5 Things To Do As A First Time Home Owner

Congratulations on your new home! We know searching for a place to live can be exhausting and time consuming. But you made it through the tough part and now you can start settling in to your new home. Here’s a few reminders on what you should do as a first-time home owner in New York!

Inform the post office of your address change 📬 to start forwarding mail there. A lot of letters can get lost so do this before actually moving as to not miss anything important. This is quite easy to do online or if you prefer, you can also visit your local post office and fill out a form in person. Make sure any recurring bills, credit card companies or services that need your address are updated too.

Insurance is actually quite helpful to have especially in New York where we are prone to hurricanes 🌀 every few years, which may cause flooding and trees to fall on houses/cars. You might have already signed up for insurance when you did mortgage paperwork, if not make sure to do some research on that. If you have a car, a lot of insurance companies offer savings on bundling.

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File A Tax Grievance With Aventine Before the Deadline

Additionally, you should become an expert on your new home. Learn the layout and location of important utilities. The circuit box that controls the wiring, the main water supply that turns off the water, the gas shut-off valve if the home has one, are all important to know where they are in case of emergency. Most of these can be found with the home's blueprints or by the home inspector.

If you have neighbors around you, don’t be a stranger and say hi. 👋 They could be kind and come to your aid in a time of need. They’re also great at recommending the best places/services over town. There’s even a social network designed for your neighborhood. Nextdoor helps neighbors stay in the loop on the happenings around town, including any safety issues or town events. You should always check to see if there are any Facebook groups for your town as well. It's a great way to be a part of your community.

Lastly, stay on top of your bills. Keep an eye out to see where it fluctuates and where you can save money. Once your tax bill arrives, if you think it’s being over assessed, let us help you grieve your taxes! It’s the easiest way to save money because there is no risk to it, if your assessment is lowered you pay less taxes, if it isn’t lowered you pay nothing for trying.