One of the biggest challenges first-time homeowners face is keeping up with routine maintenance. When you rent a house, apartment, or townhome, the landlord takes care of all maintenance. The only thing you’re responsible for is keeping the property clean. This means it’s easy to feel overwhelmed once you buy your own house. Instead of having someone to rely on, you’re responsible for everything. Use this maintenance checklist to help you stay on top of things month after month.
Schedule Annual Inspections
As first-time homeowners, the best thing you can do for your home is to schedule inspections at least once a year. Schedule appointments with your plumber, roofer, and HVAC technician. During these appointments, they’ll inspect your home and property to make sure the systems are working properly. If they see any damage, they’ll be able to make the necessary repairs to fix the problem. The sooner you get minor issues repaired, the less extensive – and expensive — the damage will be.
Get Your Chimney Cleaned Twice Each Year
There are more than 25,000 chimney fires each year and most cause catastrophic damage to structures. That’s why your chimney needs cleaning at least twice each year. If you use it often, you’ll need to schedule cleanings more frequently. Call a chimney sweep and let them clean out the buildup of creosote from the chimney. This will help reduce the risk of chimney fires and keeps your home safer in the long run.
Clear the Dryer Exhaust Vent
Driers make doing laundry far easier, but they need a bit of maintenance to work well. All the lint that makes it past the lint trap in the machine can end up in the exhaust vent. In some cases, that lint can catch on fire, leaving first-time homeowners filing their first homeowner’s insurance claims. Clean the exhaust out at least once a year.
Keep Your Landscaping in Order
When your landscaping is overgrown, you increase the risk of pest infestations and damage to the foundation. Get in the habit of mowing regularly. Schedule tree trimming appointments to keep limbs from falling on your roof. And deal with unwanted critters as soon as you find them.
Maintenance Is an Ongoing Process
For first-time homeowners, maintenance tasks can be overwhelming. As long as you take your time and do what you can to stay on top of things, you’ll be okay. Ready to become a first-time homeowner? Apply for a mortgage today.
