Congratulations! You've survived the house hunt, the negotiations, the inspections, and the mountain of closing paperwork. The keys are finally in your hand. Now what?
Most new homeowner checklists tell you to change the locks and transfer utilities. That's important, but it's not enough. The first few weeks in your new home are a golden window to capture critical information that will save you time, money, and stress for years to come.
This isn't about unpacking boxes. It's about building the foundation for confident homeownership.
Why the First 30 Days Matter Most
Here's a secret experienced homeowners wish someone had told them: the best time to document your home is right after you buy it. Why? Because everything is fresh. The previous owners' knowledge hasn't walked out the door yet. The home inspection report is still on your kitchen counter. You're paying attention to every detail because everything is new.
Wait six months, and that motivation fades. You'll forget which breaker controls the kitchen outlets. You'll lose the inspector's notes about the water heater age. You'll wish you'd written down the paint colors before the seller's realtor deleted the listing photos.
The new homeowner checklist below isn't about being obsessive. It's about being smart. Capture this information now, and you'll thank yourself every time something needs maintenance, repair, or replacement.
The Essential New Homeowner Documentation Checklist
1. Locate and Label Your Emergency Shutoffs
Before anything else, find these three things:
- Main water shutoff valve – Usually near the water meter or where the main line enters your home. Know how to turn it off. A burst pipe at 2am is not the time to learn.
- Main electrical panel – Find it, open it, and photograph the breaker layout. Bonus points if you label which breaker controls each room.
- Gas shutoff valve – If you have gas service, locate the main shutoff (typically near the meter) and know how to operate it safely.
Take photos of each one. Better yet, take a video walking to each location so you can find them in an emergency. Share these with everyone in your household.
💡 How Dib Helps: Dib's Emergency Preparedness dashboard stores your shutoff locations with photos so anyone in your household can find them instantly. The Homeowner Preparedness Quiz walks you through identifying critical systems, and completing the "Know Your Home" Quest earns you points while ensuring nothing gets missed. You can even share access with family members through Dib's team sharing feature.
2. Gather Your Closing Documents
You signed approximately ten thousand pages at closing. Somewhere in that stack are documents you'll actually need:
- Settlement statement (HUD-1 or Closing Disclosure) – Shows exactly what you paid for everything
- Deed – Proves you own the property
- Title insurance policy – Protects your ownership rights
- Home warranty documentation – If included in your purchase, know what's covered and how to file claims
- Survey or plat map – Shows your exact property boundaries
- HOA documents – If applicable, including CC&Rs and contact information
Scan or photograph these and store them digitally. Paper gets lost. Water damage happens. Having backup copies is essential.
💡 How Dib Helps: Dib's Documents section lets you upload and organize all your closing paperwork. The AI-powered OCR makes every document searchable, so you can find your title policy by searching "title insurance" even if you forgot where you filed it. Set expiration dates on time-sensitive documents like home warranties, and Dib will remind you before they lapse.
3. Transfer and Document Utilities
As you set up accounts, create a master list:
- Electric company name, account number, and customer service number
- Gas company (if applicable)
- Water/sewer provider
- Trash and recycling service
- Internet and cable providers
- Any other services tied to the property
While you're at it, locate your utility meters and take photos showing the meter numbers. This helps if there's ever a billing dispute.
💡 How Dib Helps: The Utilities dashboard widget tracks your electricity, water, and gas consumption over time. Upload bill photos and Dib's AI extracts the data automatically. Monitor usage patterns, spot unusual spikes, and track costs month-over-month. You can even link utility data to home improvements to measure efficiency gains from upgrades like new windows or insulation.
4. Capture Your Home's Vital Statistics
Walk through your home with your phone and document:
- HVAC system – Brand, model number, serial number, and installation date (often on a label on the unit)
- Water heater – Same information, plus whether it's gas or electric and the tank capacity
- Major appliances – Refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, dryer, oven/range
- Garage door opener – Brand and model (you'll need this to program remotes)
- Smoke and CO detectors – Note locations and whether they're hardwired or battery-operated
For each item, snap a photo of the data plate or label. This takes two seconds and saves hours of crawling around later when you need warranty service or replacement parts.
