Owning your own home is quite the achievement, but is only the beginning. Here are a few tips to help keep your home:

• • Tools. Yes, no matter how handy you are, or not, you will want to make sure you have some of these tools on hand for those surprise problems: Hammer, Ladder, Stud Finder with Electricity Sensor, Power Drill, Measuring Tape, Wrench Set, Screwdriver Set.
  • Familiarize yourself with your home and all of its on/off switches and valves. Know how to turn off the electricity, the furnace, and the water. A time will come when you will need to quickly turn off any of these items and you don’t want to wait to learn during an emergency.
  • Create a Home Manual. Not only will this help you in future years, but it will help anyone who needs to watch your house while you are gone. This is a great way to remember things like paint colors you used, appliance warranties, paperwork, wi-fi passwords, and if their are any quirks with using something.
  • Start a Fund. In case you are not aware – things in your house will break. Some of those things that break will cost a lot of money to fix. Most furnaces can run between $4,000 and $12,000. Roof leaks. Exterior painting. Well pump failure. All of these can run in the thousands of dollars. The bigger the house the more of a fund you should maintain.
  • Be neighborly! Knowing your neighbors will help you in the long run. Provide your neighbors with emergency contact numbers. Let them know if you are leaving on vacation. Let them keep an eye out. They have also lived here for some time and may know the best person to help you with lawn care, plumbing, or contractor work.
  • Air Filtration. Not only is it important to keep your air in the home clean, but it is also important to keep your equipment working. A dirty air filter can damage your hvac system. Change your filter on a regular basis depending on the filter and the conditions in your home. Typically you change them between 1, 2, or 3 months.
  • Furnace and Oil Tank Maintenance. Contract a yearly service through your home fuel supplier to provide yearly preventive maintenance. It usually does not cost a lot, but will save you a ton.

Remember, no matter where you go we’ve got you covered with Homeowners insurance.