Things You Need to Remember About Your House: A Complete Checklist
Paint colors. Filter sizes. Contractor contacts. Warranty dates. A checklist of everything about your house you should remember — and where to keep it.
The stuff that disappears when you need it
You don't realize how much you forget about your own house until something goes wrong. The furnace dies in December and you don't know what filter it takes — here's how to find your furnace filter size. The repair person asks for the model number and you have no idea where to find it. You want to touch up a wall and can't remember what paint color you used. You need a plumber and can't find the number for the one you trusted three years ago — which is exactly why you need a contractor contact list.
It's not that you're disorganized. It's that this information has nowhere logical to live. It ends up scattered across texts, emails, sticky notes, and your head — until the moment you need it, when it's nowhere.
This is the complete checklist of everything you should have saved. Most people have maybe 20% of it. The rest disappears exactly when it's needed most.
New house essentials checklist
Whether you just moved in or have lived in your home for years, this is everything you should have documented. Start with what you know and fill in the rest over time. Buying soon? Our home buying checklist covers what to inspect before you sign. Just moved? The new house essentials checklist lists what to buy and record in the first week.
Major Appliances
- ☐ Refrigerator — model number, brand, purchase date
- ☐ Washer — model number, brand, warranty expiration
- ☐ Dryer — model number, brand, warranty expiration
- ☐ Dishwasher — model number, brand, last service date
- ☐ Oven / range — model number, fuel type (gas or electric)
- ☐ Microwave — model number, built-in or countertop
- ☐ Garbage disposal — brand, model, age
- ☐ Warranty expiration dates for each appliance
- ☐ Extended warranty info (if purchased separately)
HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical
- ☐ Furnace — model number, filter size (16x25x1? 20x25x4?), last service date
- ☐ AC unit — type, age, last service date
- ☐ Water heater — model, fuel type, age, capacity (gallons)
- ☐ Main water shut-off location (street side and inside)
- ☐ Electrical panel location, amp rating, breaker labels
- ☐ Thermostat type, model, and normal settings
- ☐ Last HVAC service date and company name
- ☐ Roof age, material, and warranty info
- ☐ Sump pump (if applicable) — model and last test date
- ☐ Septic system (if applicable) — last pump date, tank size
Paint, Flooring & Finishes
- ☐ Paint color name and brand for every room (e.g. Alabaster SW 7008, Benjamin Moore OC-17)
- ☐ Trim and ceiling paint color (often different from walls)
- ☐ Cabinet paint color and finish type
- ☐ Exterior paint color and brand
- ☐ Grout color and brand for tile areas
- ☐ Flooring type by room — hardwood species, tile size, carpet brand
- ☐ Leftover paint cans — what room they belong to
Contractors & Service People
- ☐ Plumber — name, phone, last job and date
- ☐ Electrician — name, phone, licensed and insured?
- ☐ HVAC technician — name, company, annual service contract?
- ☐ Painter — name, phone, rates per room
- ☐ Roofer — name, phone, warranty on last work
- ☐ Appliance repair — who you trust, what brands they service
- ☐ General contractor for renovations
- ☐ Landscaper or lawn service — schedule and rates
- ☐ House cleaner — name, frequency, rate
- ☐ Pest control — company, last service date
- ☐ Snow removal (if applicable)
Warranties & Insurance
- ☐ Appliance warranty expiration dates (one per appliance)
- ☐ Home warranty provider and expiration date
- ☐ Roof warranty — material and labor separately
- ☐ Homeowners insurance — agent, policy number, annual renewal date
- ☐ Extended warranties on electronics (TV, laptop, etc.)
- ☐ HVAC service contract details
Home Details & Specs
- ☐ TV model and VESA mounting pattern (75mm×75mm? 400mm×200mm?)
- ☐ TV size and weight (needed for wall mounts)
- ☐ Light bulb types by fixture — wattage, base type, color temperature
- ☐ WiFi network name, router location, and ISP account info
- ☐ Smart home devices — brand, model, app used (Nest, Philips Hue, Ring, etc.)
