GET IT TOGETHER!

Home manual keeps information & details at your fingertips 

Home ownership brings many joys: a consistent monthly cost, a space that can be altered as you wish, the chance to put down roots in a neighborhood and financial benefits that range from increasing equity to tax breaks. 

Home ownership also comes with responsibility. Houses have systems that require attention and maintenance. Sometimes, emergencies demand immediate action. Other issues may not be as pressing but are still important. How old is that water heater? Where is the instruction manual for the portable generator? What should you do when the screen of the electronic thermostat goes blank? 

One of the best investments of time you can make for your house is to create and maintain a central location for those details. Keeping this information together in one binder provides detailed information right at your fingertips. Here’s where to begin. 

Photo: James River Media

Pieces and parts
Where should you start? Think in terms of categories. Walk through your house and make a list of appliances or décor that would remain when you move to a new residence. This includes: 

• Heating, cooling & electricity: furnace, heat pump or air-conditioning unit, electronic thermostat, electric panel, generator(s), air filtration, dehumidifier, smoke detectors, wall and ceiling light fixtures, fireplaces 
• Appliances: stove, built-in microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator, washer and dryer 
• Plumbing: water heater, in-ground pool or hot tub, icemaker, garbage disposal, bath/showers, toilets, sinks, water filtration system, septic system 
• Exterior: siding, roof, windows, irrigation systems, garage doors, decks/patios, skylights, gutters, landscaping 
• Other systems: In-house sound system, central vacuum, security system, electronically controlled locks and lights, permanently installed window treatments 

The next category encompasses those items that would move with you to a new home, such as computers, televisions, portable sound systems, video game systems, an outdoor grill, lawn mower, leaf blower, bicycles and scooters. 

Once you have your list, begin gathering the manuals and proofs of purchase for each item. Copy receipts, as most are printed on thermal paper with ink that will fade over time. Write serial and model numbers into each manual. These are often found in hard-to-reach locations yet are necessary if you need replacement parts or warranty assistance. 

As you’re wading through paperwork, collect any documents relating to home repairs or improvements. You’ll want to be able to say with confidence when the breaker box was replaced and when the hardwood floors were refinished. It’s also nice to keep a record of when rooms were painted and the brand and color number of the paint used. 

Diving into the details
Another section of your home binder might include passwords. As an essential part of life, we have more passwords than we realize — for Wi-Fi, for streaming subscriptions, for delivery services and beyond. It’s recommended that no two passwords be identical; for the best security, each password would be truly unique, not just a rearrangement of the same characters and numbers. Keeping an organized list of passwords helps visiting family members and friends and assists you when you need to reset the Wi-Fi after a power outage.

Scan or click the code to download our yearly home maintenance checklist.

You might want to include a calendar in your manual to remind you to do regular tasks such as changing HVAC air filters or water filters in your refrigerator. If you don’t want to keep this in paper form, set up an electronic calendar reminder. Keep track of when you purchased your smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors — most expire within 10 years of their manufactured date. You can also download a copy of our list of home maintenance to-dos by season by scanning the QR code above. 

If you intend for others to make the most of your manual, include details about where to find the main water cutoff valve and who to call in case the air conditioning stops working.

Photo: James River Media

Hard copy or digital … or both?
Both. When power is out, you don’t want to have to rely on a laptop to access scanned images of manuals or try to use a downed internet to reach online resources. An easily accessible, organized binder can be close at hand and moved to the location where it’s needed. But be thoughtful about what you include. 

To keep the size of the binder manageable, copy and insert only the instruction manual pages that are most essential; you don’t need instructions in languages you don’t speak. You may want to keep the full manuals in a filing cabinet, though many manuals can now be found online. In the binder, tabbed dividers will organize what you have. Pocket folders and clear sheet protectors can hold documents that may be oversized or undersized. 

A digital reference system is also helpful. Create a family email account and use the storage within for scanned copies of essential household documents. Or save in a shared drive (like Google or Dropbox). This digital information should be accessible to adult children, who may house-sit when you’re away or take over in a medical emergency. 

Finally — and often overlooked — walk through your house and photograph its contents. Printed images can go in the binder, and digital copies can be stored online. This creates a record for insurance purposes. Should a catastrophic event occur, photos not only prompt your memory but indicate what must be replaced. An added benefit: years from now, those photos will be a fun reminder of your house and the life that occurred within its walls. ✦