The 40 things worth knowing about your home.
Each one says why it matters and what skipping it costs, and links the source behind it. Start with a plan.
New homeowner essentials
The first things worth knowing about your home
10 stepsOpen
Home safety
Fire, CO and the hazards that are easy to miss
14 stepsOpen
Get ready for winter
Heat, pipes and gutters, sorted before the cold
6 stepsOpen
Stop water damage
Catch leaks before they turn into floods
8 stepsOpen
Made for your home
Upkeep for what your house actually has
10 stepsOpen
Every basic
Safety
- Test every smoke and CO alarm
- Clear the dryer vent duct
- Get a multipurpose (ABC) fire extinguisher
- Check your fire extinguisher
- Check the age of your smoke and CO alarms
- Make sure you have CO alarms on every level
- Make and practice a home fire escape plan
- Replace foil or plastic dryer duct with metal
- Rekey your locks and reset garage and keypad codes
- Put a smoke alarm in every bedroom and on every level
- Anchor TVs, dressers and bookcases to the wall
- Test your home for radon
- Make your house number easy to see from the street
- Test your garage door’s auto-reverse
- Have your chimney inspected and swept
Water
- Find and label your main water shutoff
- Flush sediment from your tank water heater
- Put water leak alarms where leaks start
- Check your washing machine hoses
- Check the water lines under sinks and toilets
- Clean your gutters and check the downspouts
- Disconnect hoses and drain outdoor faucets
- Protect pipes in unheated spaces from freezing
- Have your septic system inspected
- Test your well water
- Test your sump pump
- Descale your tankless water heater
- Check your water softener’s salt
Heating & cooling
Appliances
Structure
Outside
Turn the list into reminders for your home.
Haven picks the basics that fit your house, keeps them on your list until they're done, and Clark walks you through any of them.