Guide
First 30 days in a new house: what to do
The first 30 days new house checklist is about reducing avoidable risk and building a map of the property—not finishing every project. Sleep, safety, water, power, and paperwork beat furniture layouts.
Use day ranges, not hour-by-hour schedules. Life with movers, kids, or travel will scramble any rigid plan. If you only complete Days 1–7 thoroughly, you are already ahead of “we’ll deal with it later.”
Free lite now, PDF First-30 if you want a printable script
Duplicate the free Notion lite for shutoffs, contacts, and a Year-1 checklist. The paid First-30 PDF adds a tighter day-range playbook when you want printables.
Days 1–3: Safety, shutoffs, access
- Walk the exits. Know how every exterior door locks and unlocks. Find spare keys; decide who has copies.
- Find shutoffs. Main water, gas (if present), electrical panel main breaker, HVAC power switches. Tag them if unlabeled.
- Test detectors. Smoke and CO on every required level. Replace batteries or units that fail the test button.
- Check for active issues. Standing water, gas odor, sparking outlets, roof drip—address emergencies first.
- Photograph the panel and water heater. You will need model info before you feel ready to dig for it again.
- Note the breaker that kills the furnace/air handler and water heater. Useful during service visits.
Do not store the only copy of shutoff knowledge in one person’s head. A phone photo album titled “House map” is enough for week one.
Days 4–7: Utilities, connectivity, household logistics
- Confirm electric, gas, water, trash, sewer/septic, and internet accounts are in your name with correct service address.
- Set up Wi-Fi; write the network name/password somewhere household members can find without a text thread.
- Locate the water meter and outdoor hose bibs; test shutoff at a hose bib if safe.
- Update mailing address for critical accounts (bank, insurance, IRS, employer)—batch it; do not rely on memory.
- Meet or message neighbors if that fits your style; ask about trash days, flooding quirks, and reliable contractors.
- Find the GFCI outlets that control bathrooms/garage/kitchen; reset any that arrived tripped.
Days 8–14: Warranty registration blitz
This window is paperwork-heavy on purpose. Energy is still relatively high, and boxes have not yet buried manuals forever.
| Day focus | Actions |
|---|---|
| 8–9 | Photograph every appliance sticker; start warranty log rows |
| 10–11 | Register kitchen + laundry appliances |
| 12–13 | Register HVAC / water heater / other systems; save confirmations |
| 14 | File builder/seller warranty contacts; calendar any response deadlines |
Full field list: How to track home warranties.
Days 15–21: Systems walkthrough
Spend short sessions learning how things turn on and off—not how to rebuild them.
- HVAC: Filter size and orientation; thermostat heat/cool/fan; outdoor unit clearance; condensate drain awareness.
- Water heater: Power/gas control location; temperature setting philosophy (scald risk vs comfort—follow manufacturer guidance).
- Electrical: Label blank breakers when you discover what they control; never guess on multi-wire mysteries—hire an electrician.
- Plumbing: Under-sink valves, toilet shutoffs, washing machine hoses—look for bulges or corrosion.
- Attic / crawl (only if safe access): Note moisture, pests, or disconnected ducts; do not DIY unsafe spaces.
Write “normal sounds” in your notes (furnace ignition, well pump, fridge cycle). Future odd noises are easier to judge against a baseline.
Planned editorial list: smoke/CO detectors (if replacements needed), water shutoff tags/labels, flashlight, leak sensors. Paste Amazon/retail tracked links when live. Safety content stays primary.
[affiliate placeholder: detectors, valve tags, basic tools, leak sensors]
Owned product — First-30 PDF ($12)
We sell a printable First 30 Days Homeowner Playbook with day-range scripts, shutoff map page, and a “call this number if…” sheet. Optional; the free lite still covers the high-level map.
Days 22–30: Maintenance setup + vendor shortlist
- Set recurring reminders: filter checks, detector tests, seasonal calendar kickoff.
- Build a four-row vendor list: plumber, electrician, HVAC, locksmith—with phone numbers from trusted referrals when possible.
- Walk the exterior after rain if weather allows; note grading and downspout direction.
- Decide what will wait until month two (paint, storage systems, landscaping projects).
- Backup your house map photos and warranty log to cloud or an off-site copy.
One-page “call if…” list
Tape a simple list inside a cabinet or keep it in your phone favorites:
- Gas smell → leave, then call gas utility / emergency line from outside
- Active flooding → water shutoff, then plumber
- Power out to whole house → check main breaker; utility outage line
- CO alarm → evacuate, emergency services as instructed by the alarm guidance
- Non-emergency HVAC failure → your HVAC contact during business hours
Customize with local numbers. Do not wait until 2 a.m. to search “plumber near me” for the first time.
What can wait past day 30
- Full deep-clean of every closet
- Smart-home overhauls
- Buying a complete workshop of tools
- Major landscaping
- Reorganizing every drawer for aesthetics
Those projects are fine—just not ahead of shutoffs, detectors, and warranty registration.
Continue with the Year-1 checklist
After day 30, shift to the month-by-month rhythm so the rest of year one stays paced.