8 Maintenance Tips for First-Time Home Owners

As a first-time homeowner, owning a home might look all too easy. You have an agent helping with locating a property of your choice; a mortgage broker handling the paperwork; an insurance agent saving you a lot of stress, and a closing agent securing the home.

All of these will end the instant you become a homeowner. A home is a fantastic investment, but it has to be well maintained to retain its value.

Maintaining a home might be stressful but possessing the right knowledge about what and what not to do will make it seamless.

Below are some maintenance tips you will need as a new homeowner.

Change the lock

Even though the previous owners dropped all the keys in their possession, you can never be certain about the number of people with the keys. For instance, they may have forgotten they gave one of the keys to their cousin.

The best way to avoid any surprises is to change the lock or have them rekeyed.

Get a home warranty

As a first-time buyer, purchase the best home warranty for first time buyers is essential for peace of mind.

Since you are just getting used to the new feeling and responsibilities, a home warranty will help to take care of major repairs and maintenance for a year, until it is due for renewal.

Check the gutters

Home gutters are responsible for draining water away from your home and thereby safeguarding it from water damage. Gutters require regular maintenance.

Unfortunately, it is one of the maintenances usually ignored by a lot of homeowners. To save your new home from water damage, inspect the gutters to ensure they are properly installed and functional to keep your home moisture-free.

Inspect the thermostat

Check the thermostat if it is still working as it should. One of the obvious signs of a faulty thermostat is that the HVAC system will not respond to it.

Another thing to observe is whether the temperature changes per the changed settings.

The HVAC system may also shut off before completing a full heating or cooling cycle.

Adjust the thermostat settings to fit your preference and budget and if required, change the thermostat completely for optimal comfort.

The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy recommends the use of programmable thermostats to save as much as 10% a year on heating.

Find the water control

If you are reading this before closing on a home deal, ask the current owners about the location of the water shut-off valve. Some homes use water meters instead.

In case you did not ask this before acquiring the property, the shutoff valve is usually outside the home. A water meter can be found at the end of the property line.

Try to shut off the water to see how well it still controls.

Insulate hot water pipes and flush the water heater

Insulating your hot water pipes can save you costly future damages. Uninsulated water pipes can burst during freezing weather.

Aside from this, insulating hot water pipes can reduce heat loss by as much as 2°F-4°F; thus reducing energy costs, and delivering hotter water, and you would not have to wait for long for your water to get heated.

Typically, water heaters are expected to last for about 12 years but before they age, there is a possibility of sediment building up in them.

Manufacturers usually suggest flushing them at least once a year. Since you cannot ascertain the last time it was flushed by the previous homeowner, include it on your maintenance to-do list.

Locate the circuit breaker

Locate and familiarize yourself with the circuit breaker. Check if the breakers are labelled, if they are not, do so, by identifying what each breaker shuts off inside the home.

The breaker boxes can be installed inside or outside the home and some come with the main shut-off lever for complete cut off of electricity. This is usually useful in case of an emergency in the house which requires shutting off the electrical power supply on the property.

Examine the smoke detectors

Examining the state of the home smoke detectors is very important because they are your first line of defence against fire.

Fire can destroy the whole property. In the worst case, it may result in injury and loss of family.

Ensure they are well maintained and still functional. Light three sticks of matches and hold them a few feet from the smoke detector. If functioning, the smoke from the matches should trigger the alarm.

If there is no sound after multiple trials, consider changing the smoke detector.