Buying your first home is exciting. But for many, it also marks an introduction to the necessities of home maintenance. Get a head start with this need-to-know guide for practical tips, interior design advice, step-by-step instruction and other ways to protect your investment for years to come.
Keeping your home in good working condition can head off bigger issues down the road. There’s lots to do, but don’t get overwhelmed. A little upkeep each season goes a long way.
Before winter arrives, shutoff and drain exterior faucets—even if they’re frost free. Frozen plumbing lines can burst and cause major damage. If you have an underground sprinkler system, be sure to clear it too.
If you have someone to spot you on a ladder, give your roof a thorough inspection. Use roof adhesive to fix any lifting shingles and metal flashing of the roof valley. Also check the caulking around protrusions such as roof vents and skylights. Uncomfortable with heights? Consult a professional inspector.
Lint buildup in your dryer can start a fire. Inspect the dryer vent monthly—and clear the lint trap after every use. Check the furnace vent too. If it’s blocked by ice or debris, potentially lethal carbon monoxide can accumulate inside your home.
Strong winds can bring down branches and even uproot unhealthy trees. Look at tree roots and trunk for signs of decay like deep cracks and missing bark. Prune dead or broken branches, especially on mature trees.
In spring and fall, clear leaves and debris from eavestroughs to prevent clogging. Ensure downspouts extend at least two metres from your home, and that the ground slopes to lead water away from your foundation.
Change furnace filters seasonally—every three months—to keep your home’s air cleaner and reduce wear and tear on furnace motors. In bathrooms, help keep your fans running well by clearing away dust from the exhaust covers. Since Manitoba has mineral-rich hard water, it’s also smart to annually descale or replace filters inside water softeners.
Check that the fiberglass batt or blown-in insulation in your attic has not become matted down: Compressed insulation loses its effectiveness. Ensure there’s good airflow from rafter baffles and vents to help prevent condensation buildup.
Heavy rainfall can cause flooding in unprotected basements. Make sure your sump pump is working properly; ensure it has power and the backup battery is charged. In older homes, prevent the nightmare of a sewer-line backup by having a pro install a backwater valve.
Upgrade to combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Test them monthly, change the batteries annually and replace each unit 10 years from the date of manufacture (listed on the back or side of the alarm). Keep a fire extinguisher handy and check its charge too.
Check caulking and weather stripping around windows and doors—and replace if necessary. Sealing drafts helps boost the effectiveness of your HVAC system, lowering your heating and cooling costs.
Proper caulking around window frames, shower stalls and baseboards can stop drafts, bugs and water damage.
Pick your caulking: latex for interior trim and small cracks; paintable, no-shrink polyurethane for siding, windows and doors; antimicrobial silicon for kitchens and bathrooms.
Remove old caulk with a utility knife or razor. Use a wet rag to clean out dust, debris and grease. Allow area to dry.
Cut caulking tube nozzle at a 45-degree angle and load into good-quality caulking gun.
Apply pressure to get a bead flowing. Move slowly but consistently, pushing caulk into cracks and joints.
Smooth caulk with a wet finger, wiping excess with a damp rag.
Interior design tips to beautify your blank canvas.
Your new home will likely be your life’s biggest investment, so it’s vital to protect it with insurance—and to know what your insurance covers.
Typically, home insurance policies cover you on a replacement-cost basis for sudden, accidental losses. So if a tree falls on your roof, you’d make an insurance claim to cover the damages. On the other hand, insurance doesn’t cover problems due to lack of maintenance: You won’t have a claim if your roof leaks because the shingles are in bad shape.
Get familiar with your policy’s exclusions as well— i.e. those things that are not covered. Talking to an insurance broker is a good way to find opportunities to add coverage to fill any gaps in your policy.
It makes sense to re-evaluate your home insurance annually, and update it if necessary. Contact your insurance broker when undertaking a substantial renovation: You might need to increase your coverage to reflect changes to your property.
Likewise, if you’ll be away from home for an extended period of time, or if you want to rent out a portion (or all) of it, your policy may need to be adjusted.
Even if you have robust coverage, it’s smart to keep an emergency fund and budget for anticipated maintenance—especially bigger-ticket fixes such as roof repairs.
If you’re in an older home, you may need to factor in costs for replacing leak-prone polybutylene piping and aluminum electrical wiring, and eliminating asbestos, which can be present in drywall compound or vinyl flooring of houses built before 1990.
It’s important to schedule yearly tune-ups of your heating and cooling system. Matthew Zivanov, general manager at Reliance Home Comfort, explains why.
Jennifer Queen, a Winnipeg-based Re/Max Professionals realtor, offers intel on what to know before you buy.
We saw a significant increase in buyer demand in 2021, due to the after-effects of the pandemic market. It’s still a seller’s market—with lower inventory and a healthy number of active buyers because of low interest rates.
Get pre-approved for a mortgage to establish your budget. Then make a wish list: What features are non-negotiable and which are flexible? Are you willing to take on any renovations? When you’re ready, interview a few realtors. Finding a home is usually a marathon, not a sprint. You want to work with someone who you know has your best interests at heart.
If you renovate with reselling in mind, focus on design choices that will appeal to the majority of potential buyers. House hunters want to increase their living space, so boosting usable space—like finishing a basement—will go a long way.
