Moving in? Five electrical checks for the first week

Find the panel and read the directory on the door. If the labels are missing or wrong, switch breakers off one by one and write down what goes dark.

Press the test button on every smoke and CO alarm and on each GFCI outlet. Look for warm switch plates, flickering lights and outlets with two holes.

If anything looks wrong, a home safety inspection gives you a written list of what to fix first.