that the A/C and furnace are working, even if the temperature outside doesn’t warrant their use. If anything isn’t working, let your realtor and lawyer right away. And, remember, most contracts only protect inclusions up until the day of closing, so don’t wait a day or a week to check.
3. Another thing to note is anything that’s not “normal wear and tear”, like big holes in the walls, damaged floors or anything else that wasn’t an issue when you viewed the home during your last walk-through. Also, make note if there are any items that the seller left behind that weren’t included in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale, like old furniture, random junk or other debris.
If anything is wrong with the house, call your realtor immediately and contact your lawyer to show them pictures of any damages or to report missing items. In most cases, these hiccups are solved quickly so that you can begin settling into your home, as you intended.
For more great tips like these, as well as up-to-the-minute real estate news in Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area, be sure to follow along on Facebook and this blog. If you are thinking selling soon, please contact me today to schedule a free home evaluation. I also love working with home buyers too.
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