You just bought your family a new home and you’ve moved in and settled down. You are well into the process of making this house a home, however, it’s important to know that if you do not maintain your home well things can break down and cause problems in the future. Some of these items should be on your home inspection report.

The following are 5 great home maintenance tasks that every new homeowner should learn and master to help keep their new homes in tip-top shape. Checking these boxes off of your to-do list on a regular basis will help you make sure that your home is well-maintained long into the future:

Change Furnace Filters:

Checking your furnace filter once per month is recommended to see if it needs changing. You will not necessarily have to change it every month, but it should be changed every time it is dirty. Checking and changing your air filter on a regular basis will also make your heater last longer and help you save on utility bills as well!

Many people think furnace filters only have to be changed once annually, however, many homes will need their furnace filters changed every couple of months or even every month. Dirty air filters can cause more problems than a higher utility bill, it can also cause the air conditioner’s coils to freeze up when airflow is inadequate. Changing your filter each month is much less costly than replacing your entire heating unit, so check it once per month and make sure yours is changed on a regular basis.

Flush The Water Heater:

Flushing your water heater on a regular basis by turning off the electric and gas and letting the faucet run full blast for about 10 minutes. This helps reduce the water in temperature in the tank. Flushing your water heater on occasion is vital to help flush out the sediment that can build up over time if left uncleaned. If the sediment constantly builds up it can cause the water tank to fail prematurely.

Flushing the water heater can save you a $200 service call. Flushing your water tank is a fairly simple task and can definitely save you money if you do it on a regular basis. If you haven’t flushed your water tank in a few months or longer, you could be in for a nasty surprise of the sediment that builds up in there. Cleaning it now will save your water heater from failing in the future and will help you save quite a bit of money and may save your water heater.

Weather Stripping Your Doors & Windows:

Sealing the gaps around the doors and windows keeps the home warmer and can help reduce air drafts by up to 10-15 percent. This can help you save on your heating and/or air condition bills and other utilities all throughout the year As energy becomes more and more expensive, these savings can add up and will quickly pay for the cost of the weatherstrips. Choosing the right strips, however, can be more complex and confusing. Check our complete guide to choosing the proper weatherstrips for your home here.

Patch A Hole In the Wall:

Patching holes that occur in your walls are simple as placing a self-adhesive mesh over the wall and using a drywall knife to create a criss-cross pattern to feather the edges so it blends smoothly into the wall. Once the patch dries, if it still looks like there was a hole where you can put a second patch on there to help masque the concept that there ever was a hole there in the first place.

Change Out Plumbing Parts:

Knowing how to change out basic plumbing parts such as replacing a leaky faucet or how to replace a change valve can save you a lot of money on hiring a plumber. According to HomeAdvisor.com, a plumber can be hired for anywhere between $171 and $453 per hour, depending on where you live and the work that they are doing. Knowing how to do the basics will save a considerable amount of money on hiring someone to do it.

These are just a few of the basic things that it’s good to know how to do to maintain your new home. It can save you a lot of money and a lot of added expenses in the future to keep up with basic home maintenance now.