Purchasing a home is an exciting time for any new homeowner. But at the same time, there’s a lot more that comes with buying a home than simply signing on the dotted line. A home is not only an investment for your future, but it’s an investment in your time as well. There’s a lot that needs to be done regularly for home maintenance, so here’s a guide to Home Upkeep 101 for new homebuyers.
Change your furnace filters once a month.
We all know that a properly working furnace is one of the most important things to look for when buying a house. However, you must invest in monthly maintenance of your furnace to ensure it keeps working! The easiest way to do this is by changing the air filter every month, at least. Not only can dirty air filters spew debris and grime all over the home, but it can cause your machine to work harder, which can compromise its efficiency.
Want to know a simple trick on knowing when to change your filter? Write the date you changed the filter on the filter paper itself, in pencil. When you can’t see the date anymore, you need to change it. This will prevent any ongoing air quality issues throughout your home, no matter the season.
Caulk the home every season.
There are so many cracks and crevices in your home, with some being so small that you don’t even notice them. With this in mind, you need to look out for these leak-prone areas regularly, so every season, take the time to walk around your home to caulk any edges. This includes the area around your shower and bathtub, the fireplace, doors, all sinks, and your countertops. Caulk doesn’t take long to do, set, and tightly air sealing your home will save you tons of money with your energy bills.
Check your fire and smoke detectors.
Unfortunately, according to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2007 and 2011, almost two-thirds of all fire deaths in the home were due to or caused by faulty fire detectors and/or smoke detectors. So with this in mind, make a note to change the batteries in your devices every six months, at the very least. An easy tip on remembering is to change the batteries on the days that daylight savings time goes into place, every spring and every winter.
Flush your water heater.
Your water heater is a powerhouse, but the water isn’t always completely flushed out during every cycle. Thus, sediment can build-up that can clog the filter and cause other problems down the road. To prevent this, all you have to is flush your water heater once a month so you can start on a clean slate.
Clean your gutters once every two months.
The roof is like the icing on top of the cake that is your home. This includes your gutters, as they should be seen as an extension of your roof. When debris like leaves, dirt, and twigs clogs your gutters, the water runoff from storms cannot be drained properly and can leak down your walls. This will result in not only a ton of damage to your walls and insulation but pools of water can also seep into the home’s foundation, causing cracks in your foundation, which can lead to tons of problems with up-keep and repairs in the future. All of this can be prevented by just quickly sweeping out the gutters every month or so.
With a little time management and organization, keeping your home updated with regular maintenance will be easy as can be.
