Immediate Maintenance for a New Home
Secure Your New Home
Depending on your comfort level and the sophistication of your new home’s deadbolts, changing the locks is a smart consideration when you move in. You never know how many keys the previous owner gave out during their tenure. This ensures that no one besides you and your family has access to your home. The same goes for garage entry codes and alarm codes.
Do a thorough check throughout the home, from your attic to your basement to make sure there are no entry or exit points that are unsecure. This is helpful to keep unwanted visitors out and keep kids and pets safe inside.
- Change locks
- Change alarm codes
- Change garage door codes
- Check for unknown access points
Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Before your first night in your new home, test that all your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Replace any batteries and if the devices themselves seem damaged or very old (yellowed plastic), consider investing in newer models.
- Test the smoke detectors
- Test the carbon monoxide detectors
Change Filters
You don’t really know how well a home is maintained until you move in. Change the air filters and any water filters when you move in. This gives you a firm date of when it was last done, and it sets you up for success with a regular maintenance schedule. Plug in a reminder on your phone calendar to make the switch based on the filter’s recommended replacement timeline.
- Replace air filters
- Replace water filters
Find Emergency Shut Off Valves
Just in case of an emergency, it’s smart to know where your gas line is and how to quickly turn off your water valves and power via your circuit breakers. Some repairs also require cutting water, power, etc. to the work area.
- Know where your circuit breaker is
- Know how to cut off the water supply/valves
- Check your water heater’s temp setting
- Locate your gas lines if applicable
- Test your sump pump
Home Maintenance in the First Few Months
Don’t get too settled until you check these home maintenance tasks off your to-do list.
Paint
Before you start unpacking boxes, paint any rooms that you want to change. Not everyone gets the chance to paint before moving into a new home, but it’s so much easier to do it before you get settled. Prioritize rooms that get the most use first so you can get unpacked faster.
- Choose new paint colors
- Repaint the rooms you want to update
Deep Clean Forgotten Areas
Giving these areas a thorough cleaning makes your home really feel like it’s your own. Plus, they have the bonus of making these appliances and areas of your home more functional.
- Get your chimney cleaned
- Deep clean your refrigerator
- Deep clean the microwave
- Deep clean the oven
- Deep clean the dishwasher
- Clean off fan blades
- Clean the washing machine and dryer (lint trap)
- Clean light switch plates and windows
- Use a carpet cleaner to deep clean the carpets
- Deep clean faucet filters and shower heads
Create a Maintenance Schedule
As you’re completing all these new tasks around your home it’s important to write down when they were last completed so you can come up with a maintenance schedule. While most cleaning tasks should be done as needed, it’s helpful to schedule yourself reminders on when filters need to be changed, the septic system might need maintenance, or when you last tested your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Digital or handwritten, use whatever organizational method words best for your lifestyle.
- Create a maintenance schedule by month
Assess the Exterior of Your Home
Walk your property and look at the yard and exterior of your home. Beyond looking for problem areas, you’ll get a better idea of the maintenance outside too. From looking for dead trees to testing the sturdiness of your patio bricks, it’s important to know what needs to be done.
- Look for dead trees that might need to be removed
- Check that the gutters are clear and properly attached
- Check that pavers and patio bricks are properly in place
- Look to see if your deck needs to be re-stained
- See if the siding needs to be soft washed
- Look for any hazardous tools or materials left from previous owners
- Check for any plants that are unsafe for kids and pets if applicable
- Check windows for rot
Why Is New Home Maintenance Important?
Yes, you just did a home inspection. But a home inspector can’t and won’t catch every problem. Once you move into a new home, approaching it with a plan and organization makes your future in this house so much brighter. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, prioritize safety related to-dos and leave aesthetics for later.