Buying a home is an exciting time, especially if you are a first-time homebuyer. In these moments it can sometimes be easy to get so caught up in the excitement that you forget about crucial steps you should be taking to maintain your home. Here are some of the most important things you will want to remember to do to keep your home in good working condition.

Change the Air Filter

Before you even close on your new home, make sure you know where the air filter is in your house and how to change it. While it may seem like a simple thing, keeping a clean air filter can save you thousands of dollars in repairs to your heating and cooling system. In the long run, you will be much happier to spend the few dollars for new air filters than you will to fork out a ton of money to replace entire systems.

Check the Heating and Cooling Systems

When it comes to testing your air conditioning and your furnace, the best practice is to try them out before you need them. If you wait until it’s burning hot outside to test your air conditioning and find out it needs repairs, you may find that HVAC companies are booked out weeks in advance. Likewise, you will want to check your furnace about a month before it starts getting cold. In case of any mechanical failures, look into heating repair services Pittsburgh PA to find a reliable company.

Replace Batteries in Smoke Detectors

Make sure the smoke detectors in your new home are functioning correctly. In addition, you will want to ensure that you regularly replace the old batteries in your devices if they are battery-operated. Even if your smoke detectors are wired, you will want to test them every so often to make sure they work.

Although the list of home maintenance to-do’s may seem long, remember that keeping up with the small things will be your best bet in preventing any costly repairs.