Your First Month Sets the Baseline
The single most valuable documentation you will ever create is a record of your home in its as-delivered condition. In your first 30 days, before daily life adds its own wear and marks, you have a clean baseline that makes every future warranty claim easier to prove.
This checklist walks through what to capture and when.
Week 1: The Full Baseline Record
**Photograph every room.** Take a wide shot of each room and close-ups of anything that already looks off. Keep original files with their timestamps intact.
**Photograph the full exterior perimeter.** Walk around the house and capture siding, trim, the roofline from the ground, the driveway, and the grading around the foundation.
**Record your systems.** Photograph the furnace, water heater, and electrical panel, including any labels and model numbers. Note the HVAC filter condition and change date.
**Save all closing paperwork digitally.** Scan or photograph your warranty document, the purchase contract, and any walkthrough punch list, and back them up somewhere outside your phone.
Week 2: Test Everything
**Run every fixture.** Test water pressure and temperature at every faucet, shower, and tub. Look under every sink for moisture.
**Test every outlet and switch.** Confirm each one works, and test that GFCI outlets trip and reset properly.
**Operate every window and door.** Open, close, and latch each one, noting anything that sticks or does not seal.
**Run the HVAC in each mode.** Confirm the system reaches the set temperature in every zone.
Weeks 3 and 4: Establish Your System
**Create a claim folder structure.** Set up one folder per issue rather than a single catch-all, so each potential claim stays self-contained.
**Report anything you have found, in writing.** Do not wait to batch issues. Report each defect as you confirm it, with photos and the date of discovery.
**Set a reminder for month 11.** Schedule your third-party inspection now, while it is on your mind, so you do not miss the end of the first-year workmanship window.
Why This Front-Loaded Effort Pays Off
A few hours of documentation in your first month creates a reference record you can point to for years. When a builder questions whether a defect existed at delivery or appeared later, your dated baseline answers the question before it becomes an argument.
Document the home the way it was delivered. That baseline is the foundation of every claim that follows.