Tips to Maintain Your New Home

Tips to Maintain Your New Home

As a new build homeowner, you’re probably a bit anxious to walk on your fresh floors and start living in your pristine home. Your hard work of planning and waiting has paid off, but now you need to begin thinking about how to maintain your home for it to last long-term.

Follow our top maintenance and homeowner tips for new home builds, so you can keep your home new — just the way it was on your first day!

Work with your builder to schedule walkthroughs of your home throughout the first year. At SK Builders, we include two walkthroughs within the first year. However, it’s up to you to find times that fit your schedule! It’s also vital for homeowners to keep a list of items encompassed in the warranty. The warranty list will help you keep a running tab of specific items you want to discuss with your builder during the walkthrough.

Register New Appliances

Registering your new appliances — including your dishwasher, refrigerator, AC unit, and water heater — can sometimes extend your warranty for an additional year. It’s a good idea to keep track of your manuals and register your appliances right away. Otherwise, you may lose materials and miss out on possible extended warranties with your HVAC system and others.

Check Your Septic and Sewer System

Taking a look at your septic and sewer system can help determine what you can dispose of and how it’s done. Some homes have a septic system, some have a sewer and some have a blend of both. For example, septic is microbial, while the sewer sends things back to the city for disposal.

Maintain Landscaping

Taking care of your lawn, garden and landscaping around your home requires a significant amount of time but can enhance the beauty of your house. Since you took so much time planning your new build home, it’s important to water your lawn more than usual in the initial few months. And if you move in during the winter, remember to activate and set up your sprinkler system in the springtime.

Keep up With Your Driveway

If you have a new concrete driveway, it will need to cure for a full year. It's acceptable to park cars on your driveway, but it’s not advisable to park large commercial vehicles, including moving vans and trucks, on the area for at least a year.

Contact the Homeowners’ Association

Touch base with your HOA when you move into your new build home to learn about the rules and regulations regarding approvals for future projects and other areas of concern.

Touch up the Paint

Certain builders offer touch-up paint kits that you can take to a paint store to get the correct color and brand you need for your home. SK Builders provides kits so you can keep your home well-maintained in case you need a few extra touch-ups.

Register for Tax Residence Rate

When you register for a tax house rate, the regulations can vary by state. In South Carolina, homeowners need to contact their tax office once they move in to record their home as the primary residence for taxes. Otherwise, it defaults to an investment property tax rate which is typically much higher. Learn more about South Carolina’s tax residence rates.

Contact Us Today

At SK Builders, we take great pleasure in knowing our clients are enjoying their newly constructed home. For more information on how to maintain your custom home, get in touch with completing our contact form today.