Your first week in the house: what to buy, and what to check first

Disclosure: some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We pick by usefulness, not by commission, and nobody paid to be on this list.

Most first-week shopping lists are too long. The things you'll actually need in the first seven days are a few safety items, the basic tools, a working kitchen, a bathroom you won't panic in, and a bedroom dark enough to sleep. Everything else can wait until you've lived there a month and know how you use the rooms.

Day one: free checks before you buy anything

Find the main water shut-off and test that it turns. It's usually where the water line comes in: a basement wall, a crawl space, a utility closet, or near the water heater. Tie a tag on it.
Find the electrical panel and check that the breakers are labeled. If they aren't, flip them one at a time with a helper and label them in pencil. It takes about an hour, and you'll be glad you did it the first time something trips.
Test every smoke alarm with its test button, and note how old each one is. Most say "replace by" or have a manufacture date on the back, and smoke alarms are generally meant to be replaced about every 10 years.
Write down your HVAC filter size. It's printed on the edge of the current filter. Buy two now, because the previous owner's filter is rarely fresh.
Photograph the utility meters on move-in day, so your first bills start from the right reading.
Change or rekey the exterior locks. You don't know how many keys are out there. A locksmith can rekey the locks you have, which usually costs less than replacing them.

The guides, room by room

Safety & tools (start here)Alarms, a fire extinguisher, leak sensors, and the small tool kit that handles most first-month jobs. KitchenThe eight things you need to cook a real dinner the first week, and what to skip. BathroomBuy the plunger before you need it, plus the shower and cleaning basics. BedroomBlackout curtains, a mattress protector, and lights for the first night in a dark, unfamiliar house.

What to wait on

Hold off on rugs, furniture for empty rooms, wall art, matching storage bins and smart-home gadgets until you've lived there 3–4 weeks. You'll learn where the light falls, which way you walk through the house, and what actually piles up where. Buying it all in week one is how people end up with a garage full of returns.