Owning a home is dream come true. These days it’s harder to get your hands on one due to the real estate market inflation, but it’s still possible. Once you have the keys in your hands, the dream slowly becomes reality. Well, while the reality is fine, it has its flaws. The biggest one is that buying a home is only the start of your adventure. Maintaining it in top shape is continuality you’re going to experience as long as you own it. Now, don’t be afraid, this is not a harsh reality. In fact, for many individuals taking good care of your home is a pleasure.
The easiest way to make it a pleasure for yourself is to know how to do the job the right way. This is not easy especially if you’re only getting to work on it. In most cases, maintenance is done on an annual level. For smaller perks, you can do it weekly, or monthly, and rare are those obligations that are your daily routine. A home is a demanding customer if you don’t know how to approach it. To make sure that your customer in this case is always right make sure to read these five annual home maintenance tips for new homeowners.
The more you read, the biggest clarity will be in your eyes about what needs to be done. We’re writing here from the mouth of experts, and with this advice, you should be able to take good care of your newly bought home. As we said, there’s no reason to worry too much. A home is like a child. All you need to do is to love it and it will come around as it should. Now, let’s start with our tips. Hope you’ll find a fast way to apply them quickly.
1. Fire Extinguisher And Smoke Detector Check & Test
Source: unifiedfire.org
No one loves a fire. It is dangerous, and it can quickly ruin people’s lives. Even if no one is hurt during a fire, the material damage is usually enough to make you sick. This is why it is vital to do everything you can to prevent it. As you know prevention is the best cure. Because of that, it is vital to equip your home with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. If the first one fails, the latter should save you. To make the system of smoke detectors/fire extinguishers work you need to check up on them at least once a year. It is also vital that you test them. Smoke detectors can be alarmed by a simple match, but make sure you don’t alarm your neighbors or fire department. The fire extinguisher test needs to be done outside, practically, in which case you also need to replenish it once the test is over. Making sure that these two things are operational is vital for your safety and wellbeing. If this puts you over your head you could always contact professionals such as Rumi.ca which will get the job done no matter what.
2. Check and Clean the Gutters
Source: thisoldhouse.com
The gutters are an essential part of every home. Just think about it. Each home has them. Considering how much cleaning they need, you’d believe that scientists would have come around with a better solution. They haven’t, so here we are. Thanks to the lack of a magic solution a la Harry Potter and the Wizarding World, the gutters are still in charge of protecting our home’s foundation, roof, and siding. You get the idea that they’re important. That’s because they are. If they get clogged your home is in danger of flooding. This is a calamity in the world of buildings. You need to clean your gutters. New homeowners have no idea how vital they are for the house’s well-being. Various debris, leaves, and even pests can get trapped inside. If your property is surrounded by trees this might be a two-annual event. In addition to cleaning, you need to pay attention to any possible damage that might happen since the last clean-up. Also, be careful while doing this chore. You could easily get injured as thousands of Americans already have in the past years.
3. HVAC System Inspection
Source: mymove.com
HVAC system might be one of the most important elements in every home. During the winter you’ll need heating. In the summer months, you’ll need cooling. This is the circle of life. Thanks to it, you’ll need to check your HVAC system at least once a year. If you live in an area where the climate changes drastically between the seasons we’re sorry to inform you, that this will need to be done at least twice. But, once is a necessity. This system is at its best when everything is in order. Unfortunately, often it isn’t. when you’re a new homeowner you’ll want to start a clean relationship with your home. This is why don’t leave anything in the hands of the past owners. They could have neglected this system. You need it inspected right away. Do not enter the winter season without a proper inspection of the HVAC system. It could backfire on you.
4. Plumbing
Did you know that we’re going in this direction? You probably did. Plumbing is a vital part of every home. There’s no home without it. Pipes in every home need an annual inspection. You need to check everything. Your kitchen, your bathrooms, and your basement. If you have a pipe outside, check that one too. If you have a pool, plumbing becomes all that more important. But, plumbing is not only about looking under your sink and getting the job done there. No, you also need to inspect your floors, walls, and ceilings. In this department, you need to be thorough. Check every pipe in your home. Take a house plan, and see for yourself where’s the most likely location where an issue could arise. Start your inspection there.
5. Chimney Inspection
Source: laroccainspections.com
Most homes have ch9imeny even if they don’t use their fireplace. When selling a house, many previous homeowners will tell you that they haven’t sued the fireplace. What this means is that the chimney doesn’t need an inspection, right? Wrong! T does. If the previous owners haven’t taken good care of it, you must. It can collect various debris, dirt, and even dead animals. In combination with a bad HVAC system, it could cause a smell hell in your home. Avoid it at all costs by a thorough chimney inspection.
