EPISODE 31 – [1st Time Homebuyer] – REPAIRS, HOME MAINTENANCE & REMODELING TIPS

Buying your first home is exciting… until something breaks. In Episode 31 of the Happy Homeowners Hub Podcast, Fred Turner talks about home repairs, simple maintenance tips, and remodeling ideas every first-time homebuyer should know. Learn how regular maintenance may help you avoid costly repairs, which projects are worth the investment, and how to protect one of the biggest purchases of your life.

Fred also shares practical homeowner advice and a little humor about the unexpected surprises that often come with owning a home. Whether you are dealing with a dripping faucet, planning your first remodel, or trying to figure out why your furnace suddenly sounds like a marching band at 2 a.m., this episode is packed with helpful information for new homeowners.

Topics include:

• Basic home maintenance tips 
• Common homeowner repairs 
• Remodeling projects that add value 
• Preventative maintenance ideas 
• How to avoid expensive repair mistakes 
• First-time homeowner advice 
• How ignoring small problems often leads to larger expenses 
• Tips for staying organized as a homeowner 

Learn how to become a happy homeowner with no regrets.

Key Takeaways:

• Small maintenance issues rarely stay small 
• Water damage is one of the most expensive homeowner surprises 
• Seasonal maintenance may extend the life of your home systems 
• Some remodeling projects provide better return on investment than others 
• Keeping records and maintenance logs may help in future property claims 

Books available from Happy Homeowners Hub and sold on Amazon.com

                       Click on the Amazon book links below

The Happy Homeowners Handbook for Navigating Property Claims

The Happy Homeowners Property Claim Documentation Booklet 

The Happy Homeowners Handbook for First-Time Homebuyers 

The Happy Homeowners Handbook for Selling Your Home by Owner 

The Happy Homeowners Home Maintenance Journal 

The Happy Homeowners Helper (A Children's book to help with a move) 

