New home move-in checklist: setting up your home records from day one

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

• 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

• 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.

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.