Basic home maintenance for new homeowners

Basic Maintenance Every New Homeowner Should Know

Owning a new home for the very first time is exciting! With this purchase, you’ve gained freedom and power over your own space like never before. 

But as always, with great power comes great responsibility. There are countless new responsibilities you’ll need to juggle as a homeowner. Like training for a new job, it’s often the case that you just learn as you go! But to help you coast through this tricky transition period with ease, it can never hurt to learn a few basic home maintenance practices that you should start checking off. 

So congratulations on your transition from renting to buying! To celebrate, let’s jump into a little crash course on the important things you should know first. 

Treat your home as an investment

Now that you own a permanent property, all damages or wear and tear that may affect the home will, unfortunately, become your problem to deal with. Sadly, when something breaks, there’s no landlord for you to call. 

Thus, it’s always best to get ahead of problems or have a solid plan for solving them! 

Be Prepared for Rain or Shine

One of the first things you’ll want to do upon buying a new home is making sure that it can stand up to all types of weather and other outdoor elements. 

For the home’s exterior, this involves 

• cleaning your gutters regularly 
• fixing any leaks that spring up 
• freshening up paint when needed

For the home’s interior, this involves

• checking for possible exposure to drafts
• caulking any gaps around vents or insulating windows and exposed pipes
• weatherstripping your windows and doors 

Keep Your Plumbing in Order

Plumbing is one of those things in life that we take for granted. When it’s functioning properly, we go about our daily lives without thinking much of it. When something breaks though, it can be horribly inconvenient at best, and completely devastating at worst. 

Be Aware of Common Issues

When renting, you had the luxury of calling the landlord who would hire someone to fix plumbing problems. But now, you’ll either need to do the job yourself or find the right professional to do it. It’s very helpful to know what problems to look for. 

For instance, make sure you’re familiar with toilet plungers and augers so that you can quickly resolve a clog. Additionally, buy some simple tools that will allow you to remedy a broken lever. You can fix this within the toilet’s top tank. 

Treat Your Appliances Well

Appliances are expensive. It is better to be proactive in taking good care of them, than reactive in having to shell out thousands of dollars for new appliances. 

Make sure to drain your water heater regularly to avoid sediment buildup. This procedure needs to be completed every six months to a year. 

Keep your garage mechanisms lubricated so that they will run in top shape for years. 

Caulk around your sink regularly to avoid leaks that will cause internal damage. 

Treat Your Home Well and It Will Treat YOU Well!

If you cherish your home and keep it in the best condition, you can build equity in this big real estate investment you’ve made.