Brisbane is a dream place for many. Which is why almost 15,000 people moved here from other parts of Australia last year.
Whether you’re from overseas or a local, there are certain things you need to ensure before moving into a newly-bought house.
Home security, house cleaning, and utility setup are a few things among tons of others. Not dealing with these things before moving into your new house might spoil the housewarming party.
Why let these things ruin the special moment? In this guide, we’ll take you through the top 10 things you need to check after buying a house in Brisbane.
Top 10 Things to Do After Buying a House in Brisbane
What’s the point of buying a new house if you can’t enjoy living in it? Brisbane is known for its peace and calmness. But if your new house isn’t equipped with everything necessary, how will you enjoy peacefulness?
Please note that they’re not arranged chronologically and one thing isn’t more or less important than the others. So, here are the 10 essential things you need to check before permanently settling down in your new house in Brisbane.
Focus on Your Home Security
If this is your first time buying a house, it’s easy to forget how crucial home security is. You might think that your real estate agents gave you all the keys and lock numbers so what’s the issue? They’re trusted, right? Well, it’s not all that black and white.
Almost 3.5% home owners in Australia face break-in attempts or if some are unlucky enough, they face actual burglary.
But, why does this have anything to do with your new home? Well, the truth is, there’s no telling how many people still have the keys or locks of your new home.
Before selling you the property, real estate agents had shown the place to so many potential buyers. It’s only natural that they’ll have all the access to your house. Not only the agents, previous home owners, renovation workers and so many more people may still have access to your new house.
So, what do you do in this situation? Change locks! Change all of them. Throw away the old keys and locks. No one else should have access to your locks. Speaking of locks, why not upgrade them? This is the best opportunity.
The world is advancing fast and so has security measures. You can now install smart locks that let you lock or unlock with a simple swipe from anywhere. Don’t forget to install security cameras as well.
Getting Familiar with the Neighborhood
Brisbane frequently faces migration, with almost 1.5 million people expected to migrate in the future. It’s a no-brainer that there’s a high chance you’re new to brisbane. It’s better to have friends in a new, unknown place than to walk alone.
This is why we highly recommend you to meet neighbors and say hi hello to them. Even if you’re antisocial or introverted, maintaining a good relationship with your neighbors is a great idea. They will come in handy when things go sideways.
Many places have neighborhood watch, which is a great way of making new friends and also protecting your house simultaneously. You can take a look at NHWQ. It’s a great non-profit organisation acting as a neighborhood watch.
Get Familiar with Local Police
Since we’re on the topic of making friends, you should also say hello to your local policemen. Make sure you know your place top to bottom because when things go wrong, you need to quickly find the nearest police station.
Only 68% victims report the burglary, which means 32% people, for some reason, don’t or are unable to report their break-ins. So, be friendly to the police and memorise the nearest police station so that you don’t fall into the 32% demographic.
Get Your Utilities Setup Done
Utility setup is one of the most important things to do after ensuring home security. Everything from water to electricity to gas to internet has to be all up and working before you arrive. You should not compromise on this.
Make sure the people you hired or the real estate agents do a thorough home inspection to ensure the utilities are working perfectly.
If your house already had a previous owner, you shouldn’t lose your sleep over utilities because there’s a high chance everything is taken care of. Still, a check up won’t hurt, right?
Install the Alarms and Detectors
Carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms are two of the most crucial things you should check before or immediately when you arrive in your new home. Keep it in mind, only the working ones will save your lives. So make sure they work before you regret it.
If there were previous owners of the house, there’s a high chance you have pre-owned or “used” alarms and detectors. This is why you should inspect smoke alarms and detectors.
If they are indeed used, you should replace them because no one knows how long they’ve been used. Just to be clear, alarms and detectors have a lifespan of 10 years. Yes, they might still work after a decade but why take the chance?
Update Your Whereabouts
Updating where you’ve just moved in is important because your beloved ones need to know where you are. If you don’t update your address, many people might try to visit you at the wrong place.
Speaking of the wrong place, make sure to update your address with organizations like banks, government service providers, and insurance companies.
You wouldn’t want them sending you mails at the wrong address, would you? There are tons of Australian mail forwarding services for this job.
Conduct a Thorough House Cleaning
Home maintenance or cleaning may not sound that important at first glance but you’ll be wrong to ignore it. This is especially true for houses that had owners previously. It’s not a surprise that people leave behind dust and debris.
You don’t want to crash into a new house where everything looks and feels old, would you? You can do the cleaning yourself but if the house is too big, we suggest hiring a professional cleaning service. The professionals will know what sort of equipment or cleaning solution is best for your house.
Just so your new house keeps looking like new, you can fix a maintenance schedule with them. This way they’ll offer monthly home cleaning services on their own. Now you won’t have to create schedules, call people or do planning. They’ll take care of it and your house will continue to shine.
Proper Repairs and Fixes
Unless it’s a brand new house, there’s a high chance something is wrong. Like pipe leakage, clogged gutters, or maybe some furniture that need fixing. This is why hiring a home inspector is crucial. The inspector will scan the house for any possible issue.
Gutter cleaning is important because without a flowing gutter, waste management will be a nightmare. Make sure taps or pipes are working properly.
If you love hot water baths, check whether the water heater works. If not, water heater maintenance is suggested.
Check Home Appliance Warranty
Home warranty or home-appliance warranty is absolutely crucial. You wouldn’t want to come into a new house and see a broken dishwasher, would you? Every home appliance has warranty (if new) so make sure you get the papers from the real estate agent.
Check the papers thoroughly. You’ll know which tools or appliances are covered in the warranty, how you can claim it and what sort of issues void the warranty.
Get Your Home Insurance Done
Australia is the land of the extreme. From animals to weather, everything is extreme here and Brisbane is no exception. The condition is so bad that every 1 out of 3 Australians are worried about their homes due to extreme weather conditions.
With the rising premiums for home insurance, we wouldn’t want you to neglect this matter. Go through your home insurance policy for your new house and make sure everything is covered. With all the break-ins and natural disasters, getting the right home insurance is an absolute must.
Final Words
We know how incredible it feels to buy a new house, but it feels even more incredible to ensure everything is clean, working, and flawless. Remember, cleaning is the first step to achieving that feeling.
Since we’re on this topic, why not get the best possible house cleaning service? With more than 20 years of experience in Brisbane, Eco Cleaning Brisbane will guarantee a spotless house. We use green cleaners which are safe for plants, pets, and you.
