After working hard to find and buy the perfect Key Largo home, you have finally finished moving to a new house. Before you start celebrating, there are some tasks that you should tend to. Here are five things that every new homeowner should do immediately:

1. Change the locks. You don’t know who has a key to your new home, so change your locks as soon as you move in. The best case scenario is that well-meaning neighbors, family members, or friends of the previous owners may not have heard the news, and it’s possible that they could accidentally try to gain entry to your home. The worst case scenario is that someone with ill intent has heard about the change and knows that there’s an easy opportunity to rob your home. Be on the safe side, and either do it yourself or hire a locksmith to change the locks for you.

2. Put together an emergency kit. You never know when an emergency is going to happen, but you should always be prepared in the event that one does. Make a comprehensive kit comprised of first aid supplies, water bottles, flashlights, batteries, food, and anything else you might need in the event of a major emergency. It’s also a good idea to map out emergency plans for you and your family and to discuss them with everyone so that there won’t be any questions if anything does happen.

3. Find the number for a quality handyman. The time to find a good handyman is not when something goes wrong. Find a reliable professional with a business close to your home as soon you move in, and you won’t have to worry about trying to find someone when you’re in the middle of a dire situation.

4. Start a file for all of your records. Keeping track of repairs and problems is an essential ongoing task for homeowners. Find a place to keep organized records of any work you’ve had done so that you can easily access it if you need it. Start your file with any documents that you collected during closing, and find a safe place to keep them.

5. Unpack and downsize. Moving to a new house can be tiring, and it can be tempting to unwind after moving is finished. Unfortunately, the longer that you leave things packed up, the easier it is to never unpack them and to store them instead. Do yourself a long-term favor and try to unpack everything as quickly as you can. If you discover that you’ve brought things that you never unpacked from your previous house, consider donating them instead of keeping clutter around.

After you’ve gotten settled, you’ll be able to kick back, relax, and enjoy your new home. Explore your neighborhood, get to know your new neighbors, and congratulate yourself for all of your hard work.

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