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Transcript

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This podcast is episode 31 and is titled Repairs, Home Maintenance and Remodeling Tips. Today we're talking about what happens after you move into your new home and suddenly you realize houses are kind of like pets. They need constant attention, they make strange noises at night, and they cost way more money than you expected. One day you're celebrating closing day, and two months later you're standing in the basement staring at a leaking pipe thinking, I guess I should have paid more attention during the home inspection. If that sounds familiar, well this episode is for you. Welcome to the Happy Homeowners Hub Podcast, where we share real life stories and break down the lessons, mistakes, and wins that could save you time, money, and stress on buying your first home, navigating your property claim, selling your home by owner, and home maintenance and repair tips. I am your host, Fred Turner, and each week I'll guide you through these four topics. Buying your home was just the beginning. Many first-time home buyers spend months preparing for the down payment, the closing cost, the mortgage, packing, and moving, but very few prepare for the maintenance, the repairs, the remodeling decisions, and the why is this making that noise moments. A home is not a static object. It's constantly aging, shifting, expanding, contracting, and wearing out. That kind of sounds depressing, doesn't it? But here's the good news. If you stay proactive instead of reactive, homeownership becomes much less stressful and much more rewarding. One of the things I discussed in chapter 7 of my book, The Happy Homeowners Handbook for First Time Home Buyers, is the importance of understanding that maintenance is part of protecting your investment. Your home is typically one of your biggest financial assets, so taking care of it really matters. Don't let small problems become big ones. One of the biggest mistakes I see homeowners make is ignoring the small issues. For example, a tiny water stain on the ceiling becomes a roof leak, mold, damaged insulation, damaged drywall, and suddenly a small $200 repair can become a $7,000 major project. I've seen this happen many times. Let me give you a real life example. A homeowner noticed a small drip under his kitchen sink. Instead of fixing it, he put a towel under it. And then another towel, and then another one. Apparently, the towel system was the official repair strategy. Several months later, the cabinet bottom collapsed, mold developed inside the wall cavity, and the cabinet base and the flooring in front of the cabinet started swelling up. What could have been a simple plumbing repair turned into cabinet replacement, mold remediation, floor replacement, and drywall repairs. And yes, the towels had to be discarded as well. Here's the lesson. Address problems early when the problem is small. If something looks strange, smells strange, sounds strange, or feels strange, investigate it and fix it immediately. If you need to have a professional inspect it, do so right away. Don't let this wait. Homes usually give warning signs before major failures happen. Let's talk about some simple maintenance tips that could save you thousands. Change the furnace filters. This is one of the easiest and most ignored maintenance tasks. Dirty filters reduce airflow, stress your furnace and air conditioner, increase your energy bills, and shorten the furnace equipment lifespan. Many homeowners put this off, some even for many years. I once inspected a house where the furnace filter looked like it survived a dust storm, a tornado, and even possibly the Civil War. The furnace was basically gasping for air, causing the furnace to work extra hard when it didn't really have to. This is why the filter needs to be changed regularly. A good rule of thumb is check your furnace filters monthly during the cold season. Replace every one to three months, depending on your pets, how much dust and allergies your family has. Clean your gutters and downspouts. Clog gutters and downspouts can cause roof damage, water intrusion, foundation problems, and ice damming. Water needs to go somewhere. Keep the gutters and downspouts clog free and let them do their job. If your gutters are clogged, the water may decide, hey, the basement looks like a great option. Clean the gutters at least in the spring, in the fall, and after major storms as needed. Keep the caulked areas around your house sealed properly, the cocking around tubs, showers, windows, and sinks. Eventually deteriorate. Cock typically lasts 5 to 10 years, but there are many factors that can affect the life of the cock, such as the type of cock used, how it was applied, was the old cock removed and the surface area clean before reapplying? And when caulk gets old, it gets brittle and it can crack, allowing moisture to enter. Old or deteriorated caulk in a bathtub or shower can allow water to enter behind the tile or the walls and then it creates old or deteriorated caulk in the bathtub or shower can allow water entering behind the tile or walls to create hidden damage for months even before you notice it. By the time it's obvious, there's already severe damage behind the walls and possibly mold growth. Re-caulking is inexpensive and fairly easy for many homeowners. And of course, YouTube has great videos for this type of thing. And remember, if your caulking looks like it belongs in an archaeological dig site, it may be time to replace it. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly. Please don't ignore this one. This is important for the safety of your entire family. Test the detectors regularly and replace batteries as needed. If your smoke detector chirps every 30 seconds for two months while you and your family is slowly losing their sanity, replacing the battery may improve your safety and your marriage. Not every repair requires panic. When something breaks, ask yourself, is this cosmetic? Is this structural? Is this electrical? Is this plumbing related? Is this water related from the exterior of the home? Is this a safety issue? What would be the long-term effect of ignoring this issue? Water and electrical problems should move to the top of your priority list quickly. Cosmetic issues can wait. That ugly wallpaper from 1984 may not be an emergency, even if it does feature palm trees, flamingos, and shiny gold accents. Should you do the repair yourself or hire a professional? This is a question every homeowner eventually asks. Of course, YouTube has created tremendous confidence in people with absolutely no experience. Sometimes the do-it-yourself project works great. Sometimes it creates a future insurance claim. There is a difference between painting a room and rewiring your electrical panel after watching a three-minute YouTube video. Know your limits. Here are some do-it-yourself projects that many homeowners can handle themselves successfully. Painting, replacing light fixtures, landscaping, basic flooring, shelving, and simple caulking. Projects, often better left professionals, are roofing, electrical work, structural changes, major plumbing, foundation repairs, and mold remediation. Here's a not so funny example of a do-it-yourself project gone wrong. A homeowner once tried replacing a wax ring under the toilet themselves. A simple project, right? Unfortunately, they