home owners - please share your must-do-chores

[lmh2402]

so...dh and i are kind of sucking a bit at owning a house

we were much better condo owners. we payed our maintenance like nobody's business

but this whole you-have-to-notice or plan-for-it AND then-take-care-of-it business of a house... has us floundering

he went flying down the back steps today because
1. we were apparently out of salt and the steps were icy
2. they were overly icy b/c we apparently have water leaking from a gutter above and it drips on the step and then freezes
3. the steps also apparently need to be replaced...they seem to be rotting a bit

SO... i guess we should have noticed that bit about the rot, done something about our gutters...and bought more salt

lessons learned

but i would like to create a list moving forward of the things you have to do / watch for in a house (particularly an old one)

i'm sure there is stuff people do on a weekly, monthly, seasonal, yearly basis... so what? and when? (indoor and out, please)

for example, getting gutters cleaned? what is the right season to do that? how often?

here's another question, were we supposed to not let the hose freeze in the big loop hung around a post of the fence like that? i have a feeling we weren't supposed to do that. i asked dh and he said, "why? i think it will be fine..." but i am thinking maybe it's bad for the hose? maybe we should have detached it and put in the garage once it was winter and we weren't hosing things anymore.

anyway, thanks for any/all tips

[Pinky]

Glad you started this thread because we need help too. It's a little overwhelming.

About the hose... I do know that you are never supposed to leave them attached to the faucet in freezing temps. (but ask me if mine is! LOL)

[mommylamb]

here's another question, were we supposed to not let the hose freeze in the big loop hung around a post of the fence like that? i have a feeling we weren't supposed to do that. i asked dh and he said, "why? i think it will be fine..." but i am thinking maybe it's bad for the hose? maybe we should have detached it and put in the garage once it was winter and we weren't hosing things anymore.

You should be able to turn off the water to those outside hoses. We do it before it gets cold enough where the water would freeze.

We pay for a service that comes by annually to clean/service the furnace/HVAC system.

We don't do our gutters, but we have no trees high enough to cause a problem.

Change those panels in your heating system from time to time.

There are lots of things that one should do that we haven't, like, have your dryer vents cleaned, clean out your dishwasher for any gunk (I really need to do this), and I'm sure lots of other things. We kind of suck at homeownership too.

[Pinky]

Oh yes, air filters are a big one! We try to keep on top of that but I think you're supposed to do it super often, like once a month. Suppose it depends on many factors.

You're also supposed to inspect or change the hoses on your washer every so many years I think.

[minnie-zb]

Some of what you are talking about depends on where you live and the kind of weather you have.

Are you friends with any of your neighbors? If yes, I would be honest with them and ask them to help you learn about taking care of your house and property. I say this, because I know everyone is a first-time homeowner at some point and people can really relate. Asking neighbors can also help you build your network and sense of community.

[lmh2402]

ok, so air filters would be for the central AC, yes?

i will make a note to call those people and make sure they are coming in the spring to get us ready for the season

so...what happens if the hose is not detached from the outside faucet?

we actually had a plumber here in the fall for something and he asked if we needed our boiler serviced

and dh...god love him... said, "probably. we actually don't know which of those big box things in the basement is the boiler. the boiler is what gives you hot water, right?"

the plumber was horrified. i was horrified. b/c though i am as ignorant as DH, i would pretend to the plumber that i knew something more.

ETA: minnie, we're in the northeast...nj to be state-specific. we haven't really made friends with any of the neighbors b/c...i don't know why. we moved in right when kids went back to school. and people seemed to start staying inside more. who knows...that's a whole 'nother thread. but i will see if i can find someone around here to ask. that's a good idea. thanks

[geochick]

Yard care (lawn and trees, including fertilizer, trimming, weeding, etc.) - monthly

Paint upkeep (inside and out) - yearly

Smoke alarm batteries - 2x/year

Lightbulbs - constant

Furnace filters - monthly

Dryer vents - every few years

Carpet cleaning - every few years

Wood floor polishing - professional every 5-10yrs

Snow removal - winter

Fence maintenance - every few years

A/C and furnace tune-ups - yearly

Earthquake insurance - constant

Other insurance

Window cleaning - yearly

Holiday light hanging - yearly

Plumbing issues - ya never know

Is this they type of stuff you're looking for?

[lmh2402]

geo, yes!

what a furnace filter? we haven't done anything about anything related to the furnace since moving in in sept

so we are behind

do i call a plumber? can we do it ourselves?

[cvanbrunt]

If don't already, be sure to get a subscription to Angie's List.

[indigo99]

Oh yes, air filters are a big one! We try to keep on top of that but I think you're supposed to do it super often, like once a month. .

We do ours every 3 months. DH writes the date on the filter when he puts it in so that we know how old it is by looking at it. If you use some sort of calendar online then you can put a reminder on there to pop up and tell you when it needs changed. We also have the heat/air checked and serviced once a year.

We can't turn off the water to our outside faucets, but we do take off the hoses and attach one of those insulated covers in the winter (found at Target, Walmart, Home Depot etc).

The gutters will vary depending on whether you have leaves falling in them. We had to clean them at our old house several times each fall as they filled up with leaves. They're usually OK the rest of the year.

Depending on where you live, you might want to have someone come out and check for termites in your basement/crawl space once a year or so. If someone finds evidence of them though, do NOT trust them. Always get 3 or 4 opinions as those guys are so dishonest (I was told by 3 places that I had termites when I didn't). Better yet, if your house isn't already protected then have termidor applied. It forms a protective barrier around the foundation. The little trap things out in the yard are pretty useless and expensive as they only tell you if there may be termites nearby and there are always termites nearby. That doesn't mean that they're bothering your house. You could also have them in the house and not have them messing with the little monitors in the yard.

DH checks the attic for signs of leaks once in a while after or during a good rain.

Mainly, you just take care of things as they crop up though. There's always SOMETHING needing fixed. We stained our back deck last year to help protect it. This year we need to replace the banisters on the front porch since they're showing some water damage.