New home move-in checklist: the first week

The first week in a new home is the easiest time to do a handful of jobs that become harder once the furniture is in and life is back to normal. This checklist puts them in order: safety first, then the systems that keep the house running, then the paperwork, then settling in.

Before the boxes come in

Empty rooms are easy to work in. If you have even a few hours before the truck arrives, use them here.

Change or rekey the exterior locks. You cannot know how many copies of the old keys exist. A locksmith can rekey existing locks, which costs less than replacing them. Reset garage door codes and any keypad locks too.
Clean while the house is empty. Inside cabinets, closets, floors and the tops of door frames are far easier to reach now.
Cover the bedroom and bathroom windows. Even temporary paper shades will do for the first nights.
Protect the floors on the path from the door to each room before heavy furniture comes through.

Safety

Test every smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm. Press the test button on each one. There should be a smoke alarm inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level. Carbon monoxide alarms belong on every level and outside each sleeping area.
Check the date on each alarm. It is printed on the back. Smoke alarms should be replaced ten years after the date of manufacture. Carbon monoxide alarms also expire, and how long they last varies by model, so follow the date on the unit.
Find the main water shutoff. It is usually where the water line enters the house, often in the basement, a utility closet or near the water heater. Turn it once to make sure it moves, and show everyone in the house where it is.
Find the electrical panel. Check that the breakers are labeled. If they are not, label them as you learn which is which.
Find the gas shutoff if the home has gas, and learn what the gas company says to do if you smell gas.
Put a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and one on each other level. Check the pressure gauge on any that came with the house.

The systems that run the house

Replace the furnace or air handler filter. Note the size printed on the old one and buy a few spares. Plan to check it every month and replace it at least every three months.
Check the water heater setting. 120°F is the usual recommendation. It is hot enough for most households and lowers the risk of scalding.
Clean the dryer vent. Empty the lint trap, then check the duct behind the dryer and the flap outside. Built-up lint is a fire hazard.
Test the outlets near water. Outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, laundry areas, unfinished basements and outdoors should have ground-fault protection, known as GFCI. Look for outlets with "Test" and "Reset" buttons. Some homes use a GFCI breaker in the electrical panel instead, and older homes may not have protection everywhere. To test an outlet, plug in a lamp, press Test, confirm the lamp goes out, then press Reset.
Run every tap and flush every toilet. Look under the sinks for drips while the water runs.
Learn the thermostat. Set a schedule now, before you forget.

Paperwork and accounts

File a change of address with the Postal Service. Do it on the official usps.com site, which charges a small fee of about a dollar to verify your identity. Other sites charge far more for the same form.
Update your driver's license and vehicle registration. Each state sets its own deadline after a move, and some are as short as 10 days. Check with your state's motor vehicle agency.
Update your voter registration.
Confirm every utility is in your name: electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash and internet.
Find out the trash and recycling days and what the local rules are for bulk items and moving boxes.
Start a house folder. Keep your closing documents, appliance manuals, paint colors and receipts for any work in one place.

Settling in

Measure before you buy. Measure rooms, doorways and stairs before ordering furniture. See how to measure a room for furniture.
Put together a basic tool kit. You will need one in the first week. See a first tool kit for a new home.
Write down model and serial numbers for the furnace, water heater and major appliances, and note their ages.
Meet a neighbor. They know which day the trash goes out and where the water tends to pool.