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In the first ninety days of owning a resale home, learn where everything is (the shutoffs, the panel, the septic or well, the irrigation controller), read every equipment label into a record, work through the inspection report's items in order of consequence, do the basic maintenance as if it had never been done, and change the locks. The house's history before you is mostly gone; the part you write starts with the labels and the first month's tasks.
This post is the plan by week. It is written for a lived-in house; a new build has its own first-year schedule and warranty windows.
What should you do in the first week?
In the first week, find and label the main water shutoff, the gas shutoff, the electrical panel (and check that the breaker directory is honest), the water heater's controls, and the irrigation or sprinkler controller; rekey the locks and reset any codes; test every smoke and CO alarm and replace the batteries; and photograph every equipment label. Put the shutoffs in the record where everyone in the house can see them.
- Main water shutoff: find it, turn it, label it. The burst-pipe post is why.
- Gas shutoff at the meter and at each appliance; know which way is off.
- Electrical panel: open the door, confirm the directory matches by switching a few breakers with a helper, and correct it.
- Locks rekeyed; keypad and garage opener codes changed.
- Every smoke and CO alarm tested, batteries replaced, manufacture dates noted (the detector guide).
- Every equipment label photographed and entered (how to read the labels).
What should you do in the first month?
In the first month, do the maintenance that has no known date as if it were overdue, and work the inspection report's first group: change the HVAC filter and book the seasonal service, test the GFCI outlets, flush the water heater and test its relief valve, clean the gutters and check the downspouts and grading, clean the dryer vent, and get a specialist's quote on anything the inspector flagged for further evaluation.
- Filter, then the tune-up booked for the coming season.
- GFCI test and a walk of the panel.
- Water heater flush and relief valve test, with the age from its label in hand.
- Gutters and grading, after the first heavy rain.
- Dryer vent; assume it has never been cleaned.
- The inspection report's "further evaluation" items, each with a specialist's written quote; how to read the report sorts them.
What should you do in the first three months?
In the first three months, finish the equipment record with warranty dates and manuals, file the closing documents with expiry dates on the policy and any transferred warranties, walk the attic and the roof from the ground, test for radon in a closed-up stretch, set up the full maintenance schedule from the inspection report and the equipment manuals, and build the first budget from what you now know about the equipment's ages.
| By the end of | Done |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Shutoffs found and labeled; locks rekeyed; alarms tested; labels photographed |
| Month 1 | Filter, GFCI, water heater, gutters, dryer vent; inspection items quoted |
| Month 2 | Attic and roof checked; radon test running; closing documents filed with expiry dates |
| Month 3 | Full schedule set from the manuals and the report; equipment warranties entered; first maintenance budget written |
What should you do about the previous owner's history?
Gather what exists and do not expect much: any manuals or receipts left behind, the seller's disclosure, the inspection report, the county's permit history for the address, and the utility's records. Enter what is verifiable and mark the rest unknown. The record from today forward is the one that will matter at the next claim, repair, or sale; why every home needs one makes the case, and the first ninety days are the cheapest time to start it.
Common questions
Should I change the locks?
Yes, in the first week. You do not know who has keys: former owners, their contractors, house sitters, an agent's lockbox. Rekeying is inexpensive, and it is the moment to record which doors have which keys and to reset any keypad or garage opener codes.
What if the previous owner left no records?
Most leave little. Start from what the house itself tells you: the equipment labels give models, serials, and manufacture dates; the inspection report gives the condition; the county's permit records show what was permitted; and the utility can tell you about the water and gas service. The record starts today, and it only gets easier from here.
When should I do the first maintenance?
The inspection report is the list. Its "recommend service" and "monitor" items are the first tasks; the filter, the detectors, the gutters, and the water heater flush are due in the first month regardless, because you do not know when they were last done. Assume never, and start the schedule from now.
What should you do next?
Do the week-one list this weekend, starting with the water shutoff, and put the label photos into the record the same day. Everything else on this page depends on the house not flooding while you learn it, and on the equipment list existing before the first repair call.