How to be a Great Home Owner

Oct. 16. 2015

I recently purchased a home and one of the things I REALLY appreciated were the seller’s care they took in the home I purchased, but also their responsiveness to questions I had about the home during and post closing.

As an agent now for…I don’t know like 7 yrs-(I cannot keep track any more), there is a noticeable difference of when an owner has lived in (and cared for) a home and when it is a flip or rental or unmaintained. Nothing brings me greater joy as a buyer’s agent than when the sellers are open about information with the home–past bills, year they put in wood flooring, last time they had HVAC serviced etc. These are important things to keep track of! And nothing brings me greater joy as a Selling agent than the big file/paper trail the seller hands over to me when we sign a listing agreement either.

If you are not OCD that’s ok! And I am not trying to encourage hoarding either (which seems to become a habit of never throwing anything away once we move into a place that has more space).

I thought I would put together a few tips on being a great home owner-and increasing your resale potential in the future, below.

1. Document, document, document.

It isn’t a terrible idea to keep a piece of paper taped inside your HVAC closet of dates you last cleaned it, changed the air filter or had it serviced, make a note each time. Also, to keep track of doing these items, after you purchase a home-maybe add reminders to your calendar (air filter monthly and servicing between seasons).

More of an electronic person? Have a folder on your computer (in dropbox or a cloud provider so you don’t lose it if your computer crashes) with all your home owner paperwork: closing documents, survey (that’s a $450 piece of paper), and then as you update your home, take care of things, etc, be sure to keep copies of receipts, invoices, bids etc in this folder for future reference. Painted a room and have leftover paint? Write the room and paint color on can and keep in special place in storage, not just for future owner of your own home-but it may come in handy for you too! Do you have a lawn guy who comes a few times a month or a recommended pool cleaner? It isn’t a bad idea to pass along their info or card to the future owners of your place as well.

2. A special place

Have a designated drawer or file cabinet of some sort for these documents, invoices etc. as well. I was real fortunate when I purchased my home to have a huge stack of manuals of every appliance, light fixture, etc that was updated in my home. As well as a few parts to things that may not have been used, but could be added (extra lock to sliding glass door, under cabinet lighting, etc). The special place shouldn’t be in the attic in a box however, should be an easily accessible place and if you are super into security, perhaps in a locked safe or cabinet of some sort.

Are you an owner of an investment property? The management company should keep track of all leases, service orders and maintenance calls, and you will want to make sure you get a copy as well! Save emails between your and your tenants.

3. Take care of it.

If I had to choose between spending $1000 on a trip somewhere or fixing an HVAC leak, it is a no brainer on what I WANT to do, but not necessarily what I NEED to do. If you are generally keeping an eye on things in your home, then hopefully it won’t get to a point of discovering a major issue costing an arm and a leg. Water your foundation with soaker hoses (another item you can add to calendar if it hasn’t been raining), add insulation in the attic when needed, replace or fix items as they break vs putting it off. Yes, much easier said than done.

Have you ever heard the term to “swallow the frog?” Your fixture in the bathroom works fine, but the handle is broken and you have been turning on the shower with a wrench for more than a year. Guess what, as soon as you get someone to fix it (if you can’t yourself) you are going to think: Man, why didn’t I just have this done month’s ago?! It’s the little things that are a pain in the butt, yes, but when everything works as they should in your home-you’re happier.

When  you take care of things now you also save a lot of time when it comes to putting your home on the market because then things are already done (and believe me there comes a hefty list of things to do to make your home sell faster-why add more little tedious projects to the list? “Take care of it” also goes without saying–this means your mortgage, taxes and HOA bills too. Don’t let bills slip away from you!

4. Befriend Thy Neighbor.

I know, I know–the crazy cat lady across the street is annoying or the guy that lives below you at your condo is creepy. You don’t have to hang out and cook dinner together, but being aware of what is going on in your neighborhood, with your neighbors, amongst your HOA is never a bad thing. Sure some chat it up way too often and are always spying on what is going on at your place, but when you have great neighbors, there is nothing better! Even if you hate people, make it a goal to introduce yourself to a neighbor or say hi from time to time.

Good neighbors: alert you and watch your things when you are on vacation or if there was something suspicious. Good neighbors give great recommendations on who fixed their roof. Good neighbors mow your lawn sometimes since your yard connects. Good neighbors let you borrow a cup of sugar (or these days a wifi password) or lend you a helping hand when doing yard or car work. Are YOU going to be that good neighbor?