When you purchase a new home, the excitement should never overwhelm the new responsibilities. Taking proper care of your home will assure that you and your family reap the maximum benefit from the property.
If you’re not sure where to begin, it will help to do a little light research. Take a moment now to read through a brief home maintenance checklist, and start learning about what it takes to truly take good care of your home.
Do this when you first move in
When you first take possession of your new home, it’s wise to do a few things to make it your own. Even if it’s a new home, you may want to consider changing all the locks for safety. Check all of the smoke detectors in your home to make sure the batteries are good.
You should also get together with the family and decide upon an escape plan in the case of a fire. Finally, locate all of the main shutoff valves and the fuse box in your home, so you have more control over the main systems.
Things you should do each month
Taking the wellbeing of your home into account each month will help you keep up with all of the maintenance needing to be done throughout the year. For instance, your fire extinguishers should be checked for a proper charge once a month.
You’ll need to check a few other things around the house too.
- Check showerheads and faucets for leaks.
- Check that gutters and downspouts are clear.
- Tighten loose toilet bolts and other bathroom fixtures.
- Replace your HVAC air filters.
Spring and fall maintenance
The tips for spring and fall are fairly similar. The changing of the seasons provides an opportune time to get out and get your hands dirty fixing up the house. Take a peek at this quick checklist for spring and fall homeowner tasks.
- Take a peek in the attic for signs of leaks.
- Get out in the yard to trim back trees and shrubs.
- Take a quick walk around the house to check the foundation for cracks.
- Clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator.
- Check around windows and doors for air and water leaks.
- Take a look at your chimney, roofing, and flashings.
Yearly maintenance tasks to complete
There are a few tasks around the house that can be tended to only once every year. You should check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
You should call in professionals to service and clean your HVAC system and water heater. If you have a fireplace in your home, you will also need to have the chimney cleaned yearly to keep the fire risk down.
