By the time all the paperwork is signed and you move into your home, you’re ready to relax and settle in. But before you get too comfortable, remember to plan financially for its long-term care.
Your home is one of the most valuable, important purchases you’ll make over the course of your life. Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or have been through the process before, you need to understand the responsibilities associated with owning a home.
Regular maintenance is one of these responsibilities. To protect your investment and make it safe, comfortable and functional for years to come, you should learn about basic repairs and preventative annual home maintenance tasks.
Giving your home regular TLC will help keep its various components working at an optimal performance level.
Home maintenance doesn’t need to be overwhelming. While there are many elements to understand and take care of, it’s manageable if you have a home upkeep checklist in place. Even if you’ve been in your home a few years without a checklist, you can create and implement one now.
To help, we’ve created this guide. Inside, you’ll find information relating to:
The importance of home maintenance
Plumbing and water system maintenance
Furnace and HVAC systems
Preventing and addressing specific problems
Seasonal outdoor maintenance
Improvements that increase your home’s value
You’ll also find a home maintenance checklist, first-time homeowner tips, and other critical information that’ll help you maintain the value of your home. Regular care can prevent some unexpected repair costs.
Owning a home should be a rewarding experience. This guide is designed to help make that possible.
When it comes to purchasing or maintaining your home, it’s our goal to meet your financial needs while providing you with competitive rates and few, if any, fees.
In addition, our financial education platform, WalletWorks, is a resource for members and non-members alike that offers money management tools that can help you learn how to save for a future home purchase or your home’s maintenance and repair.
If your home is in need of repairs or improvements, a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) or Real Estate Equity (REE) Loan, may be an option. Home equity credit can help with repairs for major systems or general home improvement updates and expansion — check out chapter nine for ideas.
Download all chapters as a PDF.