Your first day in a new home
What to get done on day one after a move: sleep, water and food, meters, locks, utilities and safety. The rest of the unpacking can safely wait.

[ ] Walk through with a camera before anything is carried in
    Walls, plumbing, appliances, windows, furniture — in detail and with the date. This is your protection against arguments about what was already there.
[ ] Read and photograph the meters
    Water, electricity, gas, heating. A dated photo settles the \u201cwhere did that come from\u201d question a month later.
[ ] Find the water stopcock and the fuse box
    Find them and show everyone who lives there. Hunting for them at night during a leak is the worst possible scenario.
[ ] Test the water, electricity and heating
    Run the taps, switch on the lights in every room, test the sockets and the radiators. Report anything broken today.
[ ] Change or rekey the locks
    You do not know how many people still have keys. While you are at it, count the sets you were given and check the entry phone and letterbox.
[ ] Unpack the first-night box
    Kettle, mugs, towels, soap, toilet paper, chargers, first-aid kit. This is the only box that has to be opened today.
[ ] Assemble the bed and make it up
    This is the first piece of furniture to deal with, and it is easier in daylight. Hunting for the bedding box at midnight is its own adventure.
[ ] Set up the bathroom: towels, soap, paper, curtain
    A minimal set for the first evening matters more than a tidy cupboard. While you are there, check the drainage and look for leaks under the basin.
[ ] Sort out food and water for today
    Delivery or something simple is a perfectly good choice on moving day. Cooking properly in an unpacked kitchen costs you the evening.
[ ] Check the internet and mobile signal
    If a provider needs to be connected, submit the request straight away: connection times are usually measured in days, not hours.
[ ] Set up a corner for children and pets
    A familiar toy, the usual bowl, a place to sleep. In a new space that reduces anxiety faster than any explanation.
[ ] Check safety: sockets, windows, balcony, gas
    Especially with small children. Socket covers, window restrictors and checking for a gas smell belong to day one, not \u201csometime\u201d.
[ ] Sign the handover record with readings and inventory
    A list of furniture and appliances, their condition, meter readings, the number of key sets. Without it there is nothing to argue with a year later.
[ ] Get rid of the packaging and find where the bins are
    Boxes eat all your free space fast. While you are there, find out about recycling and the rules for bulky waste.
[ ] Note the contacts: management company, emergencies, neighbours
    Have them before you need them. Ask how meter readings are submitted and who to call about a household emergency.
[ ] Update your address where it matters
    Deliveries, bank, work, doctor, subscriptions. Make the list once, or parcels will keep arriving at the old address for months.
[ ] Start a separate \u201cafter the move\u201d list
    Shelves, curtains, pictures, the furniture you still need, the storage cupboard. None of it should block closing the first day.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/moving-first-day