Housetto guides

Practical care for every part of your home.

Reliable maintenance guidance, appliance know-how, and homeowner checklists built for real decisions.

143 guides · page 3 of 12

Home inspector pointing a flashlight at a dark stain on a basement wall while a buyer looks on with the inspection report in hand.new homeowner

What to Do If a Home Inspection Finds Mold

Visible mold on an inspection report is rarely an automatic dealbreaker. Here's how to weigh testing, remediation cost, and what to negotiate before closing.

Aug 28, 202611 min read
Homeowner in a basement utility area pointing a flashlight at a water main shutoff valve near the meter.new homeowner

How to Locate Your Shutoff Valves in a New Home

How to find your water, gas, and electrical shutoffs in a new home, what each one looks like, and why locating them before an emergency matters.

Aug 28, 20269 min read
Homeowner at a kitchen table with a laptop, calculator, and a folder of home repair receipts, sketching out a savings plan.new homeowner

New Homeowner Maintenance Budget: How Much to Save

How much to budget for home maintenance as a new homeowner: the 1-4% rule, a first-year priority order, and why maintenance and emergency funds stay separate.

Aug 28, 202610 min read
New homeowner sitting on the floor of an empty living room surrounded by moving boxes, reviewing a checklist on a clipboard.new homeowner

The Ultimate First-Time Homeowner Checklist (2026)

A first-time homeowner checklist from closing week through year one: utilities, safety checks, locks, shutoffs, a maintenance calendar, and when to call a pro.

Aug 28, 202613 min read
A buyer and inspector examining an exposed knob-and-tube wiring junction and a hairline plaster crack in the basement of an older house.new homeowner

Normal Wear vs. a Deal-Breaker in an Older Home

Sort common quirks in a 40-80 year old house—settling cracks, old wiring, galvanized pipe—into normal wear, budget items, or real deal-breakers.

Aug 28, 202610 min read
Homeowner outside in fall disconnecting a garden hose from an exterior spigot before the first freeze.new homeowner

12 Seasonal Tasks New Homeowners Always Forget

12 seasonal home maintenance tasks first-time homeowners consistently forget, with the specific consequence of skipping each one and when it's actually due.

Aug 28, 202611 min read
Plumber feeding a video camera cable into a sewer cleanout pipe outside a house, with a monitor showing the pipe interior.new homeowner

Should You Get a Sewer Scope Inspection?

Yes, if the home is older, has mature trees near the line, or a history of clogs. A sewer scope runs a camera through the lateral—here's when it earns its cost.

Aug 28, 20268 min read
New homeowner checking a smoke alarm on a stepladder in a hallway with moving boxes stacked nearby.new homeowner

30 Things to Do When You Buy a House (Maintenance Edition)

30 specific maintenance and safety tasks to do when you buy a house: locks, shutoffs, alarms, filters, and the small fixes new owners overlook.

Aug 28, 202612 min read
Person on a laptop at a kitchen table setting up a new electric utility account, moving boxes visible in the background.new homeowner

How to Transfer Utilities When You Move Into a New Home

Which utilities to transfer when you buy a new home, the right timeline before and after closing, typical 2026 deposit costs, and how to avoid a service gap.

Aug 28, 20269 min read
Close-up comparison of a straight vertical crack and a jagged, step-shaped horizontal crack running through a concrete block foundation wall.new homeowner

Vertical vs. Horizontal Foundation Cracks: What Each Means

Crack orientation reveals the mechanism: vertical usually means shrinkage or settling, horizontal means lateral soil pressure. Here's how to tell them apart.

Aug 28, 202610 min read
Homeowner testing a kitchen faucet and checking under the sink for leaks during a first-week move-in walkthrough.new homeowner

What to Check in a New Home: First-Week Inspection Guide

What to check in a new home during your first week: utilities working, no leaks, safety devices present—a room-by-room move-in walkthrough.

Aug 28, 202610 min read
Hallway ceiling with a carbon monoxide alarm mounted near a bedroom door outside a sleeping area.safety

Carbon Monoxide Detector Placement: Where and How Many You Need

CPSC and NFPA guidance on where to install CO alarms: on every level, outside sleeping areas, and inside bedrooms with fuel-burning appliances.

Aug 28, 20268 min read