moving into new home · new home checklist · new home essentials · new house checklist · The Dryden · Sep 15, 2026

New Home Checklist: 100 Things to Do and Buy After Moving In

A new home becomes manageable when you organise tasks by urgency. Safety, utilities, security and basic comfort come first; decorating and upgrades can wait until you know how the home works.

Quick answer

Use the 100-point checklist below as a menu rather than a shopping order. Tick what applies, remove what the property already has and assign each remaining item to moving day, week one, month one or later.

How to use this guide

Start with the sections that match your situation, copy the checklist into your notes and add real prices, dates or measurements. The aim is a working plan, not a perfect list completed in one sitting.

Moving day: make the property safe

Photograph meters and property condition
Locate the stopcock, consumer unit and gas shut-off
Test alarms and exterior locks
Check heating, hot water and essential appliances
Keep exits and walkways clear

Do the safety walk-through before boxes block access. If a fault involves gas, electricity, fire safety or structure, use an appropriately qualified professional.

Week one: establish the basics

Update address details and arrange mail redirection
Set up Council Tax, energy, water and broadband
Label keys and confirm bin days
Create a basic cleaning and laundry routine
Introduce yourself to neighbours if comfortable

Keep a move folder containing completion or tenancy documents, warranties, readings and service contacts.

Month one: learn the home

Watch for leaks after heavy rain and appliance use
Note cold spots, draughts and condensation
Measure spaces before ordering furniture
Create a maintenance calendar
Prioritise one room at a time

Living in the home reveals sunlight, noise, storage and traffic patterns that a viewing cannot. Delay irreversible choices until you have evidence.

Room-by-room buying plan

Bedroom: sleep and clothing storage
Kitchen: versatile cooking and food storage
Bathroom: towels, cleaning and safe storage
Living room: seating and lighting
Outdoor or utility areas: only tools the property needs

Shop from an inventory, not from memory. Second-hand furniture can stretch a budget, while safety-critical electrical or upholstered items deserve careful checks.

The complete 100-item approach

20 safety and admin tasks
20 kitchen and food items
15 bedroom and laundry items
15 bathroom and cleaning items
15 living and working items
15 maintenance and outdoor items

Numbers create structure, but relevance matters more than reaching exactly 100 purchases. Existing fixtures, household size and tenure will change the list.

New Home Checklist at a glance

When	Focus	Examples
Day one	Safety and services	Alarms, locks, meters, water
Week one	Admin and essentials	Bills, post, cleaning
Month one	Observation	Leaks, storage, routines
Later	Improvements	Décor, upgrades, garden

A step-by-step way to put it into practice

Step 1: Change or account for every key. Write down the specific figure, date, item or person responsible. A recorded decision is easier to check than an intention kept in your head, and it gives you a clear point to review if the plan changes.
Step 2: Record all meter readings. Write down the specific figure, date, item or person responsible. A recorded decision is easier to check than an intention kept in your head, and it gives you a clear point to review if the plan changes.
Step 3: Create a home document folder. Write down the specific figure, date, item or person responsible. A recorded decision is easier to check than an intention kept in your head, and it gives you a clear point to review if the plan changes.
Step 4: Buy a basic tool and first-aid kit. Write down the specific figure, date, item or person responsible. A recorded decision is easier to check than an intention kept in your head, and it gives you a clear point to review if the plan changes.
Step 5: Photograph serial numbers for valuable items. Write down the specific figure, date, item or person responsible. A recorded decision is easier to check than an intention kept in your head, and it gives you a clear point to review if the plan changes.

Complete one pass quickly before trying to improve every detail. On the first pass, capture what you already know. On the second, check documents, measurements, statements or instructions. On the third, attach realistic costs and dates. The final pass is for removing anything that does not apply. This approach keeps a new home checklist useful and prevents research from becoming a reason to delay.

How to prioritise when time or money is limited

Sort actions into four groups: safety or legal essentials, tasks that prevent further cost, everyday necessities, and optional improvements. Work through them in that order unless a deadline or professional recommendation requires something different. This gives urgent work a protected place without pretending every item is equally important.

Next, mark each item as “do”, “price”, “ask” or “later”. Do means you can complete it now; price means you need a quote or current cost; ask means another person or qualified professional must clarify it; later means it is intentionally postponed. Delaying an optional purchase is a decision, not a failed checklist.

If the total is unaffordable, reduce scope before reducing safety or skipping essential bills. Look for items that can be borrowed, bought second-hand, repaired, phased or removed. When credit is involved, add the repayment and total borrowing cost to the wider household budget before committing.

Keep the checklist accurate over time

Add a “last checked” date and review the plan after a bill, quote, season, move or routine changes. Replace estimated figures with actual ones and keep links to receipts, photographs, warranties or official guidance. A short monthly review is usually more useful than rebuilding the entire plan once a year.

Progress is easier to see when the list shows completed actions as well as remaining ones. Keep a brief note of what worked, what cost more than expected and what you would change next time. Those notes turn a one-off new home checklist into a reusable personal system.

Practical checklist

Change or account for every key
Record all meter readings
Create a home document folder
Buy a basic tool and first-aid kit
Photograph serial numbers for valuable items
Set a monthly maintenance reminder
Keep part of the moving budget unspent

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating 100 items as 100 immediate purchases
Renovating before checking moisture or services
Buying furniture without a measured floor plan
Forgetting annual bills and first-year maintenance

Make the plan your own

Households, homes, budgets and local conditions differ. Replace generic examples with your own figures and evidence, keep a dated record of decisions, and review the plan whenever circumstances change.

For decisions involving contracts, safety, regulated work, debt or legal rights, use current official guidance and appropriately qualified advice.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do first in a new home?

Confirm safety, utilities, locks, meters, essential cleaning and somewhere to sleep.

How much should I keep back after moving?

Keep a contingency appropriate to your finances and property; early surprises are common.

When should I decorate?

Small reversible changes can start early, but live with major colour, layout and storage choices first.

Next step

Choose one action you can complete today, then use the related resources below to continue without losing momentum.