Hearthbruk guide
First-Year Home Maintenance Checklist (Month by Month)
A home that's well-cared-for in year one tends to stay that way. This is the seasonal companion to the new-homeowner checklist — the 30/90 fundamentals there, the rhythm here.
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The plan tool conditions each season on your foundation type, sump status, and HVAC.
Build my plan →Spring
March · April · May- · Clear gutters and downspouts; flush with a hose to check pitch.
- · Test the sump pump by pouring 5 gallons in the pit; listen for the cycle.
- · Walk the foundation perimeter; photograph any new cracks.
- · Inspect roof flashing and shingles with binoculars from the ground.
- · Reseat any exterior caulk that cracked over the winter.
Summer
June · July · August- · Rinse the AC condenser coil and clear vegetation 2 ft around it.
- · Check window wells and clean leaves out.
- · Inspect and tune irrigation; replace broken heads before peak heat.
- · Look for early wasp/hornet nests under eaves.
- · Swap HVAC filter mid-summer if AC runs hard.
Fall
September · October · November- · Clean gutters again after leaves drop.
- · Disconnect, drain, and store hoses; insulate exterior hose bibs.
- · Schedule a furnace tune-up before the first cold snap.
- · Test smoke and CO alarms; replace batteries.
- · Sweep the chimney or schedule a sweep if you have a wood-burning fireplace.
Winter
December · January · February- · Monitor indoor humidity (target 30–45%); adjust humidifier as needed.
- · Run the sump quarterly so the impeller doesn't seize.
- · Check the attic for frost on nails or ice-dam telltales.
- · Open cabinet doors under exterior-wall sinks during deep cold snaps.
- · Walk every room after a heavy snow + warm-up cycle; look for ceiling stains.
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