The first thoughts that homeowners have when it comes to moving into their new house are moving their belongings, organizing the furniture, and unpacking. Those are important on the to-do list. Yet, there are a couple of things that should be done before officially moving into their new Big Bear home.

1. Contact your Big Bear utilities.

Before the home transaction closes, call all the utilities to switch them over from the old owner’s account into the new homeowner‘s account. In Big Bear, you want to do this before a full disconnect to be able to save some money! Electricity, gas, and water are only a couple of utilities that are important to switch before moving in.

It can take a company a couple of days to do the switch, and during that time, the utilities at the house won’t be turned on. You don’t want to move into a cold house!

When you call the company, let them know that you are the new owner and what the closing date will be. Don’t make the mistake that a lot of new homeowners do by calling after the closing date then you’re almost guaranteed that the utilities will be off when you move in. You especially want to be wary of this during the winter season that way your pipes don’t burst in the cold. Your local Realtor can help to tell you what companies service the area of Big Bear the home is located in.

2. Change out the old locks.

When a homeowner is selling their house, a lot of people can get keys to their home. Typically, Big Bear Realtors use lock boxes that only others with a special key can access. There are a lot of people that come in and out during the process of selling a home.

Also, you never know who may have keys to open your front door from the previous owners. Family members, friends, or people they have hired in the past could still have keys.

Changing the locks includes all the locks. Don’t forget the back or side door! Homeowners can forget to change their locks because emotions can take over when they finally have the key to their house. Some locks don’t even require a key and can be opened by using a code that only you know. It’s a great idea to protect your home and safety. Locks can range from $20.00 all the way up into the hundreds, but that is dependent on the type of lock you are looking for.

After you’ve changed the locks, create some spare keys for your family members! It’s a small act but in the middle of moving in can be a huge nuisance to remember to do. Locking your keys inside can be a timely and sometimes, costly mistake. Thankfully, cutting a set of spare keys are not expensive and can be done at your local hardware store.

3. Double check for leaks!
Before closing on the house, there should have been a home inspector that went through the property to get a detailed list of what needed to be repaired in the house.

Even though the inspection should have informed you of everything going on in your home, there is still a chance of a leak or something small being missed. A good rule of thumb is to watch out for any leaks for a couple of days until you get a feel for your house.

Big Bear is known for using a Stop-and-Waste Valve. It’s perfect for winter because the valve can be turned on and off with a T-handle. When the valve is off, the water drains out from the line. After the water has been drained, the cold can’t cause the lines to burst from the water that would have been left in the line otherwise. (Don’t forget to drain your hot water heater too!)

As a new homeowner, find out how long that valve has been in use to try and figure out the lifespan of it. Make sure to turn the valve every few months, if not being used regularly, that way it doesn’t lock up on you. They can be expensive to replace!

4. Clean the carpets and filters.

Don’t start the moving in process until after you have shampooed the carpets. Cleaning the carpets is an inexpensive way to make sure your home is clean. Past owners could have had pets, and the odor may linger in the carpets. Steam cleaning the carpets will prevent you from finding out about the smell on a hotter day.

There are a couple of options that you have when it comes to cleaning your carpets. You can hire a professional carpet cleaning service, rent a steam cleaner, or possibly even borrow one from a friend. If you rent or borrow, all you need to do is pick up the cleaner and make sure you have fans to help dry the carpets. Don’t let the water sit on the carpets! It can make it worse in the long run.

Once you’re done with the carpets, check all the filters in your house. It’s easy to forget to clean or change out an air filter, vent filter, or an aeration filter. Not many homes in the Big Bear area have AC units, but those that do should have their filters checked. Living in the beautiful mountains has many wonderful perks, but one of the downsides is the dirt. Filters can be full of dirt or dust; make sure you and your family aren’t breathing any of it in by doing a quick check.

5. Ask your Big Bear Realtor for their contacts.

Being new to an area can lead a homeowner to wonder who they can rely on, in case they needed to hire someone like a contractor, plumber, or even auto mechanic. Hopefully, you choose a local agent! When an agent lives locally, they know the town and people living in it. That’s especially true in Big Bear because it’s a small town. Everyone has to rely on reputation in a small town, giving you the advantage when you have to look for someone.

Realtors will only suggest people they know will get the job done well because their name will be attached to them. They won’t recommended a plumber to a current or past client, whose work is less than subpar. That can hurt their work relationships, which can negatively affect them in more ways than one.

Agents want their clients to be happy. An experienced local real estate agent has used multiple people in the past and knows from experience who works well on certain tasks compared to others in that field.

6. Know your Big Bear home.

Where is the main breaker or water shut-offs? Get to know the property well to be able to stop any possible issues that may arise. Big Bear is known for the snow, but a lot of people don’t know how to prepare for the wintry weather. Preparation is different for a house in the mountains than it would be down the hill because of the temperature.

In the winter months, the electricity can come and go because of the storms, weather, and snow. Some Big Bear homeowners own a backup generator to get them through those moments. If you happen to trip a breaker, you don’t want to be outside fumbling around in the snow to try and find where the main electrical panel is.

As a vacation rental property, owners need to know where the water shut-off is because the chilly temperatures can cause the pipes to freeze and then burst. To stop that from happening, owners turn off the water when it isn’t being rented. Another good rule to know is to keep your heat at 55 degrees or higher to also help keep the pipes in working order.

Getting to know where everything will save you the headache of trying to look for an item without having anyone to ask. (Trust me, I would know, having to dig in six feet in the snow to search for the stop and waste value is no easy task!)

Don’t let the moving process be anything but a new start to the next step in your life! If you’re unprepared, it can be taxing. Taking the time to plan what you will do before moving in, will save you a lot of hassle, time, and money. When a homeowner looks back on the time they bought their home in Big Bear, it should be a happy memory instead of a stressful one. Heres to making great memories in your future Big Bear home!