Simple projects for first-time homeowners
Small jobs can keep your home in great shape
Buying your first home is a milestone many young people are looking forward to. I remember how excited I was to buy my first place and I was so proud when my kids had saved up for their own down payments. Of course, their dad helped, but it was their hard work that got them across the finish line to home ownership.
When your dad is Mike Holmes, you know what to expect when you buy your first home. But for many firsttime buyers, a new house can be as scary as it is exciting because they haven’t fully grasped what it means to be a homeowner, and all that comes with it.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS
Listen, I get it, buying a home, especially for the first time, is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make, and if you find a way to save some money here and there, I understand why you’d take the opportunity. But if you have something in your new home that’s in need of repair, don’t think you can just pop a YouTube video up on your phone and fix it yourself. Some of you may be pretty handy, but I’d still take a step back before tackling some DIY fixes around your new home.
Now, there are jobs you can easily do on your own — things such as painting walls, replacing caulking and weatherstripping and cleaning out the gutters in the spring and fall. But for major projects that need attention, like your electrical, plumbing or big renovations, hire a pro. You may think you can save some cash by doing it yourself, but if things go wrong, it’s going to be a much more expensive fix to bring in a contractor to fix your mistake. And projects you start can have unforeseen consequences. For example, work that you do outside in the yard can actually create problems inside. If you add a garden in the yard without paying attention to the grading, you could have water flowing right toward your foundation — and that can lead to an expensive fix down the line.
SMALL STEPS TO SAVE
I know how high hydro costs can get — and if this is your first time paying for them yourself, seeing that total on your first bill can be quite the shock. There are small things you can do to keep your home working efficiently without breaking the bank!
Do you know what phantom power is? It’s when your electronic devices and appliances are turned off, but still drawing power when plugged in. What kind of effect does it have? Phantom power can account for up to 10 per cent of your home’s energy use. That’s a lot of power for things you aren’t using! Either unplug your appliances when not in use, or invest in power bars with timers and autoshut-offs.
Your HVAC system is another big energy suck — and it’s your job to keep it running smoothly and efficiently. That’s as simple as regularly changing your filters. You should change them at least every three months, but I find when I’ve got my system working harder (during the summer and winter, for instance), that they should at least be checked monthly.
The average home loses a lot of heat (up to 30 per cent) because it’s drafty. Just by doing a quick window and door check in the spring and fall and replacing any damaged or missing caulking and weatherstripping is an easy way to curb that loss.
DON’T WAIT TO FIX PROBLEMS
Don’t ignore your preventive maintenance. Taking on a small job now can keep things from snowballing into a big project later on. Raking leaves and cleaning the eavestroughs every year will prevent weeds from growing the next year, and prevent the gutters from spilling over, attacking your foundation with water. Watch Mike Holmes in his series, Holmes Makes It Right, on HGTV. For more information, visit makeitright.ca.