New home move-in checklist: setting up your home records from day one
· 4 min read
In week one, list every appliance and system in the home and photograph each model and serial plate while they are still easy to reach. In the first month, save a trusted electrician, plumber and AC technician, set service reminders for the AC, geyser and purifier, and register new appliances with their brands wherever that extends the warranty.
The first month in a new home is when every warranty card, manual and service contact is in your hands — and the easiest time to lose them. A little organising now saves a lot of searching later.
Week one
Week one is about capture, not organisation. Get the information recorded while the boxes are open and the nameplates are still reachable; tidying it up can wait.
- Make a list of every appliance and system in the home, new or inherited.
- For anything you bought, save the invoice and note the warranty end date.
- For anything that came with the home, note its age and last service if the previous owner told you.
- Photograph model and serial number plates — they're always needed later and always hard to reach.
First month
Month one is about the things you want before you need them. Finding a plumber at the moment you need a plumber is how people end up with whoever answers the phone.
- Find and save a trusted electrician, plumber, AC technician and appliance service contact — you'll want them before you need them.
- Set service reminders for the AC, geyser and water purifier based on their intervals.
- Register new appliances with their brands if that extends the warranty.
Do this once and your home effectively documents itself from then on: every service adds to the record, every reminder arrives on time, and if you ever sell or move, the whole history comes with you.
Common questions
What should I do first when moving into a new home?
List every appliance and system, then photograph each one's model and serial plate before the furniture goes in front of it. That single pass captures the information every future warranty claim, parts order and service booking will ask for, and it is far easier now than later.
Why photograph appliance serial numbers when moving in?
Because nameplates end up behind, under or inside the appliance once everything is installed, and they are needed at exactly the moments when you are least inclined to crawl behind a washing machine. The plate carries the brand, model and serial number, which together identify the unit for service and for warranty.
Should I register new appliances with the manufacturer?
Yes, wherever registration extends the cover or records the purchase date on the brand's own system. That second reason matters more than it sounds: if the invoice is ever lost, a registration that already carries the purchase date can be the difference between full cover and cover calculated from the manufacturing month instead.
How do I find a good electrician or plumber in a new area?
Ask neighbours and long-standing residents of the building before searching online, then keep whoever turns out to be reliable. The point of doing it in the first month is that you are choosing calmly rather than picking whoever can come out during an emergency.
Your Home Docket keeps all of this in one place — every appliance, its warranty, its service history, and a reminder before the next service is due, shared with your whole family. It's free. Create yours in a couple of minutes.
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