Go Back

Gilley’s Tips for New Homeowners

Hello! It’s your favorite parrot Gilley here and I want to extend congratulations to all of the new homeowners! The day you have waited for is finally here! You now have the house of your dreams and are proud to call yourself a homeowner. Owning a home is a major change and you might not know where to start making modifications to your new home. I’m here to tell you about some great things you can do during the first week in your new home – including some which will save you money in the long run!

Ceiling Fans – Installing ceiling fans to most of your rooms is a cost effective way to improve the air flow of your home. Not only do ceiling fans keep the air moving but it can help keep your home warm or cold. During the summer set your ceiling fan to rotate counter clockwise, this pushes the blades down and creates a breeze. When cooler weather comes, reverse the direction of the fan to go clockwise. This will bring the warm air that rises to the ceiling back down.

Programmable Thermostat – This installation has a great possibility of saving you money. Not only will this system give you the temperature of your home but you can also make easy adjustments. During the winter months, turn the heat down by 5 to 7 degrees while you are at work. This will cut down on your heating bill.

Air Filter – Before you even move into your new home it is a great idea to replace the air filter on your furnace or air conditioning system immediately. Who knows when the last time it was changed. Changing the air filter will give you much cleaner air and will improve the performance of your heater or air conditioner.

Locks – Even if you know who lived in the home before you, it is a good idea to have the locks changed. You never know who previous owners could have given a key to your home to. Keep your family safe and make this important change. Have some spare keys while you’re at it in case you lose one or get locked out.

Outlets – Check all of your outlets with a lamp to see if they work. If your outlet is not working, there could be a simple solution. Some outlets have a GFCI, this is the red button usually located in the middle of some outlets. Press the button to reset the outlet and see if that fixes the problem.

Main Water Valve – It is very important to locate where the main water shut off valve is in your home. A pipe could burst a week after you’ve purchased your home and you’d be rushing around in a panic trying to find the main water shut off valve. In a matter of minutes your home and belongings could become seriously damaged. Know where the shut off valve is and avoid a disastrous situation in an emergency.