I'm 29 and buying a house for the first time. I never wanted the responsibility of taking care of a property myself, but now I'm at the age where it's just the right choice.
I know absolutely nothing about taking care of houses. My main question is what kinds of common maintenance tasks do I need to perform? Outside is partially brick, partially hardy plank siding, inside has hardwood floors and granite countertops, fireplace is NG, the gutters are pretty freaking high up (like 20 feet) and already dirty. Is it pretty safe to clean gutters at that height with no experience? The house is 10 years old with the original water heater, air conditioning units (2), and furnaces (2), so I guess those are nearing their end of average life...
Also, the current owners have two fucking cats and I'm super allergic to cats. How can I get bullshit cat dander out of my property?
Closing on the 16th... Any advice is welcome.
meant "hardiplank"
>>957777
Have a home inspection done (you are doing that, right?) and it should point out any obvious problems or troublespots assuming your inspector has half a brain.
If the water heater and HVAC units check out, keep them. The water heater could be a concern from a failure/leak standpoint, but get the HVAC stuff serviced if you're worried about it breaking down. Do remember to replace filters on the furnaces.
Probably your biggest enemy is going to be water. You've already noted the gutters. Personally I keep trees the fuck away from any place I'm living; they give you nothing but trouble. They will fuck up your gutters if they are too close. You shouldn't have a problem cleaning them out with an extension ladder, have a buddy help you. Check around the perimeter to make sure water runs away from the house, not towards it. Again, your inspector should point stuff like that out.
As for cat hair, just clean like a motherfucker with a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner. And use good filters in the HVAC system.
clean, a lot
-change the furnace filter(s) regularly during the time it's being used
-get the ducts cleaned to remove old dirt
-if there is a dryer, once you get a dryer, vacuum the lint out the dryer/vent pipe
-if there are drapes/curtains/anything that might . might want to have them cleaned
-I'd highly advise checking out the insulation situation asasap; that's one of the best investments you can make
-make sure you know where all the shutoff valves are for when the **** hits the fan
>>957786
-and also check out the electrical box...it's a pain in the butt to try and find the right breaker quickly if they're not labeled clearly enough
-if you want to run ethernet/hdmi/coaxial, now would be a good time to start thinking about the where you might want it
-the light bulbs should be changed to efficient ones by now, but if not it would be wise to change to LEDs
>>957789
-if you live in a climate with snow, it's smart to have a snow rake (also majorly depends on quality of insulation)
-the shingles should still be fine for years... even though it may be high, it's important to make sure the gutters/eaves/crevices stay clear of leaves and junk....buildup over the years does not lead down a good path
-try and get the highest efficiency everything for what you can afford; things you don't think about, like a fridge, will be running constantly for it's entire useful life....every bit counts
>>957783
Yep, had the inspection! Place was in pretty good shape. A few window panes needed replacing due to moisture between the panes, but I had the current owners take care of that. Also got them to throw in a one-year home warranty in case any of the major appliances go bad in the first year.
>>957786
Good advice on the shutoff valves... the inspector pointed them out to me, but I pretty much already forgot where they were. Maybe I'll remember once I'm back there.
Insulation in the attic looked good... it was the loose, pink stuff. It had like... 24 inches of it I think? something like that? Looked pretty solid.
>>957789
yeah the lights need to be replaced with LEDs for sure. Only problem is that the living room has an open ceiling, so the lights are literally 20-30 feet up, freaking pain.
The inspector told me that some of the breakers that were installed can overheat and cause fires, but they were to code back in 2006 when the place was built... guess I'll replace those...
>>957791
Very little snow here in Georgia. :)
Shingles were the "40-year" shingle, which apparently only last like 25 years, but the place is only 10 years old, so it should be good for a while...
Do you
>>957798
Do you just have to go up into your attic every now and then to look for roof leaks?
Speaking of which, previous owners installed two sat dishes on the roof, drilled into the shingles.... inspector said that can cause premature leaks... should I get them removed and have the holes patched or is it okay?
