Practical home maintenance guides for new homeowners. Real costs, real timelines, and the mistakes that turn $200 fixes into $5,000 emergencies.
Start Here
The prioritized checklist for your entire first year, first 30 days through month 12, ranked by urgency and cost risk. Start here if you don't know where to start.
Cost GuideThe 12 mistakes that cost new homeowners the most, ranked by dollar risk, with the red flag for each and what it costs caught early versus ignored.
Contractors. Know Before You Sign
New homeowners are the number one target for overcharging. The 5 most common scams, fair 2026 price ranges, and the scripts that protect you.
ContractorsThe seven things every real quote contains, what's missing on purpose, and the one question that exposes a padded quote before you sign.
ContractorsThe industry standard is 10–33% upfront. Anything over 50% is a red flag. State-by-state deposit caps, milestone payment schedules, and the scripts that protect your money.
ContractorsA contractor just handed you a bill $3,000 over the quote. Here's what's legal, what isn't, and the exact line to say before you pay anything.
Seasonal Maintenance
20 tasks that prevent frozen pipes, furnace failure, and ice dams. Everything skipped in October becomes a January emergency at twice the price.
Seasonal22 spring tasks in priority order with costs and DIY guidance. Spring is when you find what winter left behind. Before it gets expensive.
Seasonal8 summer tasks plus the August contractor booking window that saves $300–$600 on fall maintenance. Summer coasting is where year-one plans fall apart.
Plumbing & Water Emergencies
How to diagnose a ceiling stain in 5 minutes. Touch test, pencil mark method, common sources with 2026 costs. Before you call anyone.
PlumbingThe most common fix costs $0 and takes 30 seconds. Here's how to work through the diagnosis ladder from P-trap to main sewer line.
PlumbingThe single most important thing to locate in your first week. Where to look, how to test it, and what to do if it's stuck. Before the 2 a.m. emergency.
Systems, HVAC & Insurance
Your HVAC almost never fails without warning. The noises, smells, and bill spikes that signal a $150 fix now instead of a $5,000 replacement later.
Insurance44% of homeowner claims were closed without payment last year. One afternoon of photos is the difference between a paid claim and a five-figure loss.
Year One Foundations
The 1–2% rule, what it actually covers, and how to build a first-year maintenance budget that prevents emergencies instead of funding them.
New HomeownerThe week-by-week plan for your first month. Shutoffs, detectors, filters, and the insurance baseline. The tasks that protect everything that comes after.
ComparisonAn honest comparison: what a free checklist gives you, what it leaves out, and which type of homeowner is actually better off with each one.
New HomeownerThe 4 week-1 essentials plus the 5 tasks almost every other checklist forgets: home inventory, emergency fund, HVAC tune-up, repair log, and insurance gaps.
InsuranceThe exact 30-photo shot list, room by room, plus how to store it so an insurer actually believes it. 44% of claims were paid $0 last year with no baseline.
Budgeting42% of homeowners with regrets cite hidden costs as the #1 reason. Where the average $5,356 surprise actually comes from, and how to see your real number.
HomePlaybook Mastery: 47 ranked tasks, seasonal deep-dives, contractor scripts, cost tables, and the full Audio Edition. Everything a first-time homeowner needs, in order.
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