New home checklist: your first 30 days
A short, ordered list for a new house or apartment in Texas: before the keys, day one, the first week and the first month.
When: From two weeks before move-in to a month after
Before you get the keys
- Electricity set to start on move-in day.
- Internet install booked.
- Water account open. Gas too, if the home has it.
- Mail forwarding filed.
- Renters or home insurance in place.
Day one
- Test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Find the breaker box and the main water shutoff.
- Change the air filter.
- If you bought the home, change or rekey the locks.
The first week
- Learn your trash and recycling days.
- Get your HOA contact and rules, if there is an HOA.
- Check the age of the AC and the water heater. The date is on each label.
The first month
- Update the address on your driver license.
- Update your voter registration.
- If you own and live in the home, file a homestead exemption.
Want this done for your address?
Tell us your new address and move-in date. Your plan shows who handles each of these at your home, with links. No cost to you.
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