After reading  Lenn Harley's blog: What Do You Do When You're Blue and True.... and Find Youself in a Corner?  It occurred to me that maybe we should start giving Buyers a  Home Instruction Manual at the close of every sale .  I'm not talking about how to run the dishwasher or turn on the stove.... well that might be in a separate section.  I'm talking about what  buyers need to know if they are going to own a home. 

Most buyers were renters before taking the leap to homeownership.  They paid their rent and never gave much thought to the place they called home. Many, fearing a rent hike, rarely let the landlord know when something wasn't working.  Others just didn't have a clue how things were supposed to work.  I had a tenant who never used the oven because he didn't know how to turn it on.  I also had a tenant who had a major water leak in the shower and didn't realize that it wasn't supposed to do that.

Once you buy a home you are responsible for the maintenance of the property.. unless your Dad lives very close and is extremely handy.  New homeowners need to understand a basic principal of homeownership....  it's OK to call someone to make repairs.. the lender will not bump up your payment.

The manual can be fairly simple and cover basic items.  Nothing too fancy until  the new homeowners get the hang of it.  .

 Basic Things All Homeowners Should Know:

1. Smoke or anything that smells like smoke or burning rubber is bad... very bad. If you can't find the source call someone who can.

2. Water on the interior should never be found anywhere inside the home other then in a sink, tub or toilet.  Water gets into the house via pipes not from the ceiling or a wall surface. It does not enter the house through windows, vents or from the floor.  All water leaks need to be fixed fast

3.Water on the exterior should only come from rain, a sprinkler or if you physically turn on the hose.  It generally doesn't come from artesian wells in your front lawn. See #2

4.Gas. You should never smell gas in your home.  If you walk into your house and the lights are out and you smell gas.. do not light a candle to see what's leaking. Go outside and call the Gas Company and scream I smell gas.... they will be there before you turn off the phone.

5. Strange odors are not good. If you suddenly smell something that reminds you of a high school chemistry experiment gone bad..  leave the house and refer to  #3

6. Fireplaces should  be inspected periodically .   All fireplaces have a gizmo called a damper. It should always be open. You can check this by looking up the chimney from the interior of the fireplace with a flashlight....if you see daylight you can start a fire. If you do not see daylight and start a fire.. refer to #1 on the list.

7. Clunking and thumping noises should be another item of concern for a new homeowner.  This is especially true when they come from pipes that carry water or from your heating system.  Call a plumber or furnace repairman. Refer to #1 Part II

8. Storing stuff..It is never a good idea to store oily rags, cleaning solvents or other flammables near a hot water heater or in your furnace closet.  If you do store these items near things with a pilot light.. refer to #1 or #4 on the list.

9. Mold is everywhere. Some mold/mildew is yucky but not necessarily harmful.  Generally the stuff that grows in the tub or shower can be killed with a good dose of Bleach.  However not all mold is the kind you grew in your chem lab experiment.  Where you find mold.. you will also usually find water.  Long term water leaks will lead to  black furry stuff on walls and in corners... if  the walls are wet with a strange odor and a sickly green color you will need to do more then spray bleach.  You will call a mold specialist who will charge thousands of dollars to clear the house of the stuff.  To avoid this problem refer to  # 2.

10.Electricity..Sparks from any electrical outlet are not normal. No matter what the ads say Duct tape is not the best way to splice two electrical wires or create your own extension cord in the garage.   Electricity is tricky and you need to be careful with extension cords and outlet strips. Only licensed electricians should add things to a breaker box or attempt to re-wire a home.. .it may not be a law but it should be.

I only picked 10 items.... but if you have others please feel free to add then to the list...

All content copyright © 2007   Kaye Thomas