How to Operate and Maintain Your Home

Thank you to AeroBarrier – breakthrough envelope sealing technology – for sponsoring this Green Gab podcast episode.

Gabbing about training – homeowner training specifically. It is all about habits – habits and training. Homeowner and building owner training, documentation and resources are crucial if you want to operate and maintain your home. It sounds a little dry but this is a big deal.” How many times do you get a homeowners’ manual with a home you buy or rent?

Houses are getting smarter and more complicated to run. “The trick is that if you don’t operate the house properly you won’t get the full benefits out of your home.” It’s important to know how to properly operate everything so you can get the best use from your home. When purchasing a home, it can be overwhelming, but it’s a must to do a walkthrough with the previous owners or the home builder to get a feel for everything and how it all works. To get the full benefit your home offers, training is needed about how to operate and maintain that home to keep it in tip top shape. And today that is even easier with a multitude of resources and information easily available via the Internet. Or take it a step further and dive into the many apps available to help operate and maintain a home. “When we can’t do it with our behavior, the apps will help with that.”

Learning to Operate and Maintain Your Home – Driving Your Home

Home and building owner training and resources are important in any home, but in a Green Certified home that training may be required. “You have to know exactly how to work your home to get the full benefit out of it.”

When training on how to drive or maintain your home, the key areas to be trained on:

1. Heating and Cooling filters and how to change them – there is nothing you can do more important to maintain good air quality throughout the house.
2. Thermostats – not only how to operate it, but how to program it.
3. Lighting controls – not such a big deal when you have rocker switches, BUT now you have homes that have controlled lighting through an app or a full smart home implementation.
4. Fan controls – also teach put the fan in reverse for winter operation. The fan will push the hot air to keep the room warmer.
5. Water heater – how to access it, control the temperature and also how to drain it, which should be done once a year. Also learn how to relight the pilot and use vacation settings
6. Recycling practices – what recycling is available in the home and neighborhood, pick up schedule and resources to encourage people to recycle.

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The builder or realtor may show you the basics when you move in, but that’s a lot of information shared in a short amount of time and a lot to remember to operate and maintain your home. If the builder or realtor does not offer a document or online service to help you with the elements they show you at walk-through ASK for it.

In addition to the basics, any system that goes into the house you need to know how to operate and maintain it. This includes appliances, audio/video systems, security systems and any related remote communications or controls.

AeroBarrier – breakthrough envelope sealing technology, offers a revolutionary air-sealing solution that solves the problem of homes that leak. Air leaks are a major factor in homes that may not be comfortable or perform well. AeroBarrier stops the leaks for improved comfort, health, and safety for the people living in the home.

Delivering the Information

One of Green Home Coach’s offerings can help with the documentation, resources and training for a home. HomeNav is an online owners’ manual for a home which can be customized with all the stuff in your home – from appliances and systems to finishes. It is a place to keep all the information about a home and access it online. However, the documentation, resources and training are stored and shared, the key is to not just train someone, but give them something to come back to because it’s hard to remember everything – which is critical to maintain your home.

This documentation and training is a great customer service tool and a marketing tool to boot. Providing training and documentation sets you apart and is appreciated by the home buyer or owner. Even a one-on-one transaction between homeowner and homeowner offers some basic information that will be appreciated. Builders and realtors can turn that need (or requirement for green certified homes) into a marketing asset (homeowner documentation provided by builders and realtors).

Homeowner documentation, resources and training is a gift – a gift of knowledge about the home and the community it’s in.

Resources

Facebook Live of recording the Green Gab podcast “Driving Your Home”

Shout out in our podcast to The Egg in St. Louis for breakfast and lunch

USA Today Article “You’ve bought the house, but the seller controls the lights. Now what?”

Whirlpool Smart Appliances and Alexa

GE Smart Appliances and Alexa

Insinkerator – Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal

HomeNav – an online owners’ manual for a home

If you’re interested in environmental education, every week on iTunes and on The Everyday Green Home Podcast, we gab and share what we’ve done, as well as tips for greening up your home, your job, your family and your life! Get in on the gab for why green matters – to you, your family and friends and your community.

Get Marla’s book Living Green Effortlessly: Simple Choices to a Better Home. For more information about the show, Marla at marla@greenhomecoach.com or Tony at tpratte@thesoundroom.com. I’d love to speak at your next event – for ideas check out my speaking information. Thank you and have a blessed day.