A First-Time Buyer’s Guide to Home Maintenance
When you buy your first house, you have a lot going on with moving in, perhaps buying some furniture, hosting your first party at the house and getting used to those mortgage payments. With all that excitement, it’s easy to overlook routine home maintenance, especially when you’ve never had to tackle these tasks before.
To keep things from getting overwhelming, we’ve created this home maintenance guide for first-time owners. And don’t worry — most of these tasks take just a few minutes or a quick call to a trusted pro. Take a deep breath and dive into the 11 home maintenance to-dos you’ll need to handle in the first year of buying a home.
Check Your Furnace and HVAC Filters
Why: Who knows what dust and grime the previous owners or construction crews have left behind? Clogged filters make heating and cooling systems run less efficiently, which wastes energy and costs you money. They can also trap harmful pollutants and allergens that you don’t want lurking around your home.
How: Checking furnace and HVAC filters is easy. Just turn off your system, pull out your filters and inspect them for dirt and grime. If they’re dark and dirty-looking, get suitable replacements—your local hardware store likely has them. Just remove the old filter (with the system turned off, of course), slide the new one in and turn everything back on.
When: Right after you move in and every year at the same time afterward.
Recaulk Your Windows
Why: Justin Grebasch of G and S Installation USApoints out that 80 percent of winter heat loss occurs due to cracks in a home. Sealing the spaces around windows with caulk goes a long way toward solving this problem.
How: Caulking processes and products will vary depending on the type of windows and siding you have. Start by asking a salesperson what kind of caulk you need for your particular finishes, then pare things down from there.
If you choose the right caulk the first time, you won’t have to recaulk the following season. Specifically, look at the joint movement capability listed on the product to ensure a lasting seal without cracking or peeling. “In my opinion quality caulk will have a movement capability between 25 and 50 percent,”Grebasch says. “At G and S Installation USA, we always use Dow Corning 795 due to its 50 percent movement capability, extensive range of adhesion applications and 20-year weather-seal warranty.”
When applying the caulk, make sure all surfaces are clean and dry, and pay attention to the temperature specifications in the product information. Since temperatures change most in the morning, it’s smart to start your project after they have leveled out.
When: As needed. Inspect the caulking around your windows at the end of every summer so you can touch up any damaged caulking while the weather is still dry.
Check Your Crawl Space for Water
Why: To avoid mold and water damage to the bones of your house.
How: It’s as simple as grabbing a flashlight, crawling in there and taking a close, careful look. Pay attention to corners, edges and changes in color, and use your fingers to test for dampness if you aren’t sure. If you find any water, call a home inspector immediately to figure out where it’s coming from.
When: Every fall before it rains. The key is to fix existing water damage before any more water gets in.
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A First-Time Buyer’s Guide to Home Maintenance
