A first-time homeowner checklist from closing week through year one: utilities, safety checks, locks, shutoffs, a maintenance calendar, and when to call a pro.
Key takeaways
- Four timeframes matter: closing week, move-in week, the first month, and the first year—each has a different job, not one long list.
- Before you unpack a single box, confirm utilities are live and locate the water, gas, and electrical shutoffs (see the shutoff guide).
- Rekey or replace exterior locks in the first week; a $50–$160 rekey is cheaper than a $60–$350 full lock replacement and covers most homes.
- Set a repeating maintenance calendar in month one—waiting until something breaks costs more than a scheduled filter change or gutter check.
- Budget roughly 1–4% of the home's value per year for maintenance and repairs, and start that fund in year one, not year five.
- This page is the overview; ten sibling guides in this hub go deeper on each individual task.
A first-time homeowner checklist works best split into four timeframes, not one long list: closing week (utilities, insurance, keys), move-in week (safety devices, locks, shutoffs), the first month (a punch list of smaller fixes and a maintenance calendar), and the first year (a repeating schedule plus a maintenance budget). This page is the overview and the hub—each timeframe below links to a deeper guide built specifically for that job.
The first-year homeowner journey at a glance
| Timeframe | The job | Go deeper |
|---|---|---|
| Closing week | Confirm utilities transferred, get keys and garage remotes, gather manuals and warranties | Transfer utilities to a new home |
| Move-in week (first 7 days) | Test smoke/CO alarms, check for leaks, locate shutoffs, rekey locks | What to Check in a New Home, Locate Your Shutoff Valves, Change the Locks |
| First 30–90 days | Punch list of smaller repairs, meet the house’s quirks, set a maintenance calendar | 30 Things to Do When You Buy a House, First 30/60/90 Days in a New Home |
| First year | Month-by-month maintenance, seasonal tasks, a repair budget, basic DIY skills | First-Year Maintenance Calendar, Seasonal Tasks New Homeowners Forget, New Home Maintenance Budget, Home Maintenance for Beginners |
Closing week: paperwork and access
Before you move a single box, get the practical logistics locked down. Contact every utility provider (electric, gas, water, trash, internet) to confirm the account transferred into your name effective the closing or move-in date—see the utility transfer guide for the full sequence and typical lead times. Collect every key, garage remote, and gate fob from the seller or agent at closing, and ask for any appliance manuals, warranty paperwork, and a copy of the most recent pest, HVAC, or termite service records if they exist.
If you had a home inspection before closing, keep that report—it’s your baseline for what condition the home was in on day one. (That’s a pre-purchase document; if you’re still deciding whether to hire an inspector or want a room-by-room list for a showing, that’s covered separately in the home inspection checklist.)
Move-in week: safety and access first
The first seven days are about function and safety, not decorating. Walk the house checking that every faucet runs, no pipes are leaking, the HVAC responds to the thermostat, and every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm is present and working—press the test button on each one. The USFA recommends testing every smoke alarm monthly and replacing the entire unit every 10 years from its manufacture date, so check the date stamped on the back of each alarm while you’re up there.
Two tasks in this window are worth doing before you fully unpack:
- Rekey or replace the exterior locks. You don’t know how many keys exist for a home you didn’t build. A locksmith rekey typically runs $50–$160, cheaper than full replacement, and covers the security question for most homes—see Should You Change the Locks When You Buy a Home? for the full cost and decision breakdown.
- Locate the water, gas, and electrical shutoffs. You want to know where these are before an emergency, not during one—see How to Locate Your Shutoff Valves in a New Home.
First 30–90 days: the punch list and the routine
Once the basics are confirmed, work through the smaller items that don’t need to happen on day one but shouldn’t wait a year either—things like reversing ceiling fan direction for the season, checking window and door weatherstripping, and testing every outlet and GFCI. The full 30-item version of this list, organized for speed, is 30 Things to Do When You Buy a House. If you’d rather follow a single day-by-day timeline instead of a topic list, First 30/60/90 Days in a New Home sequences the same work by week.
This is also the window to set up your ongoing maintenance calendar, rather than reacting to problems as they show up.
The first year: building a maintenance rhythm
| Category | What it covers | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Repeating monthly/seasonal tasks | Filter changes, gutter cleaning, HVAC service, exterior checks by month | First-Year Homeowner Maintenance |
| Commonly missed tasks | The seasonal jobs first-year owners forget until something fails | Seasonal Tasks New Homeowners Forget |
| Budgeting | How much to set aside annually for repairs and upkeep | New Home Maintenance Budget |
| Skills and mindset | Basic tools, when DIY is reasonable, when it isn’t | Home Maintenance for Beginners |
A widely used planning figure among housing economists puts annual maintenance and repair costs at roughly 1–4% of a home’s purchase price, trending higher for older homes or homes with aging major systems. Treat that as a budgeting range to plan around, not a guaranteed bill—your real number depends on the age and condition of the roof, HVAC, water heater, and foundation.
When to call a professional
| Situation | Why it’s not a DIY checklist item |
|---|---|
| Gas smell, active leak, or a utility that won’t stay on | Call the utility or a licensed technician immediately, not a general contractor |
| Electrical panel shows signs of damage, burning smell, or repeated trips | A licensed electrician should inspect before you touch anything inside the panel |
| HVAC, water heater, or roof age is unknown or near end-of-life | A licensed inspector or the relevant trade can estimate remaining life before it fails |
| Foundation cracks, sloping floors, or sticking doors/windows throughout the house | A structural engineer or foundation specialist, not a handyman fix |
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the very first thing a new homeowner should do after closing?
Confirm every utility—water, gas, and electric—is on and working before you move furniture in, and locate the main shutoff valves for water and gas the same day. If anything doesn’t work, you want to know before the moving truck is unloaded, not after.
How long does it take to feel settled as a new homeowner?
Most first-time owners report the first three months as the adjustment period: learning the house’s systems, meeting neighbors, and finishing the move-in punch list. A full first year is realistic for building a maintenance rhythm you don’t have to think hard about.
Is there one checklist that covers everything a new homeowner needs?
Not usefully. A single mega-list either stays too shallow to act on or turns into an unreadable wall of bullets. This hub splits the job into a first-week walkthrough, a 30-item move-in punch list, a month-by-month maintenance calendar, an annual budget, and narrow guides for locks and shutoffs—each one deep enough to actually use.
How much should a new homeowner budget for maintenance in the first year?
A common rule of thumb from housing economists is 1–4% of the home’s purchase price per year for maintenance and repairs, with older homes and homes with aging major systems (roof, HVAC, water heater) trending toward the higher end. Treat it as a planning range, not a guarantee—your actual number depends on the home’s age and condition.
What’s the difference between a first-week checklist and a first-year checklist?
A first-week checklist is about safety and function: are utilities on, are there leaks, do the smoke and CO alarms work. A first-year checklist is about rhythm: filter changes, gutter cleaning, seasonal HVAC service, and building the habit of a maintenance calendar so nothing gets deferred into an expensive repair.