Guides

What a house needs, and when.

Short guides with the dates that matter: checklists by season, how long equipment lasts, when alarms and filters are due, and how to keep the records. Each one ends with the Housemap feature that keeps the date for you.

Checklist

Home maintenance checklist: what to do each season, month by monthA year round home maintenance checklist you can print: the jobs for every season, a monthly short list, how long each takes, and what a missed one costs.Fall home maintenance checklist: 22 jobs before the first freezeThe fall home maintenance checklist that gets a house through winter: furnace, gutters, outdoor water, alarms, sealing drafts and the chimney. Printable, in order, with how long each takes.

Records

Home maintenance log: what to record, a template, and the easy way to keep itHow to keep a home maintenance log that is worth something: the fields that matter, a printable template, how long to keep records, and a free app that keeps the log for you.How to make a home inventory for insurance (and keep it current)How to do a home inventory in an afternoon: what to photograph, which details an insurer asks for, a room by room checklist, and a free app that keeps it with your house file.

Equipment

How long do water heaters last, and how to tell how old yours isTank water heaters last about 6 to 12 years, tankless about 20. How to find the age from the serial number for Rheem, A.O. Smith and Bradford White, the signs one is near the end, and what makes them last longer.How often to change a furnace filter (and how to pick the right one)Change a 1 inch furnace filter every 1 to 3 months, a 4 to 5 inch filter every 6 to 12 months. What changes the schedule, how to read the size and MERV rating, and how to never forget it again.

Safety

How often to replace smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarmsReplace smoke alarms every 10 years and carbon monoxide alarms at the date on the back, usually 5 to 10 years. How to find the manufacture date, when to change batteries, how to test, and where alarms go.

Planning

How much to budget for home maintenance each yearThe 1 percent rule, the square foot rule, and why the age of the roof and the furnace matter more than either. How to build a home maintenance budget from your own house.

Start your house file.

Free. Type your address and Housemap lays out what your house needs this season, keeps the logbook and emails you before each job is due.

Start your house fileComing soon