Home Window Repair to Warranties: Taking Care of your New Home
Buying your first home is a momentous stage in your life, and it’s only natural that you will want to spend the first few weeks in your new property enjoying it; choosing new furniture, perhaps throwing a house-warming party, and generally getting used to the idea of being a homeowner.
But while you are making the most of your new home, it is important in those early weeks not to overlook essential maintenance and repairs. If you are unused to maintaining a property, this can seem a little daunting at first, so to help you get started, we’ve put together a few of the most important household maintenance jobs to take care of in your new home.
The Value of Warranties
One good way to protect your new home is to take out a home warranty. When you take out a warranty with a reputable company, all essential repairs and maintenance on your home will be covered for the duration of that warranty. There are many providers offering this service, and it should be easy to find one that suits your needs. For instance, a Choice Home Warranty comes with differing levels of cover, addressing everything from plumbing and electrical systems to home window repair, so investing in a home warranty is a good way to start your life as a homeowner.
Look After Your Furnace
No matter how diligent the previous owners of your home appeared to be, it always pays to be extra careful and do your own checks as soon as possible after moving in, and one of the most important areas to focus on is the furnace and the HVAC filters. Unless you check it out for yourself, you can’t be sure whether the previous owners were diligent in their cleaning, and clogged filters can be a big problem, as they retain dangerous allergens and pollutants.
The checking process is easy. Turn off your system, take out the filter and check for build-up of dirt or grime. If it seems dirty, all you need to do is visit your nearest hardware store for a replacement and swap out the old one for the new filter. Make sure you do this as soon as possible after moving in and make a reminder to do it at the same time every year.
Window Recaulking
Did you know that as much as 80 percent of heat loss in the winter is down to cracks in the structure of a home? One way to reduce this heat-loss effect is by sealing up any cracks around the window with caulk. It is worth speaking to a salesperson to find the right type of caulk for your property. If you are confident in your DIY skills, recaulking is something that you can do yourself, and then follow up with a thorough yearly check, at the end of summer while the weather is still dry.
Crawl Space Checks
This is another simple precaution that you don’t need any DIY skills to undertake but is essential to ensure the integrity of your new home’s structure. Water in your crawl space can lead to a build-up of mold or water damage in your home. So, every fall, before the rains start, take a flashlight and crawl around under there, taking a close look, particularly at corners and edges. If you find dampness or water, get in touch with a home inspector who will help you deal with the problem.
Wooden Deck Seal
If your home has a wooden deck, even if it is made from redwood or pressure-treated timber, it has to be thoroughly sealed and stained to avoid rot or water damage, and this sealing can fade over time. Fortunately, a simple test can tell you if the seal is working. At the start of each summer, fill a glass of water and tip it over the deck. If you notice small beads of moisture forming on the surface of the wood, that means the seal is still doing its job. If not, then you need to carry out a re-seal.
Enjoying your new home is your reward for going through the stress of buying, arranging a mortgage and the hectic moving in process. By checking off these essential maintenance jobs, you can ensure that your home remains in the best possible condition and that you start off your home ownership in the right way.
