You just moved into a house
Establish a baseline, find controls and shutoffs, and turn inspection notes into a first-year plan.
The First-Year Checklist for a New Homeowner
A first-year homeowner checklist for finding shutoffs, testing life-safety devices, building a condition baseline and turning inspection notes into a maintenance plan.
Read guide →Planning guideWhat Your Home Inspection Didn't Tell You to Maintain
Turn a home inspection from a purchase-day snapshot into an upkeep plan by tracking age, limitations, inaccessible areas, seasonal behavior and recurring service needs.
Read guide →Planning guideMoving In: Find and Label the 12 Things You'll Need Fast
A moving-in map of the 12 controls and access points you will need fast, including water, gas, breakers, HVAC, sump, cleanout, irrigation and attic or crawlspace access.
Read guide →Planning guideYou Inherited a House With Deferred Maintenance: Where to Start
Triage deferred maintenance by consequence: stop active water and safety problems first, stabilize aging systems next, then schedule cosmetic work around a 12–24 month budget.
Read guide →Planning guideNew Home Warranty: What the Common '1-2-10' Structure Actually Covers
Most builder warranties follow a tiered pattern — but it's an industry convention, not a government-mandated protection, and the exact terms vary by builder and state.
Read guide →Planning guidePrivate Well Water: How Often to Test and What to Check
CDC's recommended annual testing interval for private wells, what to test for, and why public drinking water rules don't apply once you own the well.
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