Congratulations! You’ve just bought your dream home in Albuquerque, NM or whatever other city strikes your fancy. It’s an exciting time to be a homeowner, but it comes with some added responsibilities. If you’ve been renting an apartment in a city like Scottsdale, AZ or renting a home in the outskirts of Kansas City, you’ve paid a premium to be able to relay any maintenance issues to your landlord. Now that you’re a homeowner, it may be a good idea to prepare for any possible leaks or breaks in the future by learning how to conduct some minor home repairs.
To get you started on this journey, Redfin reached out to experts in fields ranging from water infrastructure services to painting companies to learn more about minor home repairs and maintenance first-time homeowners should know. Read on to learn more.
1. Ensuring your tap water is safe to drink
Depending on where you live, drinking from the tap may be the norm. If that’s the case, you want to take some advice from Sidney D.K. Sogbor, CEO of Seadmok Water, a company specializing in water infrastructure services, and evaluate the quality before taking a sip.
“Before you think about making sure the tap water is safe to drink, get a sense of the quality of your tap water. Every year, most places offer a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) informing you of what’s in your water and what sorts of contaminants it may have. You can actually purchase a home water testing kit to have a little extra peace of mind. These are great to check for lead, bacteria, and pH levels. A water filter is usually a good solution if your water test shows that there are contaminants in your water. So just make sure it’s certified by NSF International and you know it’ll filter the pollutants that make you worried.
Last, but not least, be sure to pay attention to your home’s plumbing. It’s a good idea to check the pipes every so often and replace them as needed to ensure that your water is safe – old pipes…