>>957795
check your recommended R-factor: http://www.greatdayimprovements.com/insulation-r-value-chart.aspx
>>957796
yikes! maybe one of those light poles?
definitely deal with electrical stuff as soon as possible
>>957791
and get yourself some basic hand tools if you have not already....wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, ya get the idea
>>957798
lucky
(when you get a foot of snow in 24 hrs, you have to rake that **** off or it can do serious damage as it melts)
>>957799
no, not really....but if you do see a leak, do something about it immediately, waiting only makes things worse
I would definitely have them removed if you don't plan on using them...the seals might be good now, but who knows for how much longer (I'm assuming the people who installed them knew what they were doing in the first place)
>>957803
thanks for all the tips, will get the dishes removed.. is that something I can do myself? I have no idea how to patch roof holes or whatever, but I can't imagine it's super hard?
>>957806
well that depends on how much effort you want to put out
ideally you'd remove the damaged shingles and replace them with new ones, it can be a pain if you haven't done any kind of roofing before and don't have new ones to match the originals
if you simply wanted to fill the holes, you could....I personally haven't had good luck with roof patch products; driveway crack filler worked much better (another one to try is foundation coating)
of course that's completely up to you....if you do get a patch product, I'd test it on a random piece of scrap first to make sure it's still good and the conditions will allow it to cure properly/hard
>>957815
after thinking about it...even better would be to put some patch/whatnot under each shingle where the hole is, stick a small piece of flashing over the hole, put more patch on top of the flashing, lay the shingle back down, then finally put some patch on the top hole
that's about as good as it could get without replacing them
>>957815
thanks again for all the help
>>957819
you can lift shingles up without damaging them? I didn't realize that, I thought they were all stuck together or something
>>957792
have the house looked over with thermal to see if it is leaking heat/cooling.
>>957792
also, was the inspector the one they recommended?
use your own inspector.
>>957836
nah, it was a guy my agent recommended, he had ASHI accreditation and graduated from the same school as me, so figured he was pretty solid. He did a pretty good job, I think.
>>957835
that sounds expensive, but might be worth the money...
I got the average electric and gas bill cost per month from the current owners (assuming they didn't lie) and it's a lot less than what I'm paying now haha
Should I get a radon test? House is on a slab.
>>957844
>a guy my agent recommended
Fuck no do not trust that guy even if he seems genuine. Agents are notorious for using their friends to pawn off houses with lots of issues. Get your own inspector ASAP.
>>957844
>, it was a guy my agent recommended
>a guy my agent recommended
>my agent
no.
You wouldn't trust "your cell phone salesman" would you?
Would you trust "your car dealer"?
Your agent isnt like your lawyer.. They are there to sell you shit.
This isnt "your" agent its "the people who are selling the house"'s agent.
Get your own inspector before you wreck your shit.
>>957847
>I got the average electric and gas bill cost per month from the last people
Were they Alaskans living in Florida in the winter?
If so I imagine their electric/gas bill was fairly low.
>>957848
If you see radon as a hazard then yes, if you dont care then save the money for beer and die happy.
>>957899
This guy gets it.
>>957777
Buy a masonry house instead of a card board american home.
>inb4 european
>>957844
Not to beat a dead horse OP, but using the agents inspector is bad news. I would throw down for a second opinion, it might save you thousands replacing dryrot and fighting mold (true story).
>>957996
What would be the difference in cost?
I am interested as I have never seen a direct comparison and we have no paper machet houses here.
Sock away some money specifically for home repair.youll be glad you did when an appliance dies or the roof needs fixed.
Water infiltration is the biggest issue IMO.
Clear the gutters, downspouts, check all caulking, maintain grades away from the house.
>>958008
I don't know how much an american home made of bricks would cost. But I was very bothered by the thin, fragile walls americans used in most homes when I travelled there. They are easy to replace at least..
>>958021
>Water infiltration is the biggest issue
This. Always check for basic water and air flow problems OP. Always check drain position and inclination too.
Insurance dude here
Check the plumbing connections wherever visible to check for leaks and corrosion. Most plumbers recommend replacing lines every 10 years or so.
Check the water heater: if its rusted its bad, if its over 5 years old, consider replacement. Also get a water heater drain pan and plumb it to drain somewhere good instead of pissing in the corner
Check you homeowners policy to a deductible/premium you can afford. Don't use it for small shit either.
