Guide
Moving into a new house: a first-week checklist for New Zealand
On day one, read the meters, find the water toby and the switchboard, test the smoke alarms and make up the beds. In the first week, change or rekey the locks if you own the place, update your address with NZTA, the electoral roll and your council, and unpack the kitchen and bathroom before anything else.
Last checked 9 October 2026
What should you do on the first day in a new house?
Before the boxes come off the truck, walk the house with your phone. The first day is about making the place safe and liveable, and about recording how you found it.
- Photograph the power, gas and water meter readings, with the date showing.
- Find the water toby or mains stopcock, and check you can turn it off.
- Find the switchboard and work out which switch is which.
- Test every smoke alarm, and note which need new batteries.
- Photograph any damage, marks or faults before your furniture goes in.
- Open the essentials box: kettle, mugs, toilet paper, phone chargers, bedding.
- Make the beds before you do anything else in the bedrooms.
Which rooms should you unpack first?
The kitchen and bathroom, then the bedrooms, then everything else. A working kitchen and a bathroom with towels and soap make the first week feel normal; the lounge, the spare room and the garage can wait.
Unpack one room completely before starting the next. Ten half-unpacked rooms feel worse than two finished ones and seven untouched.
What should you check in the first week?
The things you will only notice once you are living there: how the hot water behaves, whether the drains run freely, and whether the windows and doors lock properly.
- Run every tap and flush every toilet. Look under the sinks for drips.
- Check the hot water cylinder or system, and where its isolating switch is.
- Open and lock every window and door. Note any that stick or do not latch.
- If you own the house, change or rekey the external locks: you do not know who has a key.
- Clean the rangehood filter, the dryer lint filter and the heat pump filters.
- Find out your rubbish and recycling collection days from the council.
- Check the letterbox has your name or number clearly on it.
Who do you need to update with your new address?
Most of the address changes happen before the move: power, internet, NZ Post, bank, IRD and insurer. These are the ones that tend to be left until after, and they matter.
| Who | What |
|---|---|
| NZ Transport Agency | The address on your driver licence and your vehicle registration |
| Electoral Commission | Update your enrolment so you are on the roll for your new electorate |
| Your new council | Dog registration, rubbish service and rates if you own the house |
| GP and dentist | Enrol locally if you have moved town |
| Employer and payroll | Your address for tax and payslips |
| Subscriptions and online shopping | Delivery addresses, before the next order goes to the old house |
What do you do with all the boxes?
Flatten them as you go, so they do not take over the garage. Keep a few of each size for the next move or for storage, and recycle or pass on the rest. Our guide to what to do with moving boxes afterwards covers recycling rules and where to sell or give them away.
Moving soon? Tell us your house and we will size one kit for it, or ask for a removalist quote if you would rather not pack at all.