Everything worth doing for 12 Oak St, Dothan, AL 36301, in the order it comes up. The recurring stages are built from the equipment your inspector documented on inspection day. Every how-to links to our guide.
1
Before closing
Between the inspection and the closing table
- Read the repair list in your inspection report and decide what to negotiateSafety items first, then anything with water behind it. Text us if you want a second opinion on priorities.
- Book your 30-minute report review callIncluded in Complete. Pick a time on the calendar.
- Have the seller's repairs verified before you closeYour post-repair reinspection is included. Book it here when the work is done.
- Line up homeowner's insuranceFEMA zone X: flood insurance is optional here. A Preferred Risk policy is cheap if you want it.
- Do the 20-minute walk-through at the final walkHow-to →Run every faucet, flush every toilet, test the GFCIs, open the attic hatch. The guide has the order.
Set up for closing day
- Electricity: Dothan Utilities · 334-615-3302Electric, water, and sewer inside Dothan city limits. One account covers all three.
- Electricity: Alabama Power · 800-245-2244Most addresses outside the city limits.
- Electricity: Wiregrass Electric Cooperative · 800-239-4602Rural addresses across the Wiregrass. Your closing docs or the seller will say which one you have.
- Water and sewer: Dothan Utilities (water and sewer) · 334-615-3302Same account as electric inside the city. Outside the city, water is usually a county or community water system named on the seller's bill.
- Gas: Southeast GasNatural gas for Dothan and the Wiregrass. Skip if the house is all-electric.
- Internet: SpectrumCable and fiber. Widest coverage in Dothan.
- Internet: AT&T Fiber / InternetFiber in many Dothan neighborhoods; DSL elsewhere. Check the address.
- Internet: StarlinkSatellite. Worth it for rural addresses where cable and fiber stop, and available anywhere. No install wait.
- Trash: City of Dothan Public WorksCurbside pickup inside the city; the day depends on your street. Outside the city, private haulers.
2
Your first 30 days
The week after closing, while it is all top of mind
- Rekey the exterior locksYou do not know who has a key from the seller's side. Locksmith intro is one click.
- Test every smoke and CO alarm and read the dates on the backHow-to →Ten years or older gets replaced.
- Test every GFCI outletHow-to →Kitchen, baths, garage, outdoors. Thirty seconds each.
- Label the breaker panel and find the main water shutoffHow-to →One evening with a helper. Everyone in the house should know both.
- Put in a fresh HVAC filter and set the reminderHow-to →Whatever the seller left is a mystery. Start the clock on your own schedule.
- Knock out the small fixes from your reportHow-to →Garage door self-closer, range anti-tip bracket, loose handrails. An afternoon.
- USPS mail forwarding, IRS Form 8822, banks and payrollSet the forward to start on moving day. Order new checks while you are at it.
- AL voter registration
- AL driver's license and vehicle transfer
- The ten things most people forget after buyingRead →Our short list, from the blog.
3
4
Spring and fall
Two half-days a year that prevent most of what we find
Spring
- Rinse condenser coils, clear 18" around outdoor unitInternational Comfort Products heat pump (split system) · Restricted airflow forces compressor to overwork
- Walk the perimeter and look up: displaced shingles, sealant gaps at penetrationsRead →Asphalt/fiberglass composition shingle roof · Winter wind damage shows up first thaw
- Walk the crawlspace after a wet weekHow-to →Look at the slab edge and the base of the walls after rain.
- Check the dryer and bath exhaust ductsHow-to →Lint in the dryer duct is a fire risk; a bath fan dumping into the attic is a moisture one.
- Look for termite tubes on the foundationRead →Pencil-width mud tubes on block or piers. What they look like, from the blog.
Fall
- Clear gutters + downspouts; check valleys for debrisHow-to →Asphalt/fiberglass composition shingle roof · Clogged gutters back water under shingles
- Pro chimney sweep + cap/crown check before first fireMasonry wood-burning fireplace with metal liner · Creosote = #1 cause of chimney fires
- Get water away from the foundation before the rainy monthsHow-to →Downspout extensions, grade, gutters. Walk it in the next hard rain.
- Check attic insulation depth and the ridge and soffit ventsHow-to →Twelve to fourteen inches down here. Baffles clear at the eaves.
- Why moisture is the enemy, and where it startsRead →Ten minutes of reading that saves a crawlspace.
5
Once a year
Pick a weekend and knock it all out
- Pro tune-up + refrigerant charge checkInternational Comfort Products heat pump (split system) · Catches slow refrigerant leaks before compressor failure
- Drain a few gallons from the tankHow-to →Rheem electric tank water heater · Flushes sediment, extends life 2-3 yr
- Inspect anode rod, replace if depletedRheem electric tank water heater · Anode protects the tank from corrosion
- Test T&P relief valve brieflyHow-to →Rheem electric tank water heater · Stuck valve = pressure-vessel failure risk
- Look for warm breakers, scorched plastic, rustMain service panel (200A) · Panel issues escalate fast; visual check is free
- Test GFCI + AFCI outlets (use the test button)How-to →Main service panel (200A) · These trip mechanisms degrade over time
- Replace batteries (or swap unit if >10 yr old)How-to →Battery-powered smoke alarms · Sensors lose sensitivity past 10 yr
- Re-quote homeowner's insurance 30 days before renewalCarriers raise rates in year two. Add umbrella coverage if you have not.
- Do the 20-minute walk-through againHow-to →Same list as the final walk. Photos, then a short list for the season.
6
Planning ahead
Big-ticket items on the horizon, so nothing is a surprise
- Rheem electric tank water heater: past its expected life15 of 12 expected years. Get two replacement quotes now so it is a plan, not an emergency. Pros We Trust can introduce you.