What to do after buying a house

Start with safety and access. Change or rekey the locks, find the main water shutoff and the electrical panel, and test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. Then put the utilities in your name and save the pros you will need before something breaks. If your agent sent you a list of the people they use, start with it.

What should I do first after buying a house?

Make sure only you can get in, then find the things you'll need in a hurry. Change or rekey the locks, because you can't know how many keys the seller, their family or their contractors still have. Then find the main water shutoff, the gas shutoff if the house has gas, and the electrical panel, so you aren't hunting for them during a leak.

Test every smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm on the first day. The U.S. Fire Administration says to test smoke alarms every month and to replace each one 10 years after it was made. The CPSC says to put carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. If you ever suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, get outside to fresh air right away and then call 911. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 or your gas company from outside.

What are the first things to do after getting keys to a new house?

In the first week, put the utilities in your name and label the breaker panel. Have someone flip each breaker while you watch which lights and outlets go dark, and write it on the panel door. In the first month, check the date printed on the back of each smoke alarm and replace any that are 10 years old.

Test for radon if the seller can't show you a recent result. The Surgeon General has urged Americans to test their homes, and the EPA says to fix the home when the level is 4 pCi/L or more. If the seller left no service records for the furnace or air conditioner, book a checkup now so you know where it stands before you need it.

Your inspection report is worth a second read once you've moved in. For the repairs it found and who handles them, see repairs after a home inspection.

How do I keep a list of trusted contractors for my house as a new homeowner?

Save the names before you need them. Start with a plumber, an electrician, an HVAC company, a roofer and a handyman, because those are the calls you'll make when something breaks. The easiest place to start is the list your agent sent you, since it holds the people they already send their clients to. If a trade you need isn't on it, ask your agent who they'd call.

Keep that list somewhere you'll find it with water on the floor at ten at night. When something does break, who to call for home repairs matches the problem to the trade. For a trade your agent doesn't have, here's how to find a trusted contractor. Once the first month is behind you, the home maintenance checklist for new homeowners covers the rest of the year.

Sources

Your agent's list is on your phone

If your agent uses Proferral, the list they sent opens with no app and no login, and the link doesn't expire. Nobody pays to be on it, so every name is there because your agent put it there. Proferral's license checks cover Oregon and Washington only, so anywhere else, check the license yourself. Here's how your agent's go-to list works.

Ask your agent for their list

Your agent sends you the link, and you open it on your phone without installing anything.