As a first time homeowner what are some routine maintenance tasks I should be doing?

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1. Clean your gutters twice a year, spring and fall. Check your fire alarms every month. Change your furnace filter every 3 months. Flush your water heater tank out every fall. Get a furnace inspection every summer/fall. Use drain catchers to prevent hair going down your sink drains. Keep your yard clean. Check your attic every once and a while if your roof is older.

   This stuff goes a long way in terms of preventive care. Hope this helps!

   Edit: i’m on my first house and these are tips i’ve learned. My house was a money pit unfortunately and i’ve used these tips to help keep things neat and in good shape.

2. Changing air filters? Like in the kitchen hob or something?

3. Pile up short slopes of dirt slanted away from your house; around the perimeter of your house

   Keeps your foundation happy and water free

4. Get an annual termite inspection.

5. Clean your clothes dryer vent/duct before your house burns down. Seriously.

6. Tradesman here. Pour boiling water down your kitchen sink drain every now and then. Change the air filters for your AC unit every 3 months. Buy the cheap ones.

7. If sometime breaks, fix it. I’ve bought too many houses where the last homeowner didn’t fix jack, although it also means I got a better deal on the house and seller left money into he table. Try and do the work yourself (YouTube is your friend…you are more capable than you think)!

8. Gardening.

   Mowing the lawn. Pruning the trees. Watering the plants.

   Once a blue moon check the gutters. (Depending on the situation)

9. Clean out your dryer lint pipe at least 2 times a year, check your outlets and listen for a squealing sound, (that can mean a damaged wire,) check for bug nests behind furniture that hasn’t been moved in a while, and test your fire alarms at least once every month.

   Also, if your house has an attic, go up and check on the wood. Also, get an inspection done on your pipes every now and again.

10. Beware of a broke bitch nestler .. don’t have a pull out couch..

11. Make sure your roof is in good condition and there are no loose places where the exterior paneling could get pulled by by rats or squirrels or raccoons. You do not want wildlife moving into your roof or attic.

12. Put together a house cleaning planner.

    You don’t have to clean everything every week but if you do a bit each week and then a deeper clean every month you will stay on top of it. E.g. this week vacuum and mop, next week dust and kitchen, week after vacuum and bathroom etc.

    For the deeper clean you will be doing things like wiping out the oven, dusting light fittings, cleaning windows etc.

    Make sure you have a tool kit and spares like tap washers, light bulbs, fuses etc.

    Make sure you know how to isolate gas, power, water etc.

13. Get regular termite inspections and treatments, especially if you live in the Southeast USA.

14. Following!