Welcome home. Now let’s settle you in.
Closing day is the start, not the finish. This is my resource center for new Houston homeowners — the move-in checklist, how to care for a home on the Gulf Coast, the local to-dos that are easy to miss, and how to actually enjoy where you live. Bookmark it.
Congratulations on the new place. Whether you bought it with me or found your way here on your own, I put this together so you’d have one spot to come back to as you settle in. There’s no wrong order — start with whatever’s on your mind this week.
Start here: your first 30 days
Most-sendable page · do this first
Your First 30 Days in a New Houston Home
The move-in checklist: change the locks, find your shutoffs, get the lights on in a market where you pick your own power company, and file the homestead exemption that saves you real money. Open the checklist →
Keep your home in shape
Houston homes face heat, humidity, clay soil, and storm season — upkeep here looks different than it does most places. Start with the path that matches your home:
The Maintenance Checklist
Season-by-season care built for the Gulf Coast.
New Construction
Your first year: the warranty, the 11-month walkthrough, settling.
Resale Home
Know your systems’ age and what to tackle first.
Don’t-miss Houston to-dos
A few things in this market are time-sensitive or easy to overlook. Knock these out early:
File your homestead exemption
Big property-tax savings — file as soon as you move in. Deadline-sensitive.
Prep for hurricane season
June through November. Build the kit and plan while it’s quiet.
Water your foundation
Our clay soil moves. Consistent watering protects your slab.
Enjoy where you live
Things to Do in Houston
A local’s shortlist — parks, games, museums, and day trips.
Day Trips from Houston
Beach, bluebonnets, and small-town Texas — by drive time.
Houston Restaurants Guide
Where Houston eats — barbecue, Tex-Mex, and Asiatown’s best.
Houston Shopping Guide
From the Galleria to Rice Village and the open-air districts.
Neighborhood Guides
Get to know the areas that make up Greater Houston.
You didn’t just buy a house, you joined a neighborhood — so go use the city. This is my running list of the places worth your weekends, kept to the evergreen stuff so it stays useful. (Neighborhood-by-neighborhood “welcome to your area” guides are on the way — if you’d like one for where you landed, just ask.)
A note from Eddie
Moved here without me? Let’s talk anyway.
You don’t have to have bought with me to use any of this. If you’ve got a question about your home, your neighborhood, or what your place is worth now, I’m genuinely happy to help — no pressure, no pitch.
New homeowner · Greater Houston
Got a question about your new place? I’m a text away.
From your first repair to your next move, I’m glad to be the local you can call. No pressure — just straight answers from someone who knows Houston cold.
