Home Ownership Responsibilities
Whether you are purchasing a new or used home, ask for all the
warrantees and operating manuals for your home's materials and appliances.
Caring for a home is part of the joy and pride of home ownership.
Taking care of your home properly will help retain and even increase
its value. Some maintenance tips include:
- Changing heating and air conditioning filters at least once
a month.
Tip: If you prefer, you can invest in good quality filters that
last longer.
- Checking your water heater and cleaning it at least once a
year.
- Checking your roof for leaks and cleaning gutters at least
once per month.
- Calling a plumber once a year to check your faucets and toilets.
- Changing the batteries of your smoke detector twice a year.
Internet Field Trip
Home maintenance tasks change depending on the time of year. You
can find schedules that show you which items to maintain in your
home throughout the year. Follow the steps to view two of these
schedules.
Directions
- Click the Schedule
1 link. You will see a home maintenance
fact sheet on the Ohio State University Web site.
- Scroll to view the tasks for each season.
- Click the File menu on your Web browser and select
Print.
- Print the pages for your schedule or make your own
using this one as a model.
- Click the Schedule
2 link. This will display a schedule
published by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
- Note the tasks that are different in this list for each season.
- Click the Close box to return to the course.
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Basic Home Maintenance Tips
Enrolling in a home maintenance workshop at a local hardware store
such as Home Depot or Lowe's can give you the confidence to make
your own repairs or improvements. These classes can be very instructive.
They may offer discount cards or coupons on purchases in their store.
Check your local government agencies. Some offer
financial assistance programs that pay for maintenance expenses.
Next you'll explore what to do if your home is damaged and
you need to file an insurance claim.
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