What to prioritize as a new homeowner

What to prioritize as a new homeowner

June is National Homeownership Month, so we’re celebrating all things about owning a home! If you’ve just bought a home, you might be wondering what to prioritize or what to really look at as you get settled. Here are some things you will want to think about:

-Detector check: Chances are, you won’t be able to sleep well at night if you don’t feel safe. So, start off by checking your smoke detectors. Do they go off when you push the button? Replace the batteries if needed. Add more detectors if necessary—there should be at least one per floor. Is there a carbon monoxide detector in the house? Again, there should be at least one per floor, and near the fireplace if you have one. Do you have fire extinguishers? If so, do a check on them (find information here) and make sure everyone in the family knows where they are (you guessed it—you should have at least one per floor).

-Security: Change the locks. You don’t know who has a key to the house from previous owners, so get the locks changed as soon as possible and set up any security systems you want added. You may also want to reset any garage door openers and re-key any keypads.

-Go exploring: Check every single corner of your home. Go up to the attic or crawlspace and down into the basement. Check for leaks, bugs, mold, and anything else that doesn’t look right.

-Review the inspection report: Check out your inspection report. While some people advise not taking on any big projects during the first 12-18 months of homeownership, you’ll want to address any major issues that came up during the inspection. Use this time to create a maintenance plan to fix the things that came up on the report.

These are the biggest tasks to tackle as you step into home ownership. If you need help with these or any other home repairs, give Hunter Handyman Services a call at (815) 780-7884 for more information and a free estimate.