Congratulations — you’ve got the keys! 🎉
Moving into your first home is one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do. But once the boxes are unpacked and the adrenaline wears off, you might find yourself wondering: “What do I actually need to do now?”
Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Here are the 10 most important things to do in your first 30 days as a homeowner.
1. Change All the Locks
This is the very first thing you should do — before you even unpack.
You have no idea how many copies of your keys are floating around out there. Previous owners, estate agents, builders, neighbours — anyone could have a copy. Changing your locks gives you complete peace of mind from day one.
It’s a simple job a locksmith can do in under an hour, or you can buy new lock cylinders from a hardware store and swap them yourself.
2. Find Your Stopcock
Your stopcock is the valve that turns off your entire water supply. If a pipe ever bursts, knowing where this is could save your home from serious water damage.
It’s usually found under the kitchen sink, but can also be in a downstairs cupboard or even outside. Find it, make sure it turns, and tell everyone in your household where it is.
3. Locate Your Fuse Box
Your fuse box (also called the consumer unit) controls all the electricity in your home. You’ll need to know where it is when a circuit trips — which happens to everyone eventually.
Check that all the switches are working properly and make a note of which switch controls which room. Some fuse boxes have labels — if yours doesn’t, add your own.
4. Take Meter Readings
On the day you move in, take readings from your gas and electricity meters and send them to your energy supplier. This ensures you only pay for energy you actually use — not any left over from the previous owner.
Take a photo of the meter as evidence, just in case.
5. Check Your Boiler and Heating System
Find your boiler, make sure it’s working, and learn how to use the thermostat and timer. If the boiler hasn’t been serviced recently, it’s worth booking an annual service — it keeps it running efficiently and safely.
Also check that all your radiators heat up properly. If some are cold at the top but warm at the bottom, they need bleeding — a simple 5-minute job.
6. Test All Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Check every alarm in the house by pressing the test button. Replace any batteries that are running low.
If there are no carbon monoxide alarms and you have gas appliances, buy one — they’re inexpensive and potentially life-saving.
As a general rule:
- Smoke alarms on every floor
- Carbon monoxide alarm near any gas appliance or boiler
7. Check for Any Leaks or Damp
Do a thorough walk-through of the house looking for signs of damp — dark patches on walls or ceilings, a musty smell, or peeling wallpaper. Check under sinks and around the base of toilets for any slow leaks.
Catching these early saves you from much bigger problems down the line.
8. Set Up Your Home Insurance
If you haven’t already, get buildings and contents insurance sorted as soon as possible. Buildings insurance is usually required by your mortgage lender, but contents insurance protects all your belongings too.
Shop around — prices vary a lot between providers.
9. Introduce Yourself to Your Neighbours
This one might feel old fashioned, but it’s genuinely valuable. Good neighbours look out for each other, can accept parcels when you’re away, and are often a great source of local knowledge — including reliable tradespeople.
A simple knock on the door and a friendly hello goes a long way.
10. Make a Maintenance Calendar
Now that you’ve got everything checked and sorted, set yourself up for success going forward. Create a simple calendar of regular maintenance tasks so nothing sneaks up on you:
- Monthly — Test smoke alarms, check for any new leaks
- Every 6 months — Clean gutters, check outside for any damage
- Annually — Boiler service, bleed radiators before winter, check roof tiles
A little bit of regular maintenance saves a huge amount of money in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Your first 30 days as a homeowner set the tone for everything that follows. Get these basics sorted and you’ll feel confident, prepared, and in control of your new home.
Bookmark this page and tick them off one by one — you’ve got this! 🏠
Have a question about any of these tasks? Drop it in the comments below and we’ll help you out.