To say that I’m anxious to close on my new house is an understatement. It’s gotten more intense as I’ve essentially completed everything that I need to do before the closing date. With just about all of the paperwork stuff done I’ve been putting together a post-closing to-do list.

I’m sure that my list will evolve as time goes on, but so far I’ve identified a few things that I’ll want to address:

Get all the locks rekeyed

Even though the owner should be handing over all of the keys at closing there’s no way to know if there are any copies floating around that were given to a neighbor or relative. Better safe than sorry.

Buy an American flag

This one should be self explanatory. The only reason I haven’t picked one out yet is because I have to figure out where I’ll want to mount it.

Get asbestos removed

The home inspection turned up some HVAC lines that were wrapped with an asbestos covering. I want to get that removed before I go moving things in.

Replace all receptacles and switches

Most of the house is 2-prong receptacles and the light switches are mismatched. I want to switch to 3-prong outlets and if nothing else it’ll help me figure out what circuit controls what, because the circuit breaker panel is currently labeled with faded pencil.

Address code-related issues

The city code inspection requires carbon monoxide detectors and GFCI outlets. It also mentions extending the hot water heater overflow pipe to within six inches of the floor and grounding the water meter. Those are inexpensive, easy fixes so I didn’t ask the seller to fix them.

Run RG-6 and Cat 6 cable to all rooms

Even though I only currently have one television and a lot of network-related things are wireless I’d like to be prepared for adding more TVs and while wireless is great, a wired connection is faster and more secure. With digital media becoming more common, being able to transfer large files between rooms will eventually become more important.

Remove funky carpet

The house has hardwood flooring under the living room, hallway and bedroom carpets. After talking with a few people I’ve decided to reveal the wood flooring in the living room and hallway and leave the carpet in the bedrooms. The den is currently clad in a high pile red shag-esque carpet that may be a great conversation piece, but it’s not for me.

Add insulation to attic and crawlspace

To make the house more efficient I’ll be adding more insulation to the attic and to add insulation in the crawl space under the living room and kitchen where there currently is none. That should help keep my utility bills lower.

Look into adding soffit venting and an attic fan

At one point there was a functioning attic fan, but as of right now it’s not functioning. I’m going to want to see if it’s something that can be repaired, and if not, I’ve priced out a replacement which is pretty inexpensive. I’ll also want to look into adding some soffit venting so the attic can breathe properly. Can you tell I’ve been watching too much HGTV?

There are bound to be more things that I’ll discover after I move in, but that should be enough to keep me busy for a while.