When it comes to owning a new home, these are some things you should do right away:
1) Locate the main water shut off valve. With every winter comes at least one home with a pipe that bursts. Stop yourself from an emergency by knowing exactly where your main water shut off valve is located.
2) Find and label your circuit breaker box. Determine which breakers control the various electrical areas of you home and label them. This will save you a lot of time when you need to shut off the power to a certain area.
3) Call 811 before you dig. We’ve all seen the commercial and heard the jingle. Don’t dig before calling 811 so the utility company can come out and mark you pipes, wires, and cables. This will save you a lot of unwanted headache when you start digging around.
4) Check your foundation. After heavy rains or when all the snow is melting away, check the inside and outside of your foundation for any leaks, cracks, or pressure points. Be sure your gutters and clean and draining property as well. It's important that your foundation be in good condition. You don't want to cause your home to get cracks from something as simple as cleaning the gutters or making sure they are routed away from the foundation.