Essential Tips Every New Homeowner Should Know
Purchasing your first home is an exciting time, but to keep your investment and family safe, there are a few important details you need to know. These include how to turn off your utilities, emergency trades, the importance of insurance, smoke detectors, and changing the locks.
As a new homeowner, taking a proactive stance helps prepare yourself to prevent minor issues from turning into major problems and gives you the confidence to handle emergencies quickly and efficiently. This ensures a comfortable and secure living environment for you and your family.
How to Turn Off Your Water, Gas, and Electricity
As a new homeowner, one of the first things you should learn is how to turn off your utilities in an emergency. First, you need to locate the electrical panel and the main water and gas shut-off valves, and then you need to know how to disconnect these utilities. This knowledge is vital in an emergency and can help minimise major damage and keep your family safe.
Emergency Trades and Essential Tools
It’s important to have a readily available list of emergency tradespeople, such as a leak detection plumber, electrician, and handyman. Keep a basic toolkit at home, including a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, wrench, tape measure, and utility knife. These tools can help you tackle minor repairs and maintenance tasks quickly and easily.
Secure the Right Insurance
When disaster strikes, you must have the right insurance coverage. This includes both home and contents coverage. Home insurance typically covers damage to the structure of your home caused by events such as fire, storms, theft, and vandalism. Home contents insurance covers personal belongings inside your home against theft, fire, and other insured events. This includes furniture, electronics, clothing, and valuable items. So, review your policies to understand what is and isn’t covered and consider additional coverage if necessary.
Smoke Detector Checks
Smoke detectors should be installed on every level of your home and inside each bedroom. You should test them monthly to ensure they’re working correctly and replace the batteries at least once a year. Also, consider installing carbon monoxide detectors, especially if your home has gas appliances. These detectors alert you to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, an odourless and potentially deadly gas.
Change Your Locks
Changing the locks on your new home should be a top priority. You never know how many copies of the keys are out there from previous owners, contractors, or real estate agents – installing new locks ensures you have control over who has access to your home. If you prefer a higher level of security, consider upgrading to smart locks, allowing you to control access remotely and provide temporary access codes to guests or service providers.
Stay Prepared and Secure
As a new homeowner, you’re on a steep learning curve, but staying prepared and informed helps you handle any challenges that arise. This includes knowing how to turn off your utilities and contact emergency trades. It also includes keeping a toolbox handy, securing the right insurance, regularly checking smoke detectors, and changing your locks. These tips ensure you’re well prepared for any emergency situations.