didn't install it correctly and it caused a slow leak around the toilet base for many months. By the time it was discovered, the flooring was damaged, the subfloor was rotten, and mold had developed. The cheap do-it-yourself repair became a major bathroom reconstruction project. And again, I say, know your skill level. There's no shame in hiring professionals, plus they have insurance for a reason. One of the exciting things about owning a home is making it your very own. Painting, flooring, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, lighting, landscaping, and a new deck or patio can completely transform your home. But remodeling may also become very expensive very quickly. Just look what happens when you walk in a hardware store needing one small thing, and somehow you leave with paint samples, light fixtures, a new cordless drill, some plants, storage bins, and some patio furniture and a burger meal from the place next door. No one knows how it happens, but it does. Before remodeling, prioritize projects. Set a budget, get multiple estimates, research the contractors, and look up online reviews, understand the timelines, and be realistic. Also, this is very important to understand. Not every remodeling project will increase your property value equally. Generally, kitchens and bathrooms and garage door replacements often provide the best returns. Extremely customized projects, not as much. For example, a giant indoor aquarium built in the family room wall may not increase the resale value, even if it impresses your friends and your neighbors. It may even decrease the value and turn off buyers who have no interest in a custom aquarium. Here are some tips for maximizing your return on investment for remodeling projects. Match your project to your timeline. If you plan to stay in the home for many years, you can invest in more personal upgrades. If selling your house fairly soon, prioritize curb appeal and high demand features. Quality matters. Poorly executed work can actually reduce the resale value. Consider energy efficiency. Upgrades like efficient windows, doors, siding, and roofing can lower utility bills and appeal to more eco-conscious buyers. Here's the bottom line. For the best resale of value, start with exterior curb appeal projects like garage door, steel front door, siding, windows, and then add high-demand interior upgrades such as kitchen and bathroom improvements. These combinations consistently deliver the highest return on investment. Keep records of your home repairs and maintenance. This is incredibly important and something many homeowners forget to do. Keep records of repairs and the dates completed, maintenance, contractor information, appliance purchases and warranties, paint colors, flooring types, roof replacement dates and the type of shingles, HVAC servicing, and remodeling receipts. This is one of the reasons I created the Happy Homeowners Home Maintenance Journal, which is available on Amazon.com. This valuable book helps homeowners organize repairs, seasonal maintenance schedules, important home information, contractor details such as your plumber, electrician, HVAC repairman, handyman, roofer, painter, etc., your home's remodeling history, and helps you write down and organize your future remodeling plans. This information may become extremely valuable later for insurance claims, for warranties, for future buyers, or for tax documentation, as well as for resale value. You can get more details of this valuable book at HappyHomeownersHub.com or see the show notes for a link. Home ownership becomes much easier when home maintenance becomes routine. Create seasonal checklists, which is also included in my home maintenance journal. Here's a brief example of a home maintenance journal checklist. In the spring, check your roof, clean your gutters, clean your windows, inspect siding, clean lint from your dryer vent, have the air conditioner serviced, and clean your AC condenser fins, test and check your sun pump, and test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and the batteries. In the summer, power wash the exterior of your home. Check your deck, fencing and repair as needed. Check the exterior walls and paint or caulk as needed. Inspect landscape drainage. Maintain your yard, bushes, and tree growth. Vacuum the dust from your fridge coils. Check your crawl space for any cracks, moisture, or leaks. In the fall, winterize exterior faucets, clean the gutters again, trim dead trees and branches, serve as the furnace and check your filter. Clean lint from the dryer vent. Seal gaps and drafts with weather stripping. Oil the garage door track wheels. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and check the batteries. Have the chimney cleaned and checked, and also check the chimney's tuck pointing. In the winter, remove window screens and install storm windows. Turn off the water spigot shutoff valves. Watch for ice dams, monitor pipes and re-insulate problem areas if needed. Check humidity levels. Inspect your attic ventilation. Check your tub and shower caulking. A little prevention may save larger issues and stress later. Here's a recap of today's episode. Today we covered why small problems should never be ignored. Basic maintenance every homeowner should know. Do it yourself versus hiring professionals, maintenance and remodeling tips, and why documentation matters, creating a home maintenance routine, and getting all of your home maintenance and repair information organized and all in one place. Home ownership is a journey. I guarantee there will be repairs, unexpected expenses, frustrations, and lots of opportunities to learn. But there will also be pride of ownership, stability, growth, memories, and the satisfaction of creating a home that belongs to you and truly reflects who you are. If you enjoyed this episode, check out some of my other books: the Happy Homeowners Handbook for First Time Home Buyers, the Happy Homeowners Handbook for Navigating Property Claims, which you may need down the road, the Happy Homeowners Home Maintenance Journal, and the Happy Homeowners Handbook for selling your home by owner when you're ready to sell your home down the road. You can get more details of these books at HappyHomeownersHub.com or see the link in the show notes. These valuable books can all be purchased on Amazon.com. Our Happy Homeowners Hub newsletter is also available. Visit HappyHomeownersHub.com, go to the contact us page and type in the word newsletter in the message box to sign up. You'll receive podcast updates, homeowner, maintenance, and repair tips, information about future books and other valuable homeowner resources that will enhance your homeownership experience. Thank you for listening to the Happy Homeowners Hub Podcast. If you found this episode helpful, share it with someone who's thinking about buying their first home or just moved into their new home. And remember, the more you know, the more confident you feel, and that's how you become a happy homeowner with no regrets. My goal is to make your homeownership journey smoother, smarter, and way less stressful. I've got some great stories, tips, and occasional guest experts coming up in future episodes, so stay tuned. And remember, your home is your biggest investment. Be smart from the start. Thanks for listening. I am your host, Fred Turner, and I'll see you at the next episode. Have a blessed day. Goodbye.