1Big purchases
Appliances and electronics
Compare total delivered and installed cost, warranty, energy use, and return terms.
← All journey stages
Stage 05 · Setting up
Buy the right things in the right order.
Prioritize essentials, compare the expensive purchases, and wait on everything that can wait.
2Home setup
Furniture by priority
Buy for how you actually use the rooms; let the decorative avalanche wait.
3DIY basics
Essential tools
Start with safety and common repairs before acquiring a garage full of optimistic machinery.
Built for this stage
Use the guide, then make the call.
The first 30 days in a new home: buy now, wait, or skip
A priority system for safety, utilities, appliances, cleaning, tools, furniture, and the seductive avalanche of new-home purchases.
Read the guide →Your stage checklist
Do these next.
A short list by design. Buying a home already supplies enough paperwork.
- 1Confirm smoke and carbon-monoxide protection
- 2Find the main shutoffs and electrical panel
- 3Prioritize sleep, food, cleaning, and security
- 4Measure every doorway before buying large furniture
Make the next dollar count
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