Best Home Advice for 2023

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On Jan 4, 2023
Listed in Articles, Blog, Real Estate News

Get a head start on 2023 with some of the best home advice articles from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty (2-10 HBW). Whether you already own or are just starting to look, 2-10 HBW can help make your experience of home ownership a great one!

Takeaways

  • 5 pieces of home advice for current homeowners
  • 4 pieces of home advice for folks looking to buy soon
  • 1 piece of home advice for everyone

2023 home advice for current homeowners

Home maintenance is one of the most important parts of home ownership. And a lot of home maintenance includes stuff that you don’t need a professional to do! Here are five things to prepare to do in 2023.

1. Drain your water heater

A White person's left hand gripping the spigot of a water heater. The tank is gray, and the spigot is brass with signs corrosion.

Draining your water heater is one of the most important pieces of home maintenance you can do. It helps lengthen its life by preventing buildup, which usually means no unexpected cold showers!

We have a comprehensive guide for exactly how to drain your water heater safely. And all you really need is a strong, threaded hose and about an hour of time.

2. Know where your water main shutoff valve is

Three light tan pipes against a wall. the left-most pipe has a brass valve with a bright red wheel on it

Having basic knowledge about your home’s plumbing is a crucial piece of home advice. Many homeowners don’t learn about where their water main’s shutoff valve is until they’re experiencing a big leak.

The tricky part about finding your shutoff valve is that there’s no standard place for it. However, our guide to finding your water main’s shutoff valve can help you narrow its location down. Knowing where it is before you need to know can make life a lot easier.

3. Treat your garbage disposal right

A Hispanic man in a dark blue shirt and pliers in his right hand lying next to a black garbage disposal under a sink.

Garbage disposals are powerful, but they’re not invincible. Check out our list of 10 things to never put down your garbage disposal.

4. Take care of your home’s gutters

A White woman in blue jeans, a white t-shirt, yellow gloves, and a tan hat on a green A-frame ladder cleaning out gutters. A White man in a blue tank top and gray hat is holding the ladder. The house is red brick with white siding.

Good gutter maintenance can save you from a ton of headaches down the line. From avoiding unwanted roof pests to reducing the chances of water damage to your roof and foundation, maintaining your gutters is super important to overall home maintenance.

The two most crucial parts of gutter maintenance are:

  1. Keeping your gutters clear of debris.
  2. Making sure water is running away from your home’s foundation by at least 5 feet.

For more gutter maintenance tips and how to do it, check out our gutter maintenance article.

5. Be a good neighbor

A White man with full brown hair wearing a light blue collared shirt under a blue sweater, along with clue jeans, shaking hands with an older, balding man with gray hair and a mustache, who is wearing a light blue, long-sleeved collared shirt and blue jeans. They are standing in front of a burgundy-colored fence with a door that's partially open

Home maintenance isn’t always just about nuts and bolts (but remember to do the nuts-and-bolts stuff, because you’ll likely be crabby if the house starts falling apart, which makes it harder to be a good neighbor). A big part of happy home ownership is being a good neighbor.

Read these 5 easy tips to being a good neighbor.

2023 home advice for folks looking to buy

The most timeless home advice we can offer for folks looking to buy is work with a good real estate agent. A good real estate agent can help you navigate the myriad challenges buying a home presents.

Outside of working with a good real estate agent, here are some general pieces of home advice.

1. Know which expenses to expect

A young White woman with shoulder-length black hair wearing a long-sleeved tan sweater sitting on a blue-gray couch. She's holding a small cardboard sign that says Help with her eyebrows slightly furrowed and her head resting in the palm of her right hand. On the table in front of her are scattered papers, a calculator, and an open laptop

The costs of home ownership go well beyond the initial down payment and mortgage payments. As you’re looking, consider 10 expenses every homeowner should expect.

2. First timers should expect 3 things when buying a home

A White woman in a three-quarter length light blue shirt and blue jeans, a black man in Army fatigues including a hat, and a younger girl in a light-purple shirt and blue jeans all stand in front of a wood-picket fence. In the background is a ranch-style house with and American flag

One of the most consistent traits of being a first-time home buyer is how difficult it is. Between affordability challenges, competition, and lacking inventory, first-time home buyers need to work through issues that past generations didn’t have to deal with.

Learn which three things first-time home buyers can expect, regardless of where they’re looking.

3. Buying on a budget is possible with a plan

A young Black woman in a yellow headband, blue shirt with rolled up sleeves, gray jeans, and white shoes sitting on the floor next to a young Black man in a flannel shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes. The man is looking at his phone. They're surrounded by packing boxes in a home.

Buying a home is a huge decision. Having a well-considered plan is helpful, especially if you’re buying a home on a budget.

Here are the answers to some common questions about buying a home on a tight budget.

4. Understand the basics of mortgages

A piece of paper with the word MORTGAGE on it in sky blue. Spanning above the M-O-R portion of the word is a roof. Above the word MORTGAGE is small key on a ring along with a small house totem on the ring. The key and totem are on top of a jagged, sky blue line graph. On the right is a calculator with sky blue buttons.

Mortgages are much more than just “rent, but with equity.” From Private Mortgage Insurance to federally funded programs that can help first-time home buyers, there are many nuances to procuring a mortgage that works for you.

Check out 10 things to look into as you approach mortgages.

Advice for all: A 2-10 HBW Home Warranty helps

A Black man with short, cropped hair giving a piggyback ride to a Black woman with braces and long wavy hair. They're both in blue jeans and white t-shirts, smiling, and giving a peace sign, the man with his left hand and the woman with her right hand.

Whether you’re a homeowner or looking to buy, a 2-10 HBW Home Warranty Service Agreement (Home Warranty) can be a big help for several reasons.

  • It can help reduce out-of-pocket costs of unexpected, covered breakdowns.
  • A 2-10 HBW Home Warranty provides access to a trusted network of independent Service Contractors.
  • 2-10 HBW homeowners get access to special benefits, programs, and a comprehensive Maintenance Guide.

Give yourself a leg up in 2023 with these tips and a 2-10 HBW Home Warranty.

2-10 HBW offers quality Home Warranty Service Agreement coverage for homeowners. Let us help you protect your home and budget.

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