New-Homeowner Maintenance Starter Checklist

What it is

The first year in a new home is when you learn how it works and set up habits that protect it for the long haul. This starter checklist covers the priorities for the first weeks and months — the things that are easy to do early and painful to discover late. Adapt it to your home and climate, and keep a record of everything as you go.

The checklist

First week — safety and control

• Locate the main water shutoff — and know how to turn it off fast in a leak.
• Locate the electrical panel and label the breakers.
• Find the gas shutoff (if you have gas) and the shutoffs for major appliances and toilets.
• Change the exterior locks or rekey them — you don't know who has old keys.
• Test every smoke and carbon monoxide detector; replace batteries or units as needed.
• Locate the HVAC system and filter; replace the filter and note the size.

First month — learn the systems

• Find and read the manuals for the furnace, AC, water heater, and appliances (or look them up by model).
• Note the age and location of major systems: roof, HVAC, water heater, electrical panel.
• Check the water heater temperature and settings.
• Walk the exterior: roof, gutters, grading, caulking, and any signs of past water.
• Test GFCI outlets (the reset-button outlets near water) in kitchens, baths, and outdoors.

First year — build the routine

• Start a maintenance log — dates, work done, who did it, and cost (this feeds budgeting).
• Work through a full seasonal cycle of upkeep.
• Build a small maintenance reserve so surprises aren't emergencies.
• Line up trusted contractors before you urgently need them.

How to think about it

• Do the safety items first. Shutoffs, locks, and detectors are quick and non-negotiable.
• Knowing your home is half of maintaining it. You can't maintain systems you can't find or don't understand.
• Front-load the learning. A few hours in the first month saves scrambling during a failure.
• Start the log on day one. Early records are the ones you'll wish you had later — and Home Care can hold them for you.