Are You Buying a House?

If you’re new to home ownership, the idea of taking care of a home might seem daunting. After all, you’ve always called the landlord to fix the plumbing, broken garage door, or pest issue. Now, you are the landlord. That means you’re in charge of maintenance and repairs on your new home. You can find a handyman to keep on speed dial, or, you can take a class to learn the basics.

Check out the big box stores

Wander into Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards or check out their websites and you'll find classes, workshops, tutorials, and videos to get you started on a variety of essential projects. Set aside a Saturday morning to learn how to replace a faucet or lay tile with their in-store workshops or follow along a tutorial on your tablet.

Don't forget the independent hardware store, garden centers, lumberyards, lighting specialists, plumbing fixture outlets, and paint stores. Specialists in customer service, these smaller stores hire experts to give you advice on a range of subjects from which plants work together in the same soil to what paint finish will last longest on your siding and trim. Often, these specialists work with you to form a plan to fix your problem, and they don't mind you picking their brains for advice.

Sign up for a home-owners class

• Online classes from a variety of sources help you hone your do-it-yourself and home maintenance skills. Check out Family Handyman DIY University to learn the basics of repairing and replacing caulk. Or get ambitious and learn how to care for your septic tank and well-water system. 
• Hands-on classes from your local housing department or community college, like this one from Bronx Community College, teach basic plumbing repairs to more advanced HVAC and construction classes. CDC Long Island offers a seven-week home maintenance training program where new homeowners can learn the basics of sheetrock repair, plumbing and electrical repair and safety, door hardware installation and how to transition your home to eco-friendly green products.
• Volunteer to get hands-on experience. Offer your time to local building programs such as Habitat for Humanity and work alongside pros to learn basic skills. If you make it a regular habit, you’ll learn indoor and outdoor skills from the ground up that you can put to work in your own home, and you’ll be giving back to your community.

Whichever way you choose to learn, make it a priority to keep your home in tip-top shape so that when the time comes to sell your agent will say "no problem, let's get it listed."