Closing day feels like the finish line, but a few small jobs in the weeks after protect your new home and your finances. None of them are hard; most just need to happen before life fills up again.
Keep your closing documents
Save a complete copy of everything you signed — the settlement statement or closing disclosure, the promissory note, the deed of trust or mortgage, and your title insurance policy when it arrives. Keep a digital copy somewhere safe and the originals in a secure place. You'll want them for taxes, refinancing and eventually selling.
The first week
- Change or rekey the locks, and reset garage-door and gate codes.
- Put utilities in your name if that wasn't done before closing — power, water, gas, trash, internet.
- Find the main water shut-off and the electrical panel before you need them in a hurry.
- Test smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors.
Watch for your deed and your first mortgage statement
Your deed is recorded with the county, and the recorded copy is usually mailed to you weeks later. If you have a loan, your first payment date is on your closing documents — set a reminder even if no statement has arrived yet. Loans are often transferred to a different servicer; you'll get a formal notice when that happens.
Before paying a new servicer, confirm the transfer with your original lender at a number you already have. Fake “your loan has moved” letters are a known scam.
Ignore the official-looking mail
New homeowners' names are public record, so expect letters offering a “certified copy of your deed” for a fee, or warranty and insurance offers dressed up as bills. A copy of your deed is generally available from your county recorder for a small fee or free; you don't need a middleman.
Update your address and records
- Forward your mail and update your address with banks, employers, insurance and subscriptions.
- Update your driver's license and voter registration as your state requires.
- Ask your county whether a property-tax exemption is available for a primary residence — many places offer one, but you usually have to apply.
- If your loan has an escrow account, know that property taxes and insurance are paid from it; if not, put those due dates on your calendar.
Sellers: a few loose ends too
- Keep your settlement statement for your tax records.
- Cancel homeowners insurance and utilities only after the sale has closed.
- Watch for any escrow refund or final payoff statement from your old lender.
Keep your agent's number
Your agent remains a useful contact after closing — for contractor recommendations, questions about your documents, or a market update down the road.
If your agent used ClosedEasy, you can still open your deal board after closing — it moves to “Past deals” with your documents — and your agent may check in after 30 days and on your one-year anniversary.