Moving to Las Vegas: Your First 30 Days in the Home

Congratulations on the new place. The first month in a Las Vegas home goes a lot smoother when you know who to call and what has a deadline. Here's a simple checklist you can work through, in order.

Before you get the keys

Set up the essentials a few days before closing so the house is ready when you walk in. In the summer, that means having the A/C on from day one.

• Electric: Start service with NV Energy, which serves Southern Nevada. You can start or stop service online. If you're nervous about summer cooling costs, ask about their Equal Payment plan, which spreads costs more evenly across the year.
• Gas: Schedule service with Southwest Gas for heating, water heaters and gas stoves. Book a few days ahead, because an adult may need to be home if a technician has to light appliances.
• Water: This one depends on your address. The Las Vegas Valley Water District serves the City of Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County. Henderson and North Las Vegas run their own water service, so check your city first.

Your first week

• Internet: Cox Communications covers much of the valley, and other providers serve some addresses. Check availability for your exact address, and book installation early, because appointments can fill up.
• Trash and recycling: Republic Services handles pickup across most of the valley. Billing varies by city and HOA, so ask your HOA how it works before signing up for anything.

Within 30 days: the Nevada DMV

• Make an appointment with the Nevada DMV online to save time.
• Most vehicles need an emissions (smog) test before they can be registered here, so do that first.
• Bring your out-of-state license, proof of identity and proof of your Nevada address. Check the DMV website for the current document list before you go.

Within 30 days: everything else

• Register to vote: Update your voter registration to your new address through the Nevada Secretary of State.
• Schools: If you have kids, look up your zoned school and start enrollment with the Clark County School District.

Desert-home basics to learn early

• Watering days: Southern Nevada limits landscape watering to assigned days that change with the season. Look up your schedule at snwa.com and set your irrigation timer to match.
• Hard water: Las Vegas water is very hard, which leaves mineral scale on fixtures and inside water heaters. Flushing your water heater once a year helps, and many homeowners add a softener or descaler.
• A/C care: Your air conditioner is the hardest-working system in the house. Change filters every one to three months, more often in summer, and book a tune-up in spring before the heat arrives.

Keep the checklist on your phone

Every item above is in Carla's Little Black Book, under Home Essentials, with a "Your first 30 days in the home" checklist you can tick off as you go. It saves your progress on your phone, so you can come back to it anytime.

Details like service areas, documents and deadlines can change. Confirm with each provider or agency on their official website before you act.