So you’re moving into your own home. Congratulations!
Home ownership can be a great way to build equity in yourself. Home repair and DIY can be an enjoyable, money-saving pastime. Or perhaps you just want a dry place to sleep that you don’t need to think about.
Here is a quick guide.
(Note: *none* of these links are affiliate links. I don’t care about making money. I am just linking to an example for some items so you can see what I am talking about or learn more)
Step 1: Initial House Check
Just moved in, or moving in soon? Your Top Priority is safety. Look at these first:
Core Safety
Check your smoke detectors.
If you push the button do they go off? They should. Check if you have the battery type or if they are wired into your house. Replace the batteries if needed, with NON-rechargeable alkaline batteries. This ensures they will have enough power to sound off.
Have at least one smoke detector per floor. No messing around. Fire and CO can kill you.
Splurge for the high-quality smoke detectors that do two different types of detecting - both photoelectric and ionization. They cost around $60 at most hardware stores.
Get a Carbon Monoxide detector. One per floor and/or one in each bedroom. These can be plugin-type with battery backup. Should last 10 years. If you have a fireplace you'll want a CO detector nearby too.
Do you have fire extinguishers? Get one for each floor. You can buy these at the hardware store. Make sure everyone in the house knows where they sit.
Change the locks. You want a qualified locksmith to change all of the locks and issue you a new set of keys. Some realtors will add this service for free as part of buying the house. If this didn’t happen when you moved in, do it now. You never know who has a key to the old house.
Find your water and gas shutoffs. Locate the levers that shut off water and gas flowing into your house. If you need to prevent flooding, it’s useful to know how to turn off the water. For natural gas lines - you can buy a fancy aluminum tool to shut off the line safely. But the normal procedure is: get out of the house, then call the fire department.
Fire Safety
Does your dryer exhaust send air outside of the house? Turn on your dryer. Go outside and check that the hot air is coming out of the vent. If not, get that fixed.
Metal dryer duct. The dryer vent (the flap on the outside of the house) and duct (the tube on the inside) should be made of metal, _not_ plastic. Ideally you have a short, rigid duct with minimum bends and elbows, but some houses use semi-rigid metal. They also need to be attached and sealed with _metal_ foil tape, *NOT* duct tape. If your dryer vent uses grey vinyl duct tape, that should get replaced.
You can buy metal “ring clamps” or “worm clamps” to hold the duct pieces together. Don't use screws in a dryer duct; that catches lint and can create a fire hazard.
Clean out your dryer lint trap after each dryer load
Once per year (or spring and fall) - clean out your dryer duct with a vacuum and/or cleaning brush. You can hire a furnace company to do this but it's easy to do yourself.
First Aid
Get a first aid kit. You should have some first aid supplies in your house - bandaids, and some over-the-counter pain medicine. The most comprehensive list I have found is on this emergency preparedness website. (bias disclaimer: I post there sometimes). Ideally - plan to take a first aid class.
Removing Water
Longer Downspouts. When it rains, does water leave your property and head away from the house? That’s good. If not: add rigid or curvy extensions on your downspouts to drain water farther away from your property. Water is the enemy; keep it away.
Sump Pump. If you have a basement, does it have a sump? This is a hole below the basement floor, where water collects on purpose. The pump’s job is to push that water out and away, usually through a hose coming out the side of your house.
You want to hook it up in the spring, and unhook in the fall
Get something at least 1/3 Horsepower or more
Urgent Inspection Items
Review the home inspection. Did your house get an inspection before you bought it? You should. These can often contain a helpful list of items that need fixing. Review to see if anything is urgent. For example - if your furnace or hot water heater were reported to have open, unsafe combustion, fix that right away.
Now you’ve covered the main items so your house can stay safe, standing, and dry.
Step 2: Don’t Panic. Relax. It’s Not A Sprint.
Fixing and maintaining a house takes time. You won’t be fixing everything on your list in one day, one week, one month, or even one year. Don’t panic. Be easy on yourself. Once you have the initial safety items checked, above, consider everything below this as optional. You may take months, years, or longer to do all of the items you want or get to all of the fixes. But you also need to take time and enjoy yourself.
If you know someone with a very nice house, or a wide collection of tools, it likely took them years or literally decades to get there. Don’t worry about comparing yourself to others, or feel that you need to “keep up with the Joneses”. Every house is different. But this one is yours. You can make it something that you love.
Items For Later
Find and label your breaker box. Your home should have an electrical “breaker box” with a number of switches. These can be used to turn off electricity to different parts of the house - e.g. if you need to fix or replace something. Check and make sure you know where this is, so you can shut off power if needed. Also - do the switches have labels? If not, consider spending an hour on a lazy Saturday labeling them. Turn on all of the lights in the house. Then one at a time - turn off each switch and note which corresponding lights or appliances turn off. Label that breaker switch so you know what it controls.
