When it comes to home ownership, it requires investment of time and money to take care of your home. Doing regular maintenance will go a long way to saving you money and reducing your level of stress. We have put together a list of 8 things every new homeowner should do within the 1st year.
Change the Furnace Filters When you first move into your home, change your furnace filter and then every three months after that. If this hasn't been done in a while it can impact the air flow and can cause the the furnace to wear out prematurely.
Let Some Fresh Air In If you want to improve your indoor air quality, open the windows and let the fresh air in. Create a cross breeze by opening two windows on opposite sides of a room, letting out indoor air pollutants. Ideally, 15 to 20 minutes of fresh air a day will significantly improves air quality.
Clean Those Ducts Getting your air ducts cleaned is a good idea when you are moving into a new home. Air ducts require proper cleaning and maintenance to perform at their best and keeping ducts free of dust and debris may help reduce your energy bill.
Clean Your Dryer Exhaust The dryer exhaust duct may become clogged over time and this will reduce the performance and efficiency of the dryer and will be reflected on your utility bill.
Check Smoke Alarms & CO Detectors It is important to test all smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors and make sure they are in proper working order. They should be located on every floor and outside sleeping areas.
Install LED Lights Installing LED lights throughout your home is a smart thing to do. With LED lights you will witness a 60-75% improvement in energy efficiency. Some benefits include a long lifespan, ability to operate in cold conditions, no heat or UV emissions, design flexibility, low voltage operation and having dimming capabilities.
Install a Surge Protector In the event of a power surge, having installed a surge protector can help minimize damage to new state-of-the-art appliances. This simple step can divert any unusually high surges, diverting the energy and avoiding damages such as a fire.
Change the Locks to Digital Why not go digital! Some advantages are you can unlock and lock your door using your phone, no need to carry keys, it will improve on security, you can authorize multiple people simultaneously and they are easy to reset.
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