Top Five Maintenance Tasks for New Homeowners

After purchasing a new home – especially if it’s your first – you’re often so wrapped up in bliss that you don’t think of the maintenance needed. This is where the help of a professional can be invaluable.

Long-term home maintenance preserves your property’s value and can potentially increase it. This is especially important if you sell your home, but it’s also important simply for the sake of retaining your home’s quality for your future self.

Here are five maintenance tasks to consider when you move into a new home.

1. Keep your exterior fresh

First impressions are the most lasting, and the exterior of your home is the first thing someone sees. Although it may not heavily affect the functionality of your home, its “curb appeal” has a major impact on its value.

Additionally, it’s important to make sure that the exterior of your home is HOA-approved (if you have one). Here are some things to consider in order to maintain your exterior:

●Have your gutters cleaned

●Get your house repainted (especially if you have wood siding)

●Have your roof inspected for damage (full inspection once a year, visual inspection a few times a year)

2. Maintain your home appliances

With home appliances, it’s easy to assume that you can get away with not maintaining them. However, you really want to check them every six months, so you don’t have to worry about replacing them.

How well you maintain your appliances directly impacts your utility bill. An easy way to keep your utilities low and affordable is to simply take care of your appliances.

Some home appliances to pay attention to are:

●Your water heater

●A garage door

●Your fridge, microwave, and oven

3. Make sure smoke detectors work

For the safety of you and your family, make sure you’re protected in case of a fire. Check the batteries of all your smoke detectors. Make sure you have new batteries installed. If you don’t know when the batteries were last replaced, put in new ones.

While you’re checking the batteries, run a test to ensure the detectors are working properly.

You should also go through this process with any carbon monoxide detectors in the home. Taking care of both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors will keep your home as prepared as possible for an emergency.

4. Have the HVAC filters replaced

This is something you’ll want to do approximately once a month. When you first move in, it’s wise to immediately replace these. These will help the HVAC run smoothly, improve the quality of the air in your home, and keep your utilities low.

5. Weatherproof your home

Depending on the region you live in, you may experience heavier snowfalls than usual, high winds, or tremendous amounts of rain. There are certain things you can do to make sure that your home withstands these weather conditions while keeping you safe and comfortable as well.

For example, if your home comes with a wood deck, you’ll want to have it sealed so it doesn’t rot from exposure to rain. Similarly, you could get your windows checked so that they can keep your home well insulated even in cold temperatures.

Additionally, caulking the exterior of your home can help prevent any potential leakage or moisture from getting inside. Focus on areas such as window frames, door frames, and vents. This should also be done in areas that see a lot of moisture such as bathrooms and kitchens.

Where Flat comes in

If you don’t know what to work on first and what to save for later, Flat can help you. Flat focuses on flattening the cost curve of your home, giving you a comprehensive home maintenance checklist, and an easy way to book maintenance and repairs - all while being the “CarFax” for your home.

This checklist will help you prioritize maintenance tasks. Some items will be marked as immediate, while others will be noted as less urgent. You can also check out our in-depth guide on property maintenance. Additionally, Flat can guide you to the right professionals so you don’t have to worry about rude or unreasonably priced contractors. Contact Flat to keep your home in tiptop shape.

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