- ☐ Door lock codes — front door, garage, smart locks
- ☐ Garage door opener model and keypad code
- ☐ Fence material, height, and permit info
- ☐ Security system — provider, account number, monitoring code
- ☐ Irrigation system zones and controller location
Family Information
- ☐ Kids' shoe sizes — by brand (Nike runs small; note actual size per brand)
- ☐ Kids' clothing sizes — tops, bottoms, by child
- ☐ Spouse or partner shoe and clothing sizes
- ☐ Pet medications — name, dosage, frequency, vet contact
- ☐ Pet vet — name, clinic, phone number
- ☐ School supply lists — saved each year for reference
Vehicles
- ☐ Car VIN, year, make, model, trim
- ☐ Insurance company, policy number, renewal date
- ☐ Oil change interval and last date
- ☐ Tire size (printed on the sidewall — e.g. 225/65R17)
- ☐ Fuel type (regular, premium, diesel)
- ☐ Registration renewal date
Utilities & Services
- ☐ Electric — provider, account number, average monthly bill
- ☐ Gas — provider, account number
- ☐ Water — provider, account number, meter location
- ☐ Internet — provider, account number, router model
- ☐ Trash pickup day and recycling rules
- ☐ HOA — contact, dues amount, renewal date (if applicable)
When this pays off
Your furnace dies in December. The HVAC tech asks what filter size it takes. You know. One visit instead of two.
You're selling. Buyers ask about appliance warranties, roof age, paint colors for touch-ups. You have it. The house looks cared for. It was.
You need a plumber. You remember the one who showed up at 9pm and actually fixed it. You call them instead of starting over on Yelp.
You want to touch up a wall. You know the exact color name and brand. The patch matches. If you've already lost the color, here's how to find your paint code.
Your water heater fails. You know the warranty expires next month. You get it fixed free.
You're standing in the filter aisle at Home Depot. You open kept. Five seconds. Right size. Done.
Where to keep it
You need it on your phone, searchable, at 2am when the furnace dies. A junk drawer full of manuals doesn't work. Neither does a photo buried 3,000 deep in your camera roll.
kept is built for this list specifically. Scan a barcode and it fills in the model number and specs. Add a contractor with notes on what they fixed. Save a paint color name and find it by room. Everything about your house, in one place, on your phone.
FAQ
What information should I keep about my house?
At minimum: appliance model numbers, furnace filter size, paint color names by room, your go-to contractor contacts, and any active warranty expiration dates. Those five categories cover 90% of the moments where people wish they had something written down.
Do I really need to document all of this?
No — you need to remember where to find it. There's a difference. You don't need to memorize your furnace filter size. You need to know it's somewhere you can access in 10 seconds when you're standing in the filter aisle at Home Depot.
What's the easiest way to start?
Add the critical items first. Paint colors: walk through your house and photograph any paint cans you can find. Appliance model numbers: open each appliance and find the label — usually inside the door. Contractor numbers: scroll your texts for the last time you called a plumber or HVAC tech. That's it. You've covered the highest-impact items.
How do I remember to keep it updated?
Every time you hire a contractor, add them that day — takes 30 seconds. Every time you paint a room, save the color before you return the can. Every time an appliance gets repaired, note the date and what was done. Make it a habit at the moment, not a project later.
Is there a new house essentials checklist for moving in?
This checklist works for move-in too. When you first take possession of a home, the previous owners or your real estate agent often have some of this information — paint colors, appliance manuals, contractor contacts. Get it before you close or on move-in day. It's much harder to track down six months later.
Should I print this checklist?
No. Printed documents get lost, go out of date, and aren't with you when you need them. Keep this information digital and on your phone so you have it wherever you are — the hardware store, a contractor's parking lot, or your driveway at midnight when the garage door won't open.