New homeowners are busy. The things you learn about your house in the first three months are also the things you'll desperately wish you had written down in year eight.
The first few months in a new home are a crash course in a very specific building. You learn where the water shutoff is. You figure out which breaker controls the garage. You notice that the south-facing bedroom runs hot in July. You meet the neighbor who knows which plumber the previous owner used.
Almost none of this gets written down. And then seven years later, when the pipe behind the wall starts leaking, you are standing in a basement trying to remember where the shutoff is and whether the previous owner mentioned anything about the plumbing.
The documentation list
Here is what is worth recording in the first 90 days, while everything is still fresh:
Utility locations
- Main water shutoff location (and whether it actually closes fully)
- Individual shutoffs under sinks, behind toilets, and at appliances
- Gas shutoff location and the tool required
- Electrical panel location, and a labeled photo of every breaker
- Sewer cleanout location
System information
- HVAC make, model, and the filter size it takes
- Water heater make, model, age, and serial number
- Appliance model numbers (check inside the door or drawer)
- Roof age and material (ask the inspector or previous owner if unknown)
- Any known quirks — the door that sticks in humidity, the outlet that trips a breaker elsewhere
Paint and finish records
This sounds minor until you need to touch up a wall and have no idea what color it is. Check if the previous owner left paint cans. If not, take a chip to the hardware store and get it matched. Record the color name, brand, and finish for every room. Store it with the house records, not in your head.
Documents to find and file
- Any permits pulled by the previous owner (request from the county if not provided)
- Appliance manuals and warranty cards
- HOA documents and contact information
- Survey and plat
- Home inspection report
- Any transferable warranties (roof, HVAC, structural)
The vendor handoff
If you had a walkthrough with the previous owner, you may have gotten names: their plumber, their electrician, the person who services the furnace. These are worth keeping. A contractor who already knows the house — its quirks, its history, what work has been done — is worth more than a random Yelp find.
The 90-day window matters
The previous owner is still reachable for 90 days in a way they won't be in year two. They know where the water shutoff is. They remember the roof work. They can tell you which circuit is mislabeled. After that window closes, you're working from what you can find yourself.
