Maintenance Tips for Your New Home

Home Maintenance Tips for Your New Home

So, you’ve finally decided to settle on a price and move into your brand new house! This is exciting, to say the least. Once you start the move-in process, there are some things about your home that you should be aware of and items to put at the top of your to-do list.

#1 Check Your HVAC Filters

If the previous owner left some of their stuff lying around, that wouldn’t make you very happy, right? Well, HVAC air filters left behind by previous owners may have some things stuck inside of them that you wouldn’t want to be filtered throughout your house. Common items include dandruff, hair, pet dander, etc. Cleaning out those filters will allow for fresh airflow.

#2 Check the Caulking Around Your Windows

This may have been an item of concern during your home inspection. If it was taken care of and new windows were installed properly, this shouldn’t be a worry for you. If you haven’t checked your home’s windows, be sure to do that. Air from the inside or outside can sneak through. This can mean your HVAC system could be working a lot harder than it should be, meaning more money coming out of your pocket. 

#3 Check For Moisture

Although this is something that should have been listed by the home inspector in the report, depending on the time of year, moisture can still happen and literally ‘slip through the cracks’. If this is something to worry about, be sure to get a specialist into your home before you move the majority of your belongings in.

#4 Check Caulking in Bathroom

Leaking moisture outside of the tub or sink area can be damaging to the foundation, later costing you more than you’d like. Caulking can seal those problem areas up in a flash and is very inexpensive.

#5 Check Your Gutters

The seller of the home might not have realized that he or she had three old bird nests in his gutters but you don’t want to be surprised by that. Check for any unnecessary debris. Clean gutters are happy gutters.

#6 Seal Your Driveway

Cracks in your paved driveway might not seem like a problem but fixing them might save you the cost of getting your whole driveway repaved in the future.

#7 Check Your Garbage Disposal

We can all agree that left behind garbage is the worst to find, let alone finding it stuck down in the pipes of your kitchen sink. Everyone loves the convenience of having a garbage disposal, but some people might not remember to finish clearing it out after a meal. Before the smell rises to your nose, run a cleaner through the garbage disposal. 

QUICK TIP: Every few weeks, take a handful of ice cubes, put them in the garbage disposal and run it. Though the sound may be deafening, it cleans out the system by removing any food scraps that could still be hanging around.

#8 Clean Your Fridge Coils

If you have the luxury of left-behind appliances, it’s not only a bonus but knowing how to take care of them will extend their life well beyond trade-in time. A fridge’s coils being cleaned on a regular basis will help with efficiency and will add years to its use. 

#9 Make Sure You Know Where Utility Shut-Offs Are

Knowing where the emergency shut off is for some of the house’s major systems can be very important, especially in the case of an emergency. Make a checklist and keep them where other members of your family can find them.

Summary

Though this list may be long, there are many other parts of the house to look out for when you are first moving in. Not only will you save money by taking care of these items, but you can also keep your home running smoothly and experience less maintenance later!