June 5th, 2024

Essential Home Maintenance Tips for New Homeowners

Welcome to the world of homeownership! Owning a home is an exciting milestone, but it comes with its own set of responsibilities. Proper home maintenance is crucial to preserving the value of your investment, ensuring safety, and preventing costly repairs down the line. Here are some essential tips and tricks to help you keep your home in top shape.

Why Home Maintenance Matters

1. Preserves Property Value: Regular maintenance ensures your home remains in good condition, which can increase its market value.

2. Prevents Costly Repairs: Addressing small issues promptly can prevent them from becoming major, expensive problems.

3. Ensures Safety: Regular checks and maintenance help identify potential safety hazards, protecting you and your family.

4. Improves Efficiency: Proper upkeep of systems like heating, cooling, and plumbing can enhance their efficiency, saving you money on utility bills.

Essential Maintenance Tips

1. Regular Inspections

Perform a thorough inspection of your home at least 4 times a year, focusing on (this task shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes):

1. Roof and Gutters: From the ground if possible, check for damaged shingles, leaks, and ensure gutters are clear of debris.

2. Foundation: Look for cracks or signs of water damage.

3. Exterior Walls and Windows: Inspect for cracks, peeling paint, or gaps that could allow moisture in.

4. Basement and Attic: Check for signs of mold, pests, or leaks.

2. Seasonal Maintenance

Different seasons bring different challenges. Here’s a quick guide:

Spring:

1. Clean gutters and downspouts
   

2. If you cannot afford to hire a professional, you may think about purchasing a hose attachment that has a 90 degree bend to access your gutter from the ground.

3. Inspect the roof for winter damage.
   

4. This should be a ground inspection if at all possible to reduce your personal risk of injury. You are just looking for any broken or otherwise damaged roof materials (shingles for example).

5. Service your HVAC system.
   

6. Make sure your system comes one for heat and cooling (your system may have a mandatory cycle time of up to 7 minutes before switching modes).

7. At the very least, change your filters quarterly, but monthly is preferred to reduce stress on the fan motor and reduce energy consumption from clogged filters.

Summer:

1. Check and clean window screens.
   

2. Ideally, you can reach your screen from the inside. You can use a dust buster or wand attachment for your vacuum to clear any contaminants from the screen.

3. Maintain your lawn and garden against your home.
   

4. While you may have obvious requirements from your city or HOA in regards to proper lawn care requirements, this is in reference to the area within 4 ft of your foundation.
   

5. Reduce any thick shrubs, try not to apply mulch against the foundation so as not to attract any unwanted bugs (termites, ants, spiders, etc.).

6. Inspect outdoor plumbing.
   

7. Quick inspection of your accessable water from the outside.
   

8. Is your hose bib leaking?

Fall:

1. Clean and inspect the fireplace and chimney.
   

2. Clogged chimneys are one of the leading causes for fire in homes with fireplaces.
   

3. Each year you need to either have your chimney inspected or inspect it yourself to ensure there isn’t any build up.

4. Check for drafts around windows and doors.
   

5. My personal trick here is to light a incense stick and walk near your windows and doors. Its the quickest way to actually see a draft push or pull the smoke off the incense stick.

6. Rake leaves and prepare your yard for winter.
   

7. Ideally you would dispose of all leaves in your yard annuall.
   

8. Pro-Tip – If you have a compost bin or 4 used pallets to make one, leaves make a solid start to a compost pile to augment your flowers or food garden in the spring.

Winter:

1. Protect pipes from freezing.
   

2. Any pipes exposed to the elements should be covered with a closed cell foam insulation. If you are in extremely cold climates, you may also want to think about your crawl space and attics.

3. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
   

4. Not just in the winter, but especially in the winter while electric heaters, space heaters, & fireplaces are running.

5. Inspect your attic for proper insulation.
   

6. Again with the incense at he attic door.

7. If your insulation has settled & you can see your ceiling joists, it time to start thinking about adding insulation to reduce your heating costs and add overall comfort to your home.

3. Plumbing Care

1. Leaks: Regularly check for leaks under sinks and around appliances. Even small leaks can cause significant water damage.

2. Water Heater: Drain the tank annually to remove sediment build-up and improve efficiency.

3. Toilets and Faucets: Repair running toilets and dripping faucets promptly to save water and prevent damage.

4. HVAC Maintenance

1. Filters: Replace HVAC filters every 1-3 months to ensure efficient operation and good air quality.

2. Annual Servicing: Schedule professional maintenance for your heating and cooling systems at least once a year.
   

3. If you are in a cold climate, likely the best time is in the fall.

4. If you are in a warm climate, your best time of year is in the spring.

5. Duct Cleaning: Have your air ducts cleaned at the very least every 3-5 years to improve air flow and reduce allergens.
   

6. If you can access your vent from the outside ground, you may be able to do this yourself with a shop vacuum .
   

7. If its on the roof like many new homes, you likely wont want to tackle that yourself. of course unless you will be up there stringing Christmas Lights anyway (calm down Griswold!).

5. Electrical System

1. Inspect Outlets: Check for frayed wires, loose outlets, or signs of overheating.

2. Test GFCI Outlets: Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters should be tested monthly to ensure they’re working correctly.

3. Breaker Panel: Familiarize yourself with the breaker panel and ensure all circuits are labeled correctly.

6. Safety Equipment

1. Smoke Detectors: Test monthly and replace batteries at least once a year.

2. Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Install on each floor and test regularly.

3. Fire Extinguishers: Keep them accessible and check their expiration dates.

7. Landscaping and Exterior Care

1. Tree Trimming: Regularly trim trees and shrubs to prevent damage to your home during storms.

2. Siding: Clean and inspect your home’s siding for damage or signs of wear.

3. Driveways and Walkways: Repair cracks and clean regularly to prevent slipping hazards.
   

4. Cracks can erode the soil underneath our slab and cause major damages down the road with little or no real symptoms.
   

5. Pro-tip: tab your broom handle against the concrete while walking around to listen for hollow spots (this is called sounding a slab).

DIY Maintenance Tricks

Unclogging Drains

For minor clogs, use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, followed by hot water. For stubborn clogs, a plumbing snake can be an effective tool.

Patching Holes in Drywall

Small holes can be patched with spackle or putty. For larger holes, use a drywall patch kit, following the instructions carefully.

Fixing a Running Toilet

A running toilet can often be fixed by adjusting the flapper valve or float arm. Check to make sure that pesky chain isnt just wrapped around the flapper before dropping any money.

Replacement parts readily available at hardware stores.

Maintaining Caulking

Inspect and reapply caulk around bathtubs, showers, sinks, and windows to prevent water damage and improve energy efficiency.

Conclusion

Home maintenance may seem overwhelming at first, but breaking it down into manageable tasks makes it easier to handle. Regular upkeep not only protects your investment but also ensures a safe, comfortable, and efficient living environment. Happy homeowning!