The last thing you need when moving into a new home is a guide on how to take care of your new residence. You feel overwhelmed, exhausted, eager, and exhausted all at once. We did say that twice, yes. However, relocating to a new home involves more than just packing up everything. Take a look at our new Best Home Services maintenance checklist a few days after you move in. It might help you avoid future costly repairs and save some cash.
Wait: Pre-Cleaning
Now that I think about it, if you have the time, there is one item on this new house maintenance checklist you should complete before moving in. Many first-time Best Home Services and buyers desire to move into a new house and start over, which entails cleaning the property before moving in. You will often need to move in immediately, so you will need to consider how much time you have to clean against how much you would like to. For instance, if you have the entire day, it might be ideal to perform a thorough cleaning that includes dusting, mopping, and shampooing the carpet in addition to sterilizing every surface.
If you don’t have any time to clean, we suggest using the leaf blower and opening both the front and back doors.
Things You Don’t Have to Do
Every year, we like to create a list of do-it-yourself house maintenance ideas for first-time homeowners, largely focused on energy conservation and efficiency improvements. Most likely, before you completed the purchase, a formal Best Home Services inspection was conducted. If so, the following are the items that the inspector verified and you don’t need to verify again
structural elements, such as the house frame and foundation of your residence
external elements including driveways, porches, balconies, and siding
The roof, skylights, flashing, and shingles
Plumbing comprises water heating apparatus, pipes, and drains (but not septic systems)
Fuse panels, breakers, and electrical service panels
Systems for heating and cooling
The good news is that the inspector will verify that everything is secure, compliant with regulations, and will indicate when things, like roofs, need to be replaced. If you’re not sure how to interpret an inspection report, here is a useful piece to read.
Home Maintenance Tips for New Homeowners
Change the Locks
Changing the locks is a common Best Home Services and maintenance recommendation for first-time homeowners. You’ll never know who has a key to your new home, and if you’ve had several owners before, that number goes up considerably. It’s a good question to consider whether to replace all of the locks or just rekey them. It may be a good idea to change the locks’ hardware if it is somewhat old. But rekeying is less expensive. In any case, a locksmith will most likely be required to complete the task correctly.
Additionally, you might want to locate all of the garage’s remote controls and update the code on your garage door opener.
Check the HVAC Filters and Replace If Necessary
We were skeptical when we read that the air filters in HVAC systems needed to be changed every 30 to 60 days. That felt like it happened too frequently. We investigated further. It was finally resolved for us when we learned what Bob Villa had to say about it.
Bob advised changing the filters in your HVAC system and furnace once every ninety-nine days. He offers these three explanations:
Energy expenses are reduced with clean filters.
improved indoor air quality in your house
Minus the furnace’s wear and tear
For our mental comfort, that is sufficient. Bob clarified that it depends on your location and how much you use for heating and cooling when giving his suggestions. In any case, this is not a one-time item; rather, it will be a continuous component of your homeowner maintenance tips checklist.
While we’re talking about vents, remember to regularly check the lint trap on your dryer. A fire hazard is created by the heat and lint. Dryers are the cause of 3,000 Best Home Services fires annually.
Check the Refrigerator Coils
The next thing you need now that you’re inside is food, which you can get from the refrigerator (kind of). The coils on the refrigerator’s rear are usually ranging from extremely unclean to completely filthy. Let’s use a brush made especially for cleaning refrigerator coils to get rid of those.
Maintaining clean coils can help your refrigerator function better, last longer, and use less energy—just like it does with HVAC filters.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Testing and/or replacing the carbon monoxide and smoke detectors is another popular Best Home Services and maintenance recommendation for first-time homeowners.
It is crucial to have a healthy and safe house. The very word “home” connotes security, coziness, and all the positive aspects of owning a place. Therefore, changing the batteries in each smoke and CO detector should be among your top priorities.
Naturally, you could just check the batteries, but that won’t reveal how much of the battery remains. When you’re running around the home in the middle of the night with a barking dog and a broom, you don’t want it to set off the smoke alarm. Replacing them upfront is the best way to handle the situation. After that, you can have them according to your timetable instead of theirs. Then, as advised, you can switch them out every six months during the winter and spring time changes (or for another six-month period, such as the solstices).
This is a perfect opportunity to make sure your new home’s fire extinguishers are fully charged and in good working order. If not, make plans to get some.
Locate the Main Water Shut-Off Valve and Circuit Breaker Box
Done ahead of time, this will clear the path. You want to appear knowledgeable and confident when you say things like, “I know exactly where the shutoff valve is,” or “I’ll check the circuit breaker,” in the event of a power outage or busted water pipes. You won’t be able to concentrate because these things usually occur in the middle of the night, leaving you confused. Knowing the precise position will help to reduce the amount of chaos and damage.
Lastly, find out the location of the shutoff valve if you use natural gas or propane to heat your house. You know, for peace of mind.
Drain the Hot Water Heater
This falls into the category of once-a-year basic house maintenance, but after you move in, it’s a good idea to take care of it. Sediment accumulates in the base of water heaters, which can lower the heater’s effectiveness. Even worse, it may change the flavor of the water that emerges from your faucets, particularly if the water in your neighborhood has a high iron level.
Usually, all you have to do is find the spigot located at the bottom of the water heater and connect a hose to it. Make sure someone is holding the hose’s other end near a drain when you open the spigot. If the free end isn’t secured, the water may spray everywhere and come out very strongly. We assure you of this.
Homes for Heroes
With any luck, these Best Home Services care suggestions will keep you and your new house secure, cozy, and well-maintained all year long.
Homes for Heroes is dedicated to assisting local heroes in locating and affording their new residences, from the first property search to the final closing. We put you in touch with a title firm, home inspection, mortgage loan officer, and real estate agent. When buying, selling, or refinancing, our heroes can save an average of $3,000 by working with our local specialists to close on a property or mortgage.
Tell the heroes in your life—teachers, educators, medical professionals, veterans, active military service members, reserve military personnel, full-time and volunteer firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and EMTs, as well as law enforcement—that if they are considering buying a Best Home Services or refinancing their mortgage, they should sign up with Homes for Heroes and speak with our local specialists to learn how they can save a significant amount of money.
