Home care for First Time Owners.

[jlutgendorf]

So my husband and I have been proud home owners for about a month now! woo hoo!

Before, we lived in a rental for three years and our landlord never did any kind of preventative maintenance and I lived in dorms before that.

So I was wondering if we could compile a list of things you should do monthy, 2x a year, once a year, every other year, etc. to check up on things and to keep your house from falling apart!

I've learned that we should have the place inspected and treated for termites once a year and our septic tank should be flushed out completely every 4 years. Does that sound right?

What do you all do to keep your homes in top shape?

~Julia

[*Jessica*]

I'm subscribing as we are in the market for our very first home. Thanks for starting the thread!

[blizzard_babe]

Subbing this thread... WITH GUSTO!

We're looking into buying our first home sometime in the not-too-distant future...

[Jenlaana]

one thing that you should do (and I did not and regret it!) is have the a/c and heat system checked once a year, right before either winter or summer (when you plan on using it a lot). Mine blew up apparently because of a problem that would have been caught if I had not tried to run it for awhile before giving up and calling them.

My DH also does a check of the roof a couple of times a year as well. Gets up there and walks around to check for any torn shingles etc. (we have an older house and had a roof leak that went unnoticed for who knows how long because it was in a part of the attic we don't generally go into, and dripped down behind a wall once it flooded that spot...was a huge mess) Even new roofs can have damage, depending on weather etc.

[Alkenny]

Not really a checklist, but make sure and make repairs RIGHT AWAY before they end up ruining something else. Something very small could end up disastrous.

[ASusan]

I grew up in a house with a septic system. We had it cleaned out once in 30+ years.

Here are the maintainance things I did in the house I most recently lived in:

Clean the gutters at least once a year. More if you have lots of trees.

Check that bushes aren't growing up against your house. Vegetation that touches the house will allow bugs to get in.

Change/clean your air filters as required. (I had only heat, not ac, so I did it every 2-3 mos. in the winter.)

Re-caulk the bathroom tiles (every 2 years?).

Re-wax the hardwood floors (every 3 years - 2 adults, one cat, no shoes in house).

Re-wax the vinyl kitchen floors (2x year)

Check basement walls and floor for moisture (monthly). Kept dehumidifier running in basement.

Cleaned mildew off north side of house (2-3 times a year).

Replaced mulch (every other year)

have decks cleaned and re-stained (only did this once, but I should have done it every 2-3 years)

I would also recommend a duct cleaning, especially if you have animals and/or allergies.

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by ASusan

IChange/clean your air filters as required. (I had only heat, not ac, so I did it every 2-3 mos. in the winter.)

This is important. We didn't replace the filter on our new furnace and it broke within 18 months - luckily still under warranty, but the guy said it was because of the filter.

Restaining the deck is key to keeping a wood deck from rotting. I've seen some large decks that have been allowed to basically go to pot. Also keep an eye on what is on your deck (plants for example), we had to replace a bunch of rotted deck boards because we left planters on top of them for a year.

We actually have the heat system checked in March, because we can get the service as part of our service plan if we do it offseason.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors - make sure you have the proper amount in the right places and make sure the batteries are replaced regularly. I bought a combination CO and gas alarm for my basement, so a gas leak would be detected too.

[Alkenny]

I've always been told to change the furnace filter monthly. I did for 8 years in the last place we lived, and it was FILTHY and clogged everytime.

[ASusan]

Originally Posted by mightymoo

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors - make sure you have the proper amount in the right places and make sure the batteries are replaced regularly. I bought a combination CO and gas alarm for my basement, so a gas leak would be detected too.

How could I forget this? My dad designed and sold fire safety systems for a living!

[rainyday]

Originally Posted by Jenlaana

one thing that you should do (and I did not and regret it!) is have the a/c and heat system checked once a year, right before either winter or summer (when you plan on using it a lot). Mine blew up apparently because of a problem that would have been caught if I had not tried to run it for awhile before giving up and calling them.

It's usually better to schedule the furnace service for late spring or very early summer, and the ac service also in the off season (but not freezing cold winter--more like early spring). If you call for furnace season when it starts to feel like fall, it's really hard to get in and prices are often higher because the demand is so high. If you call in May, it can be a lot cheaper, and it's easier to get an appointment.


If you have a chimney, get it cleaned every year or two. Schedule the cleaning in the summer; like the furnace people, chimney sweeps get booked up in winter, especially around Christmas when everyone wants a fire.

[rainyday]

Another one: Clean the gutters (on the house) once or twice a year, or more often if needed. Make sure they either drain into the sewer system or far away from the house, depending on how your system is designed.

If debris like leaves and things builds up on your roof, get it swept off a couple times a year.

[Alkenny]

And to prevent the leaves from going down and clogging the drain spouts, you can put wire mesh in the gutters themselves.

[GoddessKristie]

I highly recommend Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. It has EVERYTHING in it! I checked it out from the library and can't put it down! It's expensive to buy, so if I were you I'd check it out from the library and use it as a reference that way, make a chart from the info or something. It's fantastic and I can't think of a single chemical she has recomended using through the whole thing. All natural, baby.
By the way,
CONGRATULATIONS!!

[oneKnight]

My parents had to clean out their septic tank probably every 10 years, but it probably depends on the size and how many people use it.

You will know when it's gone too long because it will back up into the lowest drain in the house (our basement shower) and obviously you want to try to prevent that "little" mess.

If you have a fireplace or woodstove heater you will have to clean out the chimney several times a season and check for roof leaks around that.
If you happen to have a well you will probably have to protect it during cold weather (wrap, insulate or put a heating lamp on it)
The terminte co. usually has this "inspection and protection plan" where they inspect every year for a certain basic fee and fix any problems for no other charges.