💡 How Dib Helps: This is where Dib really shines. Use Smart Add to photograph any appliance label, and the AI automatically extracts the brand, model number, serial number, and manufacture date. No typing required. Dib identifies thousands of common household items and can even estimate values and suggest maintenance schedules based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Your entire home inventory builds itself as you snap photos.
5. Collect What the Previous Owners Left Behind
Good sellers leave behind a goldmine of information. Gather and organize:
- Manuals and warranties – For appliances, HVAC, garage doors, and any systems
- Paint colors – Ask for leftover paint cans or at minimum the color names/codes for each room
- Spare keys – For doors, mailboxes, storage sheds, electrical panels
- Contractor contacts – Who installed the roof? Who services the HVAC? These relationships are valuable
- Maintenance records – When was the septic pumped? When was the roof replaced?
- Quirks and tips – "Jiggle the handle on the upstairs toilet" or "The sprinkler system controller is behind the water heater"
If the sellers are still reachable through your realtor, don't be shy about asking questions in the first few weeks. Most are happy to help.
💡 How Dib Helps: Store contractor information in Dib's Contacts section with notes about their work quality and pricing. Upload PDFs of manuals directly to inventory items, or let Dib find digital versions automatically. Use the Notes feature to capture those quirky tips the previous owner shared – they're searchable later when you can't remember how to reset the garage door. Paint colors? Store them in your room profiles so you never have to guess again.
6. Document Your Home's Condition
Take photos and videos of every room, closet, and corner of your home before you move furniture in. This serves multiple purposes:
- Insurance documentation – If disaster strikes, you have proof of your home's condition and contents
- Baseline for future changes – You'll appreciate "before" photos when you remodel
- Move-in condition record – Helpful if you ever have disputes about damage
Don't forget exterior shots: roof, siding, windows, landscaping, driveway, fence. Date-stamped photos are incredibly valuable.
💡 How Dib Helps: Upload move-in photos to create your baseline home inventory. Dib's AI-powered photo analysis can identify items in room photos and automatically create inventory entries. When you make improvements later, the Projects section lets you store before/after photos with cost tracking. If you ever need to file an insurance claim, Dib generates comprehensive inventory reports with photos, purchase dates, and values – exactly what insurers need for fast claim processing.
7. Review Your Home Inspection Report (Again)
That inspection report you skimmed during negotiations? Read it thoroughly now. It's a roadmap of:
- Items that need immediate attention
- Things to monitor over time
- Estimated ages and conditions of major systems
- Recommended maintenance schedules
Create a to-do list from the inspector's findings. Some things can wait; others shouldn't.
💡 How Dib Helps: Upload your inspection report PDF to Dib and the AI extracts actionable items automatically. Convert inspector findings into tasks in your Lists section with due dates and priorities. Link tasks to specific inventory items so when you're ready to address "replace water heater anode rod," you have the model number and purchase history right there.
8. Set Up Your Maintenance Calendar
New homeowners often learn about maintenance the hard way, when something breaks. Get ahead of it:
- Monthly: Test smoke/CO detectors, check HVAC filters
- Quarterly: Inspect water heater, check for leaks under sinks
- Twice yearly: Service HVAC (spring and fall), clean gutters
- Annually: Flush water heater, inspect roof, service garage door
Use your phone's calendar, a home management app, or whatever system you'll actually check. The key is having reminders before things fail.
💡 How Dib Helps: Dib's Maintenance Calendar widget tracks all your recurring maintenance tasks and sends proactive reminders. When you add appliances via Smart Add, Dib automatically suggests maintenance schedules based on manufacturer recommendations and item age. The Seasonal Tips widget provides location-specific maintenance guidance based on your climate and current season. No more forgetting to winterize the sprinklers or clean the dryer vent.
9. Update Your Home Insurance
Your lender required insurance to close, but now review your policy carefully:
- Is your coverage adequate for rebuilding costs (not just purchase price)?
- Do you have replacement cost coverage for contents?
- What's your deductible, and can you afford it?
- Are there exclusions you should know about (floods, earthquakes)?
- Would an umbrella policy make sense for additional liability protection?
Create a home inventory of your belongings. Yes, it takes time. But filing an insurance claim without one is a nightmare you don't want to experience.