Frost-proof garden hose faucets / hose bibs. If you live in a climate where the temperature drops below freezing, check that your garden hose spigots (also called "hose bibs") are the "frost proof" type. These have an extra valve or screw cap on top to allow water to drain, and prevent them from freezing. Regardless - be sure to unhook your garden hose before winter.
Test for radon. Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can cause lung cancer. It can be present anywhere in the earth’s crust, but when we dig basements and don’t design the airflow it can collect and stay in our house. If you have a basement and spend time there it’s worth testing for radon. You may even want to get a radon test before you purchase a house.
Gifts To Your Future Self
Create “The Document”
Create one doc and keep all of your account numbers and contact numbers inside.
Now that you own a home, you may start collecting all kinds of accounts and numbers - home insurance, property taxes, serial numbers on appliances, etc. To stay organized, create one document or folder and keep everything there, in one place. I created a Google Doc and shared it with my spouse - all of the account numbers and contact phone numbers go inside. Then when we need to call insurance, the vet, etc. It’s all there. I print the first page and tack it to the fridge (comment or email me if you want a copy of the template).
I also organize my passwords in a password manager - BitWarden. It’s free, open source, and helps me stay much more organized while keeping my passwords secure.
City or Utility Services
If you live in a city, check if they offer free or cheap services to assess and fix your house, such as:
Exterior drainage inspection, to see if the land is sloped and water drains away correctly.
Sewer drain inspection - to check for old tree roots and clear them out of your drain pipes. Depending on the city and age of your house, this may involve a drain rooter, herbicide, or other options.
Furnace or fireplace cleaning and inspection. Often the city or utility company will visit your home for free and clean your fireplace pilot light, check your furnace burner, or otherwise make sure your combustion heating devices are working correctly.
Property Taxes
Depending where you live, property taxes may be paid as part of your mortgage, or directly to the city or county. Call your mortgage company to check. If you pay the city directly (which may be cheaper) you can often sign up to pay monthly bills instead of one large annual bil. This means a smaller bill to deal with, which may be easier.
Upgrades to Reduce Your Bills + Utilities
Low-flow taps. I installed "ultra low-flow" aerators (0.5 GPM) on the ends of our faucet taps. Usually $10 or less at hardware stores. These cut our water usage by 30%. Probably the best return-for-money item I’ve installed in the house.
You may need teflon tape ($0.50 cents) and some pliers to install them
Low-flow showerhead. Can also reduce your water use a lot. 2.5 GPM or less; they can get down to 1.5 GPM.
LED bulbs. Do you need/want to replace old-style bulbs with these? Home depot sells packs of LED bulbs. These can make a big difference in your electricity bill if you are converting from old-style incandescents.
Curtains + blinds for all windows, to keep warmer in winter, cooler in summer
Ikea sells cellular blinds / honeycomb blinds that work well, so long as the windows are standard sizes. Honeycomb blinds create a pocket of air for added insulation.
Sink faucet seals. Check if your sinks have silicone caulking around the base of the faucet. You can get a $6 tube of this at the hardware store. Prevents water from leaking down below the sink.
Some insurance companies will give you a discount if you pay your bill yearly instead of monthly. This can require budgeting. Call and ask if they offer a discount for yearly payments.
Maintenance
Budgeting for House Maintenance. Some places tout a “rule of thumb” to expect spending 1% of your house’s value on maintenance each year. We have spent about $100/month, on average, fixing stuff on the house. Some years it has been higher.
One method: Put aside $20/month to save up a "fix house things" supply of cash.
I can bet that something will break at some point.
But I don't know what, or when.
When something does happen, I can use this stack of savings to help pay for it.
This helps you to “keep moving forward” with finances, rather than constantly getting knocked back by repairs
Even if your "fixit" fund doesn't cover the whole repair, it's always better than nothing.
This can roll into budgeting to start an Emergency Fund if you like personal finance
Furnace filters - change these every 1-3 months, depending on wear. You can also use a finer filter in the summer (e.g. MERV 9) when there is more pollen in the air, and a coarser filter (e.g. MERV 6) in the winter, to reduce the load on your furnace when it may be running more often.
Furnace duct cleaning - *NOT* usually needed (unless you find mold, rodents, or pests). If you have a forced-air furnace, many HVAC and furnace companies will tell you that you should have your furnace ducts cleaned every 2-5 years. However, the EPA does *not* recommend regularly cleaning your ducts:
Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems.
If no one in your household suffers from allergies or unexplained symptoms or illnesses and .. [you do not see] large deposits of mold .. having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary.
EPA does .. recommend that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove or fireplace, they be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.Here is another article from Bob Villa.
If the home is especially dirty or questionable, perhaps have the duct system cleaned right after you move in.Eavestrough - hire some company to clean them out, yearly. Stay safe; don't work from heights.
Here is a decent house maintenance checklist from reddit. I could probably do a post on this topic.
Tools
Do you want to get into DIY repairs? This can be a fun skill to learn, or a way to save money. Sometimes a quick easy fix you can do yourself can save you hundreds of $$ dollars not calling a repair person.
