Your First 30 Days in a New House: A Calm Checklist
Just got the keys? Here's exactly what to do in your first 30 days — the safety checks, the systems to locate, and the small tasks that prevent expensive surprises. No overwhelm.
The boxes aren't even unpacked and the to-do list already feels infinite. Good news: your first month doesn't require much, and almost none of it costs money. Here's a calm, ordered plan for your first 30 days.
Week 1: The safety sweep
Before anything else, handle the things that protect lives and prevent disasters.
- Find the main water shutoff and test it. This valve stops a burst-pipe flood. Make sure it turns and that everyone knows where it is. See plumbing.
- Test every smoke and CO alarm. Replace any that fail; replace smoke alarms entirely if they're over 10 years old. See smoke & CO alarms.
- Locate the electrical panel and learn to reset a breaker. Label the circuits if the previous owner didn't. See electrical.
- Find the gas shutoff (if you have gas) and know how to turn it off.
Week 2: Know your systems
Now meet the equipment you've inherited.
- Change the HVAC filter. You have no idea when it was last done — start fresh.
- Clean the dryer vent. A top fire hazard and almost certainly overdue.
- Locate the water heater and note its age and type.
- Walk the exterior and note the roof, gutters, and how the ground slopes around the foundation.
Week 3: The small wins
Quick tasks that pay off immediately.
- Test GFCI outlets in kitchens, baths, and outdoors.
- Check under every sink for slow leaks.
- Replace the supply lines to toilets and the washer if they're old rubber — a cheap swap that prevents catastrophic flooding.
- Start a home inventory — photos of rooms and serial numbers — for insurance.
Week 4: Build your plan
By now you know your home. The final step is making sure nothing slips through the cracks going forward. Rather than piecing together generic checklists, build your free Owner Tools — answer a few questions and get a personalized, month-by-month maintenance plan for your specific home. No address, no account, no spam.
Then keep going with the first-time homeowner's complete guide and the first-time homeowner checklist.