The film was, according to Navidson, meant to just be showing the process of moving into a house in the country, a simple place in which you could sit on the porch drinking a pink lemonade. The early moments of Navidson are sometimes called into question, as he is naive to the nature of the house, and may be hiding something. However, it is posited that perhaps he wasn't lying like people claim, and he had no alternative motives.

The premise is laid out, with Navidson setting out cameras in almost every room that are set up with motion detectors, to begin recording when there is someone in a room. He also interviews his children, Chad and Daisy, about their new house. Daisy is enthusiastic, and excited to be there, but isn't shy to mention the lack of familiar/big stores. Chad, on the other hand, is nervous due to the lack of noise at night, and struggles to sleep in the silence.

There is also a conflict between Will Navidson and his partner, Karen Green, who keeps him at arm's length due to how caught up in his work he is. Despite not being married, they live together with their children, and sleep in the same bed.

In order to compromise, Navidson attempts to start this project to focus on both lives. Karen is also given a private journal camera, which Navidson promises not to look at until he finishes filming.

Navidson is utterly in love with Karen, and often attempts to initiate acts of affection. Karen on the other hand, is excited to see him, but always hides it, as while she needs him, she also has no room for him. When she meets up with him when he comes home, all she has to tell him is that the "Water" Heater's on the fritz again, and that it's been like that for a while.

The reception of Karen and Navidson after "The Navidson Record" is poor, especially Karen's, however, in retrospect, it seems that the reception of Karen was due to sexism, and Navidson's role in the relationship was overlooked. It is also noted that Navidson may have gone too far in an attempt to paint himself in a poor light.

There's also a mention of Delial, a name that apparently haunts Karen, as Navidson does not tell her who she is, but it comes out in his dreams.

Despite all of this, the start of their life in the house is calm, with it seeming to start to heal their relationships.

Johnny Truant complains of his water heater no longer working in his apartment. He starts off with talking about his attempt to shower, but quickly takes a detour into talking about his previous night, which was spent spinning a fake tale about being a "Pit Boxer" to a group of girls, during which Lude gives him random tidbits to include, like a game they're playing. It ends up involving a group of known felons that he loses his money to using it to unknowingly buy five crates of Birds of Paradise, under the pretense that they are drugs. There is an added bit where Truant remarks that they were found trying to unload a bunch of smuggled birds into a zoo.

Back to the water heater, Truant mentions that it isn't a coincidence that his water heater has gone out in the same chapter that the water heater in Navidson's house is on the fritz as well. However, he does admit that he added the word "Water" to "heater", before telling the reader "fuck you" in an assumption that they'll cry that it isn't fair

It ends with the lines:

"Let the water run.

It's gotta warm up eventually.

Right?"