Week one: the admin sprint
Redirect the mail, transfer power and fibre, update your address with the bank and NZTA, and file the handover pack somewhere you will find it in year nine. Photograph the switchboard, the water toby and the appliance model plates while everything is new and labelled.
- Confirm with your insurer when your cover needs to start under the agreed handover and settlement arrangements
- Handover pack, warranties and appliance manuals in one folder
- Meet the neighbours before the trailer is even unpacked
The first three months: let the house settle
Record concerns with the location, date and a clear photograph, then report them through the agreed contact process. Ask what needs prompt attention and how routine follow-up will be arranged. Do not dismiss a concern as normal settling without having it assessed.
Ask the team to demonstrate the installed ventilation and heating systems at handover. Follow the operating and maintenance instructions supplied for your products, and keep those instructions where the household can find them.
Warranty housekeeping
Keep any guarantee certificate, warranty documents and product care instructions with the property records. Check their conditions, registration requirements and any process that applies when ownership changes. Ask the provider about anything unclear rather than assuming the terms.
Build a simple home-information folder
Group the documents by system or room. Add the relevant care instruction, warranty document and contact information. When reporting a concern, include its location, when you noticed it and a clear photograph.
- Where are the care instructions for the installed products?
- Who is the right contact for a concern?
- What follow-up process was agreed at handover?