10 Basic Things New Homeowners Should Know

Congratulations on buying your home!

Becoming a homeowner means becoming responsible for a lot: home maintenance, repairs, major systems, appliances, and, unfortunately, unexpected expenses.

If this is your first home, UPKEEP Home Warranty + Maintenance is here to help! Knowing what to expect can help you protect your investment and avoid costly surprises. Here are 10 simple-but-essential homeownership tips that every new owner should know:

1. Learn Where Your Main Shut-Off Valves Are

Every adult in the home needs to know how to quickly shut off the home’s main water supply in case of a plumbing emergency. You should also know where your electrical panel, gas shut-off, and individual water shut-off valves are located. Take a few minutes to identify and familiarize yourself these, and it could save you from significant damager in the future.

2. Create a Home Maintenance Schedule

Routine home maintenance is one of the best ways to protect your investment. Don’t wait until something breaks to think about maintenance! Keep track of tasks like changing HVAC filters, servicing your heating and cooling systems, cleaning gutters, checking for plumbing leaks, and maintaining the major appliances. (Or, make your to-do list a lot lighter with UPKEEP’s plans for St. Louis, St. Charles, and St. Peters area homeowners.)

3. Know the Age of Your Major Home Systems

Find out how old your home’s HVAC system, water heater, roof, and major appliances are. Knowing their ages can help you anticipate future maintenance, repairs, and replacements. Keep a record of model numbers, serial numbers, installation dates, and maintenance history in one convenient location.

4. Don’t Ignore Small Problems

A dripping faucet, slow drain, unusual HVAC noise, or small water stain might seem harmless, but minor issues can become major repairs when they’re ignored. When something doesn’t seem right, you should investigate it early. This way, you can catch it and correct it before issues turn into expensive emergencies.

5. Build a Home Repair Fund

Things break! If you’re able, set aside some money for unexpected home repairs and maintenance costs. Planning ahead is much easier than scrambling to pay for an emergency repair.

6. Understand Your Home Warranty

If your home came with a home warranty, take time to understand what it covers, what it doesn’t cover, and how to submit a claim.

Home warranty coverage varies by contract, so familiarize yourself with its terms, limitations, exclusions, and service requirements. For example, UPKEEP’s home warranties are unique in that we include four annual maintenance visits, so claims are never denied for lack of maintenance.

7. Keep Important Home Records Organized

Create a file (digital or physical) for important home documents. Items like your closing documents, insurance plan, home warranty information, appliances manuals, repair receipts, maintenance records, contractor information, etc. should be kept organized and safe. 

8. Learn Your Home’s Seasonal Maintenance Needs

Your home needs different types of attention throughout the year, especially here around St. Louis where each season brings new harsh weather. You may need to prepare your HVAC system for extreme temperatures, keep your gutters clean, inspect your roof, and maintain your home’s exterior. Create a seasonal checklist!

9. Know When to Call a Professional

Not every home repair is a DIY project. Electrical work, major plumbing problems, HVAC repairs, structural issues, and other complicated projects may require a qualified professional. Knowing your limits can help you avoid making a small problem worse, and help you and your family stay safe! We highly recommend our local partners at Mister Fix-It.

10. Be Proactive About Protecting Your Home

Don’t wait for something to break before taking care of it. Appropriate home warranty coverage helps you protect your home and prepare for the inevitable.

Make Homeownership Easy With UPKEEP

UPKEEP combines preventive home maintenance and home warranty protection to give homeowners a more proactive way to care for their homes. With a personal Home Manager helping coordinate maintenance, track important system and appliance information, and arrange repairs, staying on top of homeownership can be easy.

Learn how UPKEEP can help you maintain and protect your home by clicking here.

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