Just Moved to Nashville? 16-Item First Week Checklist

Call (615) 736-6900 or go to https://www.nespower.com/residential/start-stop-or-transfer-your-service/. Call at least 1 business day before you need power. Online signup at myaccount.nespower.com takes about 10 minutes.

Call 1-800-752-7504 or go to https://www.piedmontng.com/home/start-stop-or-move. Electric and water must be active BEFORE your gas appointment. If they're not on when the technician arrives, your gas startup will be delayed.

Metro Water Services: call (615) 862-4600 or visit https://www.nashville.gov/departments/water. Call Mon-Fri 7am-5pm. Same-day service: $35 fee. Next-day or later: $25 fee. Online portal is for existing accounts only — new service must be started by phone.

Nashville providers: AT&T Fiber (best coverage), Xfinity/Comcast, Google Fiber (expanding in Nashville). Google Fiber is available in many Nashville neighborhoods — check googlefiber.com first for the best deal.

Your provider: Metro Nashville Public Works (615-862-4000). Look up your pickup day by address — getting it wrong means a week of trash sitting on the curb.

Map the 3 closest grocery stores to your Nashville address. Stock essentials: cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, basic food, trash bags, and light bulbs. You'll need them before you've fully unpacked.

Find a pharmacy near your Nashville home and transfer any active prescriptions. Most major chains (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) can pull your prescription history with just your name and date of birth.

Read ALL parking signs on your block. Note: street cleaning days/times, permit-only hours, meter hours, and hydrant zones. One missed sign = a $25-55 ticket.

Test every door and window lock. Save these numbers in your phone: building maintenance/super, landlord, 911, Nashville non-emergency (311 or local equivalent), and a 24-hour locksmith.

Take timestamped photos of every room, every scratch, every stain BEFORE unpacking. Email them to yourself AND your landlord. This protects your security deposit when you eventually move out.

Knock on the doors of the units/houses next to you and across the hall. Introduce yourself. Ask: what's the building/block like, where do you park, what should I know?

Most landlords require it, and it's worth it regardless. Typical cost: $15-30/month. Covers theft, fire, water damage to YOUR belongings. Lemonade, State Farm, and Progressive all offer same-day policies.

Put your name on the mailbox. If your building has a package room, get the access code. If not, set up Amazon Locker or a UPS Access Point nearby. File USPS mail forwarding if you haven't already.

Download: your city's parking app (ParkMobile, SpotHero, or similar), transit app (Google Maps or Nashville's local transit app), 311 app for reporting issues, and your utility provider's app for bill pay.

Walk a 10-minute radius from your Nashville home. Note: the closest laundromat (if you don't have in-unit), dry cleaner, hardware store, coffee shop, and ATM. Knowing these saves panic later.

Create recurring phone reminders: trash night (put bins out), recycling night, street cleaning (move car), and rent due date. The first month is when you're most likely to forget.