Home Office Essentials
A desk setup that works from the first workday in the new house. 9 items.
Day one
For the first night
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Book internet installation before closing because appointments can be a week out, and owning your modem avoids monthly rental fees.
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Older houses often have few outlets per room, and a surge protector also shields electronics from power spikes.
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Keep the closing documents, deed, warranties and appliance manuals together from day one, since you'll need them for taxes and repairs.
First month
Once you’re settled
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Protects the deed, passports and birth certificates; choose one rated for both fire and water.
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A single router rarely reaches the far bedroom, basement and backyard of a house, so mesh nodes fill the dead spots.
Our pick: ASUS ZenWiFi BT8Check price at ASUS -
If you work from home, put the desk where the Wi-Fi is strong and windows won't glare on the screen.
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Label the breaker panel, water shutoffs and storage bins while you're still learning the house.
Later
Upgrades and nice-to-haves
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Closing leaves piles of documents with account numbers, and mail for the previous owner keeps arriving.
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Useful for scanning warranties, receipts and closing papers into a digital home file.
