The Best Skills Any Homeowner Could Have
It’s nice to own your home, and it offers a lot more peace of mind in keeping a roof over your head when compared to renting, but there’s a lot of trouble that comes with being in charge of a property. It’s up to you to keep the house in good shape, and if anything goes wrong, you have to be the one to make the decision on what to do and how to fix things.
And you know that if you make the wrong decision, a lot more money can go down the drain! You have an insurance policy in place, of course, but that can only be used at certain times, and the coverage is very much dictated by the fine print.
All of this is why it’s so important that homeowners have certain skills on their side. The more you can assure yourself when there’s a problem, the easier it’ll be to manage the risk and minimize the damage. With that in mind, here are the best skills any and all homeowners can have; if you don’t have many, it might be time to look up some tutorials and teach yourself a few things!
Know How to Unblock a Drain
Blocked drains occur all the time, and you can’t be calling a plumber out every 5 minutes! You need to know how to unblock drains yourself, especially if it’s just a little blockage that’s keeping the water from draining away.
You should also be up to date on the best ways to prevent drain blockages, such as keeping oil away from the kitchen sink, but we know accidents happen!
Within this, make sure you know how to remove filters from drains; these can be common in bathroom fixtures like the shower, in which they catch the hair that would otherwise get trapped and clog up the system.
Learn to Take Care of Chips and Cracks
They occur a lot in the modern home, and they’re not usually all that troublesome. If you notice a chip in a bathroom tile, simply pulling it out and replacing it will take you all of twenty minutes. You’ll need to scrape off the old grout and caulk the new one into place, but that’s quite the simple job.
The same goes for any chips or cracks you see in the plaster of your walls. Of course, if there’s a massive crack that’s suddenly appeared overnight, it’s time to call in an expert. But otherwise, get your caulking gun back out and see to the repair yourself.
Be Able to Put Furniture Together
Flatpack furniture, like the kind you can easily get from IKEA, is one thing. These kits are usually quite easy to put together, and you won’t need more than your own hands to screw each part into place.
However, not every bit of furniture you can invest in will come with this guarantee. Indeed, you may only get a series of pictures to follow, or a poorly translated document that is filled with errors.
In cases like these, knowing how furniture usually goes together, and having a reliable toolkit with a proper drill in it, will save you a lot of time and frustration.
Learning the ins and outs of furniture assembly will make it so much easier to renovate your home in the long run too, as when the time comes to rip up the carpet and replace it, you may need to take beds, wardrobes, and shelving units apart without damaging them!
How to Save Electricity Throughout the Day
Keeping things on all day long will waste a lot of electricity, and that will go straight onto your bill for the month. Keeping this bill low is the goal of many homeowners, and you’re probably not much different in that regard!
But what’s the simplest way to save electricity? Make sure you’re not leaving things on! Even when you think you’ve turned everything off, there’s a chance things are just on standby and still passively consuming power.
When something has been switched off at the wall, unplugged, and the socket remains off as well, you can be sure no electrical currents are leaking out and going to waste.
Where to Take Different Types of Waste
It’s not a good idea to put any and all waste your household churns out into the same trash can. It’s one thing to have separate general waste and recycling, but you’re going to need to separate cans for other types of waste too.
For example, organic waste, especially if you’d like to start your own compost heap in the garden.
Similarly, electric waste, such as old batteries, phones, and laptops. They’ll need disposing of outside your home, and knowing where to take them is a little skill that’ll make all the difference.
How to Make the House Safe for Repairs
You can’t just get your toolbox out and immediately start applying your DIY skills. You need to ensure the house is actually safe to work on first.
This is all about knowing where your fuse box is, how to turn your heating on and off (especially if you have a furnace), and where the main valve for your water is.
If you can locate and make a note of all these things, you’ll be able to safely and effectively repair your home when a small problem crops up.
The Homeowner Skill Challenge: What to Keep in Mind
If you’re a homeowner, the more skills you have regarding home maintenance, the better! If something goes wrong, you’ll immediately know how to act - and also whether or not you’re capable of fixing it yourself.
Deciding this is sometimes all it takes to do something safely, and you can save yourself a lot of money by being able to make this choice. But for the time being, make sure you’re aware of the basic DIY skills above and at least feel comfortable in putting them to use within your house.