First-Year Homeowner Maintenance Checklist for Indiana, Season by Season

The first year in a new home is when you learn how the house actually behaves. Where the water goes in a downpour. How the furnace sounds when it is working. Which gutter always overflows.

Most expensive repairs start as cheap maintenance that got skipped. This checklist is built around Indiana seasons, because a house in Lafayette deals with freeze and thaw, heavy spring rain, humid summers, and a lot of leaves.

Start wherever you are on the calendar. You do not need to do everything at once.

The first week: learn your house

Before anything seasonal, do these. They take an afternoon and they matter most when something goes wrong at night.

• Find the main water shutoff and make sure it turns. Label it.
• Find the electrical panel and check that breakers are labeled accurately. Fix the labels that say things like "misc."
• Find the gas shutoff at the meter if you have gas service.
• Change the locks or rekey them. You do not know how many keys are out there.
• Locate the sump pump, the water heater, the furnace filter slot, and any cleanouts.
• Write down the age of the roof, furnace, air conditioner, and water heater from your inspection report.
• Test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, and check the manufacture date on the back.

On alarms, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends testing smoke alarms monthly, replacing the entire alarm 10 years from the manufacture date, and having alarms on every level and inside and outside sleeping areas. Previous owners rarely leave you new ones.

Keep your inspection report handy. It is the best owner's manual you will ever get for this house, and it tells you what the inspector thought would need attention first.

Fall: get ready for freeze

Fall is the most important maintenance season in Indiana. What you do in October decides what kind of February you have.

• Service the furnace. Have a technician check it before you need it. Replace the filter and put a reminder on your phone to check it monthly.
• Clean the gutters after the leaves drop. In neighborhoods with mature trees, that may mean twice. Clogged gutters send water against your foundation and can cause ice dams later.
• Check downspout extensions. Water should discharge several feet away from the house, onto ground that slopes away.
• Winterize outdoor faucets. Disconnect every hose. If the faucet has an interior shutoff valve, close it and open the outside faucet to drain. A hose left attached can trap water and split a pipe inside the wall.
• Blow out or drain irrigation lines if the home has a sprinkler system.
• Seal gaps. Check weatherstripping on doors, caulk around windows, and gaps where pipes and wires enter the house.
• Have the chimney inspected before the first fire if you have a wood-burning fireplace.

If you are new to Indiana weather, owning a home through four seasons in Lafayette goes deeper on what each time of year brings.

Winter: watch and protect

Winter maintenance is mostly paying attention. The house tells you things if you look.

• Keep the heat on when you travel. Do not drop the thermostat too low while you are away.
• Know your vulnerable pipes. Plumbing on exterior walls, in garages, or over crawl spaces freezes first. On the coldest nights, opening cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls helps.
• Watch for ice dams. Large icicles and ice buildup along the roof edge can mean heat is escaping into the attic.
• Keep furnace intakes and exhaust vents clear of snow if your furnace vents out the side of the house.
• Check the furnace filter monthly. Winter is when it works hardest.
• Test for radon if you have not since closing. Winter, with the house closed up, is a practical time to run a test.

On radon, the EPA suggests retesting if you start spending more time in a lower level like a basement, or after renovations. If you finish the basement this year, retest. If a mitigation system was installed as part of your purchase, make sure a follow-up test confirmed it works. Radon and environmental testing for Indiana buyers covers how the test and mitigation work.

Winter in Greater Lafayette covers the rest of what to expect locally.

Spring: water season

Spring rain is where Indiana basements get tested. This is the season to make sure water goes where it should.

• Test the sump pump. Pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure the pump turns on and drains it. Check that the discharge line is clear and points away from the house.
• Consider a battery backup or water alarm for the sump. Storms that bring heavy rain can also knock out power, which is exactly when you need the pump.
• Clean gutters again and look for seeds and debris from spring trees.
• Walk the basement after a big storm. Look for damp spots, efflorescence, or water along the floor edges. Catching it early is the difference between regrading a flower bed and a big repair.
• Check grading. Soil settles, and the ground next to the foundation should slope away.
• Turn the outdoor faucets back on once freezing nights are behind you, and check for leaks inside the wall the first time you run them.
• Look at the roof from the ground for missing or lifted shingles after winter wind.
• Service the air conditioner before the first hot week, and replace the filter.

If your home has a private well or septic system, spring is a sensible time to schedule testing or a pump-out. Buying a home with a well or septic system explains the maintenance schedule those systems need.

Summer: outside and humidity

Summer is the season for exterior projects and for keeping moisture under control inside.

• Run a dehumidifier in the basement if it feels damp. Humid Indiana summers can cause musty smells and mold in lower levels.
• Clean the dryer vent all the way to the outside. Lint buildup is a fire risk and slows drying.
• Keep plants and mulch away from siding. Trim shrubs back and keep soil below the siding line.
• Check exterior paint and caulk on trim and windows. Small touch-ups prevent rot.
• Look at decks and railings for loose boards, popped nails, and soft spots.
• Flush the water heater if the manufacturer recommends it. Sediment builds up, especially with hard water.
• Change the AC filter and keep the outdoor unit clear of grass clippings and plants.

Keep a simple home file

The best habit you can build in year one is writing things down. A folder or a note on your phone works fine.

• Dates you changed filters, serviced the furnace, and tested the sump pump.
• Receipts and warranties for any repair or appliance.
• Names of the contractors you liked.
• Photos of anything you are watching, like a crack or a damp spot, with the date.

This helps with insurance claims, helps you notice patterns, and helps when you sell someday. Buyers and their inspectors notice a well-kept file.

If you bought a home warranty, check what it requires. Many plans expect proof of regular maintenance before they cover a failed system. Is a home warranty worth it in Indiana explains the fine print.

Budget for maintenance, not just repairs

New owners often budget for the mortgage and forget the house needs care. I encourage buyers to set aside something every month for maintenance, and more for older homes or systems near the end of their lives.

That is part of how we plan in Buy & Move Smart. We look at the age of the roof, furnace, and water heater before you buy, so year one does not surprise you.

The short version

Learn your shutoffs in week one. Prepare for freeze in fall. Watch the house in winter. Manage water in spring. Control humidity and handle outside projects in summer. Write it all down.

If you are still shopping and want help judging how much maintenance a home will ask of you, I am glad to look at it with you. Book a time on my calendar whenever it suits you.

A real person reads every message. No pressure either way. Let's get you home.