💡 How Dib Helps: Building a home inventory is Dib's superpower. Smart Add lets you photograph items and automatically capture details. Track purchase prices, current values, and depreciation over time. When disaster strikes, generate a complete insurance inventory report with photos, serial numbers, and values – formatted exactly how insurance companies want it. Studies show homeowners without inventories significantly underestimate their losses. Dib ensures you don't leave money on the table.
10. Secure Your New Home
Security basics for new homeowners:
- Change all locks – You don't know who has copies of the old keys
- Change garage door codes – Reset the opener and any keypad entry codes
- Update smart home passwords – If there are smart locks, thermostats, or cameras, reset them to your own accounts
- Meet your neighbors – They're your best security system. Introduce yourself.
💡 How Dib Helps: Track all your smart home devices in your inventory with login credentials stored securely in notes. Dib integrates with popular smart home platforms to monitor device status and receive alerts. Store neighbor contact information in your Contacts section for easy access during emergencies.
11. Track Your Vehicles Too
If you have vehicles, they're probably your second-largest asset after your home. Don't forget:
- Registration and insurance documents
- Maintenance schedules and service history
- Warranty information
- Emergency roadside assistance contacts
💡 How Dib Helps: The Vehicles section provides comprehensive vehicle management. Track maintenance with automated reminders for oil changes, tire rotations, and inspections. Upload registration and insurance documents with expiration tracking. Scan your VIN to auto-populate vehicle details. Log fuel efficiency and repair history. Dib even reminds you when registration renewal is coming up.
Making Documentation Easy
If this checklist feels overwhelming, you're not alone. The good news is you don't have to tackle it all at once – and you definitely don't have to track everything in spreadsheets, folders, and sticky notes.
Dib is designed specifically for this moment. Here's what makes it different:
🤖 AI That Actually Helps
- Snap a photo of any appliance label and Smart Add extracts all the details automatically
- Ask Dib's AI assistant questions like "When was my water heater installed?" or "What's the model number of my dishwasher?" and get instant answers
- Upload any document and AI makes it searchable – find your title insurance by searching "title" even if you can't remember where you saved it
📱 Works On Your Phone
- Capture items and documents while walking through your home
- Take photos that automatically sync and analyze
- Access your home information anywhere, anytime
- Offline access ensures critical information is available even without internet
👨👩👧👦 Share With Your Household
- Invite family members with customizable permission levels
- Everyone knows where the water shutoff is
- Shared task lists for home maintenance
- Activity logs track all changes
🎯 Guided Quests
- Step-by-step walkthroughs for documenting each area of your home
- Start with "Know Your Home" to capture essential shutoffs and utilities
- Complete "Safety First" for smoke detectors and emergency equipment
- Earn points and track your progress toward full home documentation
📊 Reports When You Need Them
- Generate insurance inventory reports with one click
- Export data for taxes, moving, or selling your home
- Track home value and improvement ROI over time
Your First Week Action Plan
Don't try to do everything at once. Here's a realistic timeline:
Day 1: Locate emergency shutoffs, change locks, take move-in photos
- Dib tip: Complete the "Know Your Home" Quest to capture shutoffs with photos
Days 2-3: Gather and scan closing documents, set up utility accounts
- Dib tip: Upload closing docs to Files section, set up Utilities tracking
Days 4-5: Walk through and photograph all major systems and appliances
- Dib tip: Use Smart Add to photograph data plates – AI does the data entry
Week 2: Organize previous owner information, review inspection report
- Dib tip: Add contractors to Contacts, upload inspection report for task extraction
Week 3-4: Set up maintenance calendar, review insurance coverage
- Dib tip: Let Dib auto-generate maintenance schedules based on your inventory
By the end of your first month, you'll know more about your home than most people learn in years of ownership. And unlike that gym membership, this investment in documentation pays dividends every single day.
Welcome Home
Buying a house is exciting. It's also the beginning of a long relationship that requires attention and care. The homeowners who thrive aren't necessarily the handiest or the wealthiest. They're the ones who understand their homes, stay ahead of maintenance, and can handle surprises without panic.
That starts with documentation. It starts now.
Ready to get organized? Start your first Quest and let Dib guide you through documenting your new home step by step. Or take our free Homeowner Preparedness Quiz to see how ready you really are.
Welcome to homeownership. You've got this. 🏠
