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Tips for New Home Owners

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Kelsey Kroon, Realtor, Douglas Elliman Real Estate Headquartered in New York, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the fourth larget real estate firm in the U.S. and specializes in Residential Sales & Rentals, Commercial, Mortgage, Retail, Title, New Development Marketing, Property Management, and Relocation verticals.

Buying a home is both a thrilling and daunting experience, and once escrow is closed, major congratulations are due! With the right preparation and tips, one’s home can be enjoyed with pride. The following are several guidelines for taking the best care of your investment.

1.Upon move in, clean or replace all heating and air-conditioning filters to ensure proper filtration of air to maintain its high-grade condition that will prevent the HVAC system from overworking, negatively using excess energy with poor air quality. This is sometimes over looked but certainly is an easy maintenance task.

2. Take preventative action with setting up a pest control service once every quarter to keep termites, bugs and other crawlers from being unwanted guests. This needs to be done even if no pests currently exist.

3. Keep an eye on the grouting on tiles in the bathrooms to be certain that they are well-sealed to prevent water from seeping through. If needed, update shower heads to the newest model for a simple change that makes a big impact!

4. If the property has a yard, ensure that the sprinkler systems are not leaking. Look out for accidental damaged sprinkler valves as a result of lawn mowing by
landscapers. The valves can easily be knocked off and cause leakage, therefore proper sprinkler valve water shutoff is necessary. Setting the timer to be in sync with the seasons to properly water(prevent over or under watering)is some thing to remember-more water disbursement in the spring and summer months versus less in winter.

To keep the house modernized, have the walls painted in light neutrals, and use interior design accents & art for added color and warmth


5. Have the gutters cleaned out at least twice a year depending on the number of trees surrounding the roof, so rain does n't create water accumulation that will cause potential leaks with fallen leaves and debris.

6. If the property is located in a cold climate area where pipes are susceptible to freezing, make sure the water pipes coming into the house are well insulated. While you're at it, conduct a full plumbing inspection, including visible signs such as water stains and discoloration on ceilings that can lead to mold. Any water damage to wood has susceptibility for fungus growth.

7. Replace all light-bulbs with low energy consumption, high luminous LED bulbs. This may be initially expensive but pays off big time in the long run, plus gives healthier light that is softer for skin and eyes. High Kelvin temperature (4000 Kelvin temperature or higher)is the premium quality. An additional advantage of this is that they do not generate heat, so that less air conditioning is needed to keep the room cool from warmth emitting from regular lights.

8. To keep the house modernized, have the walls painted in light neutrals, and use interior design accents and art for added color and warmth and personal touch. This allows for utmost versatility and is great for the purpose of brightening the home.

9. If hardwood flooring exists, be sure to have it sealed to prevent potential water spillage damage, and properly care for the wood with the correct products to avoid warping and uneven surface from occurring.

10. An additional bonus of owning a home is the tax benefit of writing off mortgage interest payments, so it’s worth hiring an experienced accountant to assist with these deductions and educate you on any other incentives available; for example, energy saving, improvements, and others, qualify for a tax credit.

Regular maintenance and care paves the way for a happy home.