17 Things To Do The First Week In Your New Home

Moving day is chaos — boxes everywhere, takeout containers piling up, and a very real sense of "wait, what do I do now?" Here's your week-one checklist so nothing important slips through the cracks.

Security First

Before you unpack a single box, take care of these. Your safety matters more than your furniture arrangement.

1. Change every lock. You have no idea how many people have keys to your home — previous owners, contractors, neighbors, real estate agents. Rekeying a lock runs about $20–$50 per door. Worth every penny.
2. Add your name to the mailbox. Prevents mail theft and lets the postal service know you're the new resident.
3. Introduce yourself to neighbors. Not just nice — practical. They'll tell you things about the neighborhood nobody puts in a listing.

Know Where Everything Is

When something goes wrong at 11pm — and eventually something will — you don't want to be frantically searching for a shutoff valve with water spraying everywhere.

4. Locate the main water shutoff. Usually in the garage, basement, or near the water heater.
5. Locate every electrical panel. Label any breakers that aren't already labeled.
6. Find the gas shutoff. And know where your gas meter is outside.
7. Test every smoke detector. Replace batteries in all of them even if they pass the test.
8. Test every carbon monoxide detector. If you don't have one, buy one. They're $25 at any hardware store.

The Paperwork Sprint

9. Forward your mail. Go to usps.com and set up mail forwarding from your old address.
10. Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance, and any subscriptions.
11. Call your insurance company to confirm homeowner's coverage is active from day one.
12. Set up utilities in your name — electricity, gas, water, internet.

Do a Full Walkthrough

Before all your stuff fills every room, walk through the empty house with fresh eyes. You'll notice things you missed during showings.

13. Run every faucet. Check for slow drains or low pressure.
14. Test every outlet. A $5 outlet tester from the hardware store does this in minutes.
15. Check every window and door. Do they lock properly? Any drafts?
16. Look under every sink. Check for moisture, stains, or signs of past leaks.
17. Take photos of every room. Date-stamped photos are invaluable if you ever need to file an insurance claim or dispute something later.

Week one is overwhelming, and that's completely normal. Check these off one at a time and don't try to do everything in a day. You've got time.