New House Move-In Checklist

The movers are gone, the boxes are stacked, and the place looks nothing like home yet. Having a clear order of operations for the days and weeks ahead makes the difference between settling in smoothly and living out of boxes for two months.

This checklist is organized by timeframe so you can focus on what actually needs to happen now versus what can wait.

If you moved to Minnesota from another state, see the Moving to Minnesota Checklist for steps around transferring your license, registering your vehicle, and establishing residency.

• Do a full walkthrough of every room. Check that everything on your inventory made it. Open closets, check the garage, look under stairwells. If something is missing or arrived damaged, note it on the delivery paperwork and contact Matt’s Moving before the crew departs.
• Note any damage in writing and photograph it immediately. If something arrived with a scratch, dent, or broken piece that wasn’t there at pickup, document it with your phone before anyone leaves. This contemporaneous record is what matters if you need to follow up.
• Confirm the final invoice matches your estimate. Matt’s Moving operates with no hidden costs, so your final bill should reflect the agreed scope of work. If anything looks off, ask before the crew leaves.

• Locate your essentials box. Phone chargers, toiletries, medications, a change of clothes, paper towels, trash bags, and a box cutter. Find it first.
• Set up beds before anything else. It’s tempting to start unpacking the kitchen, but you’ll thank yourself later for getting beds set up while you still have energy.
• Make sure utilities are working. Hot water, heat or air conditioning, and working lights in every room. If something isn’t functioning, contact the utility company now rather than at 10pm.
• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Test every detector and replace batteries if needed. In Minnesota, carbon monoxide detectors are required in residential dwellings.
• Do a basic security check. Change the locks or rekey them if you haven’t already. Every exterior door. You don’t know who has a copy of the previous owner’s key.
• Locate the main water shutoff and electrical panel. Know where they are before you need them. Label the breakers if they aren’t already.
• Set up bathroom and kitchen basics. Soap, toilet paper, towels, and enough kitchen supplies to make a simple meal or coffee in the morning.

• Unpack room by room, starting with highest-use spaces. Kitchen, bathrooms, and the bedroom used most often. Finish one room completely before spreading unpacking across every room.
• Check every window and door. Make sure they open, close, and lock properly. Note anything that needs attention and contact your landlord or schedule repairs as needed.
• Test all appliances. Refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, washer, dryer. Run them through a basic cycle. If an appliance was moved as part of your move, verify it’s reconnected properly.
• Find your nearest emergency services. Nearest hospital, urgent care, pharmacy, and grocery store. Knowing where these are before you need them is worth ten minutes of your time.
• Introduce yourself to neighbors if you’re comfortable. Especially relevant in Minnesota, where winters mean you may be relying on neighbors for things like knowing which driveway is whose when the plows come through.
• Set up or transfer internet service. If you scheduled installation in advance, confirm the appointment. If not, get it scheduled now.
• Update your address anywhere you haven’t yet. Bank accounts, employer payroll, insurance policies, subscriptions. The USPS change of address handles forwarding but doesn’t update your records with individual organizations.

• Unpack remaining boxes and break down cardboard. Set a realistic deadline — two weeks to a month — and stick to it. Whatever’s still in a box after that probably needs to be donated or discarded, not unpacked.
• Handle any remaining junk or unwanted items. Matt’s Moving offers junk removal as a standalone service. Better to deal with it now than let it accumulate.
• Update your driver’s license and vehicle registration address. Minnesota law requires you to update your driver’s license address within 30 days of moving. If you moved from another state, see the Moving to Minnesota Checklist for the full process.
• Register to vote at your new address. Minnesota has same-day voter registration, but updating in advance takes a few minutes online.
• Schedule any home maintenance that’s overdue. HVAC filter replacement, furnace inspection before winter, gutter cleaning if it’s fall. Minnesota winters are hard on homes that aren’t properly maintained heading into the cold months.
• Get familiar with your garbage and recycling schedule. Pickup days, what’s accepted in recycling, and where to dispose of large items or hazardous materials.
• Make a list of things to fix or improve. Moving into a new space reveals everything that needs attention. Keep a running list and prioritize safety and functionality first, aesthetics second.

• Document everything before you fully move in. Pre-existing scuffs, unfinished areas, anything that was supposed to be addressed before occupancy. Photograph it and send it to your builder or landlord in writing so there’s no dispute about what was there before you arrived.
• Locate all warranty documents for appliances and systems. New builds typically come with warranties on appliances, HVAC systems, and structural elements. File these somewhere you can find them.
• Know your builder’s warranty process. Most new construction comes with a one-year warranty on workmanship. Know how to submit a claim and what’s covered before you need to use it.