I prefer to “buy once, cry once”, and pay for one quality tool - like a drill - rather than buying the cheapest model which ends up wearing out.
Tools you might want.
Quality drill + battery. In my house - all screw holes are pre-drilled to avoid splitting the wooden studs. Any tall or heavy furniture - e.g. dressers, book cases - gets attached to a stud.
Studfinder - to help locate those studs
Measuring tape
Screwdriver
Eye protection glasses
Earplugs
Wrench set + pliers
Headlamp flashlight
Plunger. Buy it before you need it
Lower priority tools - get as needed
Dust mask / Respirator mask - I use this whenever I'm working with paint, sawdust, sweeping the garage, etc.
Assortment of screws
Hammer, nails
Monkey wrench - for the big stubborn stuff
Security
Replace all of the short screws in your door hinges with longer, 2.5" or 3.5" screws. I had to buy a long drill bit to be able to do this properly. Default door screws suck, and may break off easily if someone tries to force their way into your home.
Door Armor - I spent $200 and installed these metal reinforcement kits around our front and back doors.
Other
Fire safe - for documents + backup hard drive. Offsite backup is important too.
Sewer backflow valve. If you are in the city - does your house have one? These are usually at the lowest spot in the drainage, right before the sewer pipes leave your house. There may be an access hatch in your basement. Good to have to prevent sewer backups from getting into your place.
Your local library may even have a “home energy audit kit” with e.g. thermal camera for spotting poor insulation, a Kill-A-Watt style power usage meter, air quality monitor, etc.
House Insurance
You should get house insurance. The price will probably go up every year. But it's better than not having coverage. One way to fight rising prices is to call around every year before renewal and ask for a quote from several competing companies. Then play the best one against your current company to see if they will match or lower the rate.
Insurance videos
It is helpful to have videos of your stuff, to prove you have your stuff. If you ever need to make an insurance claim, this will help immensely.
Once per year, go into each room and take a video while you slowly pan around the room. State the date, and list all of the things that you see as you pan. Then save the videos some place safe.
Here is a top-rated post on Reddit Personal Finance from an ex-insurance adjuster, describing the best way to list the features of your stuff and make a claim. These videos really help with that.
Long-Term Upgrades
Larger items that can cost more, but help a lot. Long-term dreams to budget for.
Air sealing - Sealing the gaps, cracks, and other areas where air or creatures can get into your house is usually one of the most cost-effective improvements you can make to reduce your heating/cooling bills, and keep your house more comfortable. This usually involves spending a few $ hundred on sealing tape, foil tape, caulking, and cans of expanding spray foam. This is worth a post all on it's own (stay tuned, I might write one). "Breathing houses" is an old, incorrect myth: your house does not need to breathe.
If you want more info on air-sealing:
Here is a blog post from a building science expert with a PHD who says "don't bother insulating until after you air-seal first".
energy.gov has a visual map of locations to check for air-sealing
The PNNL site has many guides for specific areas, and a 40 page PDF.
Attic insulation. Depending on your climate, this is one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can do to keep your house cooler in the summer _and_ warmer in the winter. It’s passive, so it works all the time and doesn’t need power. You may need to work to find a quality attic contractor. You want to air-seal all of the gaps and spaces first with sealing tape, caulking, or spray foam before you add insulation.
Battery-powered, backup sump pump. This can give you peace-of-mind that your basement will not flood even when the power goes out and you are away from home. Hire a plumber to do it properly with connecting valves etc.
Storm doors, front and back. I installed these myself. These only technically give about R1 insulation, but they stop the cold, cold wind in the winter time.
Pro tip: If you install multiple storm doors, measure the widths of all of your house doors first, *before* driving to the hardware store. Because your doors may be different widths. If you measure one door and then assume they are both the same, you might make it all the way home with two doors, screw the first side of the storm door into the wall, and then suddenly discover it doesn't fit, and smashes closed, hanging 6" too far across your door frame. Ask me how I know.
Good Luck
All-in-all, turning your house into your home can be a fun, rewarding experience. Sure, things break, and sometimes it seems like there is always another item to fix. But don’t sweat it - you’re building your life and creating a great place to live. Enjoy it.
Good luck!
Other Resources
Book: “Black and Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair”. Check your local library.
Book: “Renovation”, by Michael Litchfeld. If you get into serious changes or upgrades. Check your local library.
YouTube - HomeImprovements channel . Very knowledgeable about DIY and fixes. You can find many fixing tutorials on youtube.
Edits and Thanks
Credit and thank you to VaccineMachine for the correction and link to the detailed EPA article on cleaning air ducts. I fell for the hype and always thought that forced-air furnace ducts needed to be cleaned. Apparently not, unless you specifically find mold, rodents, or other pests. Thank you for the correction!
Thank you to foodlover516 and CrasyMike for discussions on air sealing and when it may be useful or cost effective. This spurred me to do additional research which led to more supportive links and references.
Thank you to DTra1n- for noting that “Find your gas and water shutoffs” should be inside the initial house check, not something left for later.