As a first time home owner, you are going to learn A LOT! But what you don't want, is to be blindsided by certain issues that can be prevented by ongoing maintenance. We're going to review some of the more important maintenance action items you should be keeping up with on a regular basis. It is highly recommended to contact a trusted contractor or professional for things like your HVAC Unit, Lawn Control, Pest Control, Pool Maintenance, Etc. However, it is very doable to maintain the majority of your home on your own! Let's get into it.
HVAC Maintenance:
Your HVAC system is a very important component of your home. When it's hot out, you and everyone else want to cool down your home, and vice versa. The main issues you find with A/C units come from lack of regular maintenance. The best thing you can do is hire an HVAC professional to maintain the units every quarter or semi-annually. The second best thing you can do for yourself is sign up for a recurring service, in which you have a new A/C filter delivered every single month. This way you continue to have that reminder to change the filter every 30 days. Keep in mind your HVAC system has 2 big components, the Handler (usually inside) and the Condenser (usually outside). Your job as a homeowner is to keep these 2 big components safe. You can do this by making sure your condenser lines outside are free of damage or potential damage, clean out the vegetation around the outside Condenser so you have less risk of issues with things like tree branches, pests, etc. Make sure to consult your trust HVAC technician on this, but it may also make sense to have your ducts cleaned every once in a while.
Water Heater:
The water heater can mostly be maintained by you as the homeowner, but it may be necessary to hire a professional every once in a while to make sure everything is operating properly. Every 6 months, you should drain your water heater to clean it out. To do this, you will want to turn the water valve to the water heater off. After you've done this, you can connect a hose to the spigot at the bottom of the water heater and turn the lever, this will allow all the water and sediment to rain from the system until it is empty. Once complete, you will turn the lever back, disconnect the water hose, and turn the water back on to the water heater so it can start to fill back up and operate as intended!
Attic:
It is an unpopular opinion but yes, your attic should be maintained. This is not the kind of maintenance you might be thinking of though. My recommendations will fall in line with simply checking in on the attic every once in a while, let's say once a month. You want to look for things like pests, pest droppings, potential leaks, broken trusses, and insulation. Make sure if any leaks, pests, or broken components are found, you address them immediately. This will prevent further damage and more expensive problems. Other than that, just make sure you do not have exposed wiring, insufficient insulation, or blocked vents.
Lawn:
Depending on your circumstances and property, you may or may not need to even worry about your lawn. But let's assume you do. Make sure you keep up regular maintenance on mowing the grass, edging, trimming shrubs and bushes, spraying for pests and weeds, and keeping the perimeter of the home clear of blockages and issues. It can help to clean out the gutters so that they drain as intended as well, and not have back flow or leaking issues.
Keep Your Eyes Open:
As a homeowner, it's your job to fix, maintain, and keep up with the property. Not only is the bank making you sign a document stating you will, but for your own sake, it's in your best interest to maintain the home and keep it in the best possible condition. As a general rule of thumb, keep your eyes open. Familiarize yourself with the home and all of it's components so you can be aware of any irregular noises in certain systems, leaks, broken items, pests, and more. As long as you take pride in your home, you will be doing yourself a service!
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