A Realtor’s Week‑by‑Week Guide to Moving In (Without Losing Your Mind)

Moving into a new home—especially a quirky, charming, personality‑filled dome—comes with its own brand of chaos. So here’s my Dome Sweet Home rundown of what to tackle in your first few weeks to make your house feel safe, functional, and officially YOURS.

Week 1: Security & Access (AKA: Who Still Has Keys? Probably More People Than You Think.)

Before you hang a single piece of art or debate paint colors, let’s talk ACCESS.

Here’s a fun (and slightly horrifying) real estate truth: you have no clue who still has a key to your house. Neighbors, dog‑sitters, distant cousins, the nice lady who watered the plants one summer in 2009… you get the idea.

What to Do:

• Rekey or replace all exterior locks.
  • Cost range:
    • Rekeying: $80–$150 per lock
    • Full lock replacement: $100–$300 per lock
      Totally worth the peace of mind.
• Install a keypad lock for family access.
  We put one on our utility room door so trusted people could get in if needed — game changer.
• Don’t forget your garage door!
  Change the keypad code AND reset any remotes. Garage access is basically front‑door access with better parking.
• Check for hidden spare keys left behind.
  People get creative. (We once found one taped behind a downspout like it was a spy movie.)

Because nothing says “welcome home” like knowing you’re the only one with working keys.

Week 2: Systems Check (Learning What Makes Your House… Home.)

You know all those important things your inspector pointed out during the walkthrough? Now’s the time to actually locate and label them.

Find These First:

• Main water shut‑off valve
  In emergencies, this valve is your best friend. Find it. Tag it. Trust me, you’ll be happy you did this some day!
• Electrical panel
  If the circuits aren’t labeled, take an afternoon and test them one by one.
  Boring? Yes.
  Painful? Also yes.
  Will you be grateful later? 1000%.

Maintenance Must‑Dos:

• Change your HVAC filters immediately.
• Get on an HVAC maintenance plan.
  It extends the life of your system and keeps surprises (the bad kind) minimal.

Owning a home is basically a long-term relationship with plumbing, electricity, and airflow. It’s best to get to know each other early.

Week 3: Paperwork, Bills & Adulting (Welcome to the Administrative Olympics)

If you haven’t already switched your utilities over before closing, now’s your moment. But even if you have, the name‑change parade is just getting started.

List of Things to Transfer, Update, or Notify:

• Utilities (Water, gas, electric, trash, internet)
• Maintenance services (Lawn care, pest control, snow removal, etc.)
• BMV/DMV (In our state, we only have 30 days to get our license updated, so put that on your list too!)
• Banks & Credit Cards
• Insurance (Home, auto, medical, all the insurances we love paying for)
• Your employer
  (They like to know where your paychecks are going.)
• Voter registration
  Because democracy doesn’t update itself.

This is the week that truly makes you feel like a responsible adult — or at least like someone who deserves a cookie when it’s all done.