New home? Make sure you do these things ASAP

Moving into a new home is an exciting time! It can be easy to get caught up in decorating and unpacking but safety and security are new home essentials you won’t want to skip over. Make sure that you cover these basics before settling into your new place.

1. Secure the locks
First things first, make sure you change the locks on your new home. You never know who the previous owner handed out keys to, so make sure to take the necessary step of changing the deadbolts. Homeowners can change out the locks themselves, or call in a professional locksmith. Changing the locks and getting your new keys will allow you to be sure your home is secure and you know who has keys to your new home.

2. Get familiar with your breaker box and water controls 
You never know when a breaker might flip, or you may have a plumbing issue. Familiarize yourself with what each breaker is associated with, this can easily be done with two people- one flipping a breaker and the other finding out what it correlates to. This is also a good time to label what each switch goes to, so there is no guess work when you need to find a switch in an emergency. 
Knowing where your main water valve is also essential, you never know when you’ll need to cut off water supply in the event of a plumbing emergency.

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3. Deep clean
Nobody wants to live in someone else’s mess, do some deep cleaning from the start to give your new home a refresh. Take the time during move-in to clean out the cabinets. Wipe them down, maybe add new contact paper if...