Maintenance Tips for New Homeowners

Regular home maintenance is a major responsibility of a homeowner. While at times it can seem like quite a chore, staying on top of regular maintenance is important for many reasons. It is necessary in order to protect the investment in your home and to prevent major repairs in the future that could be very costly. It can also make your home operate more efficiently, saving money on utility bills.

It is likely that first time homeowners could run into some home maintenance issues that are unexpected. Fortunately, the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency provides some home maintenance tips that are very helpful to new homeowners, which  you can view here.

For example, you should inspect the exterior of your home annually. During your inspection, you should check the foundation for cracking, check paint for peeling, and check weather stripping and caulking around doors. You should also drain and shut off your outside faucets before winter and clean your gutters and downspouts in the fall and spring.

To extend the life expectancy of your hot water heater, you should drain a couple of gallons of water from it once or twice a year. You should also have your chimney cleaned each year before using your fireplace, and you should change the batteries in your smoke alarm twice a year. Additionally, you should check the filters on your heating and cooling unit monthly, and you should have the unit serviced annually.

These are just a few of the home maintenance tips that you should be aware of! For a more comprehensive checklist for home maintenance and repairs, click here for this list provided by checklists.com.

New Century IDA is fortunate to partner with the Center for Homeownership, who offers classes to all IDA participants on home maintenance. By learning home maintenance, participants learn how to preserve their investment which enables them to enjoy it even more. To utilize services provided by the Center for Homeownership, you can contact them at 336-773-0286.

Have you encountered any unexpected home maintenance issues? What home maintenance tips do you have for new homeowners?