Home Maintenance Checklist: Your First Year

You just got the keys. The boxes are half-unpacked, the fridge has takeout containers and not much else, and somewhere in a drawer there's a stack of manuals you haven't opened. Sound familiar?

Your first year of homeownership is when most people fall behind on maintenance. Not because they're lazy — because nobody handed them a list. Here's yours.

The first 30 days

Before you settle into routines, handle these immediately. Doesn't matter what month you moved in.

• Locate your shutoffs. Find the main water shutoff, gas shutoff, and electrical panel. Label them. When a pipe bursts at 11pm, you don't want to be searching.
• Change the locks. You don't know who has copies of the old keys. Rekeying costs $100-150 for the whole house.
• Check your smoke and CO detectors. Test every one. Replace batteries. If any are older than 10 years, replace the unit.
• Inspect the HVAC filter. The previous owner probably didn't change it before closing. Swap it now. Write the date on the filter with a marker.
• Walk the exterior. Look for obvious issues: cracked caulking around windows, gaps near the foundation, gutters pulling away. Catching these early saves thousands later.

Heating and cooling

Your HVAC system is the most expensive thing to replace and the easiest to maintain.

• Change the filter every 90 days. Write the next date on the filter itself with a marker. Dirty filters make your system work harder and die sooner.
• Schedule a professional tune-up. Once a year for AC (before summer), once for the furnace (before winter). A $150 tune-up prevents a $5,000 replacement.
• Reverse ceiling fans seasonally. Counter-clockwise in summer pushes air down. Clockwise in winter circulates warm air. Small thing, real savings.
• Check for drafts. On a cold day, hold a lit candle near windows, doors, and outlets. Flickering means air infiltration. Weatherstripping costs $5-10 per door.

Water and plumbing

Water damage is the most common homeowner insurance claim. Most of it is preventable.

• Know where your main shutoff is. You found it in the first 30 days. Make sure your partner knows too.
• Flush the water heater annually. Sediment builds up at the bottom and reduces efficiency. Attach a hose to the drain valve, run it until the water is clear.
• Inspect the water heater anode rod. This sacrificial rod prevents tank corrosion. If it's heavily corroded or less than half an inch thick, replace it ($20-30 part, 15 minutes of work).
• Test your sump pump. Pour a bucket of water in the pit. It should kick on and drain within seconds. Do this every few months.
• Disconnect outdoor hoses before freezing temps. A frozen hose bib can burst a pipe inside your wall. Close the interior shutoff valve if you have one, open the exterior faucet to drain.

Roof, gutters, and exterior

Everything outside your house takes a beating from weather. A little attention prevents expensive surprises.

• Clean gutters twice a year. Clogged gutters cause fascia rot and basement leaks. Two hours of work prevents two thousand dollars of damage.
• Inspect the roof visually. From the ground, look for missing or curling shingles. If something looks off, get a pro up there.
• Check exterior drainage. Water should flow away from your foundation. If you see pooling near the house, regrade or extend downspouts.
• Trim vegetation away from the house. Bushes and trees touching siding hold moisture and invite pests. Keep 12 inches of clearance minimum.
• Inspect and seal the deck or patio. Wood decks need resealing every 1-2 years. A $40 can of sealer prevents a $4,000 rebuild.

Windows, doors, and insulation

Your building envelope keeps conditioned air in and weather out. Gaps cost you money every month.

• Check window and door seals. Run your hand around window frames on a windy day. If you feel air, recaulk.
• Check weatherstripping on doors. Close the door on a dollar bill. If it slides out easily, the seal is worn.
• Inspect the attic. Look for daylight coming through the roof, water stains, or pest droppings. While you're up there, check insulation depth.
• Monitor for ice dams in winter. If icicles form on gutters, you may have inadequate attic insulation. Ice dams force water under shingles.

Electrical and safety

These take 10 minutes and could save your life.

• Test GFCI outlets monthly. Press the test button on bathroom and kitchen outlets. If they don't trip, replace them.
• Keep dryer vents clear. Lint buildup is a fire hazard. Clean the vent hose annually.
• Check that vents aren't blocked. Snow, leaves, or debris can block dryer vents, furnace intakes, and exhaust vents. Inspect after storms.

The pattern

Notice what's happening here: most of these tasks take 30 minutes or less. The expensive problems — roof leaks, burst pipes, foundation cracks, HVAC failures — almost always start as cheap fixes that got ignored.

Your home is the biggest investment you'll make. A few hours per season keeps it running well and holds its value for when you eventually sell.

Keep the record

The hardest part isn't doing the maintenance. It's remembering what you did, when you did it, and when it's due again. That's exactly why we built dwellscribe — a simple place to log every task, set reminders for the next one, and never wonder "when did we last..." again.

Start tracking your home's history — free at dwellscribe.com.