I'm at work, but when i get home I'll post some more common problems i see inspecting houses
>>958033
When you say thin fragile walls which walls are you talking about?
The walls on the inside or shitty, its just drywall but that's because the interior walls don't matter.
The outside walls are made of wood that is fairly thick. Nowhere do we use cardboard or anything like it.
>>958098
This guy again.
Its cheap 'insurance' just to replace all the supply lines to your sinks and toilets; just about anyone can do it for a couple hundred bucks and some teflon tape. You don't know how old the supply lines are, who installed them, or how much life is left in them.
Check the dishwasher for any signs of leaks or rust or corrosion, any signs that it'll fail. Same goes for the icemaker supply line. If its a plastic tube, consider spending a bit on a copper supply line.
You're really not supposed to mess with the gas shut off valves as a regular guy, but its still good to know where it is, and how to turn it off in an emergency. IIRC most have flat tabs to just use any wrench on it. Just know where it is. It'll be near the gas meter.
Find where the water shutoff is. Most are semi-buried outside the house so any jerkoff can't casually shut off your water. Most shutoffs use a special tool, which is basically a steel rod with two forks to turn the valve. Get a couple of these (or make them) and always know where they are.
If you're tearing up floors, check the slab to see if there are any major cracks (bigger than 1/8th-1/4 inch) or if any rooms feel "sloped". If its a raised foundation, seal up the crawlspace to keep critters and bugs out.
Without seeing your house, I would recommend trimming trees and bushes back to keep leaves out of gutters, debris off of shingles, and visibility out of the house. Big open windows are actually a deterrent to criminals as they whole neighborhood can see who's robbing your house while you're at work.
Also, make sure your address letters are really visible from the street, even at night (add small spotlights). This is really important for fire and emergency crews to find your house if you've called 911.
OP here
>>957899
>>957902
>>958006
>>957904
Point taken about the inspector. I definitely noted the conflict of interest there, but this is actually the second house I was under contract on. For the first house I was going to buy, for the same price, this same inspector came out and found, I shit you not, $50,000 worth of repairs that needed to be done ASAP. All the siding was rotten, two retaining walls needed replacing, and the roof was leaking. This inspector is anal and neurotic as hell. He marked every little minor thing down. After he was done, we sent the report over to the current owners to bargain for repairs and they said they were offended at how nit-picky he was. It actually made the start of negotiations pretty rough because they thought I was trying to get every little penny out of them when really I am just not aware of what's reasonable to ask for. They ended up not agreeing to fix the vast majority of it, but it's all such minor shit that my dad and I can knock it out. Stuff like securing some decorative columns, screwing the boards that support the garage door in better, etc. Pretty minor stuff.
Unfortunately, the market here is INSANE for buyers right now. Houses come onto the market and are off the market in two days flat unless there's something wrong with them. I made offers on 4 other houses at full asking price and didn't get any of them. People are coming in with offers OVER asking price without even visiting the house. It's lunacy. I ended up offering 1K over asking price for this house, which sucks, but whatever... it appraised.
>>958016
bingo, good advice
>>958098
>>958201
thanks for the advice insurance bro
>>958021
>>958033
The land is sloped such that all water flows off my property onto my neighbor's property, which apparently can cause some liability issues for me. A little concerned about that, but not sure what I can really do about it except trying to install drains, but not sure how effective that would be.
>>958338
OH, and on that first house, the freaking exhaust pipe of the furnace was disconnected and dumping carbon monoxide into a little closet on the main level. He said those people were lucky to not get sick yet, or worse... Scary shit.
>>958338
Maybe a swale could direct the water somewhere safe?
>>958098
>replacing lines every 10 years or so.
>mfw the plumbing for the basement drain is probably from the early 1910's
>>958338
>This inspector is anal and neurotic as hell. He marked every little minor thing down.
I know some people that are like that but only half the time. This one I'm thinking of right now for example, I showed him something one time and he barley reacted, I showed him the exact same thing 2 weeks later and he freaked out.
>>958815
I meant rubber supply lines, not drain lines.
>>958919
oh ok, cool. I dont think rubber even existed at that point.
