Loading...
Loading...
the blog
Maintenance schedules, record-keeping, and the admin of small landlording. Written to be useful whether or not you ever sign up.
Maintenance
How to winterize a house: protect pipes, hose bibs, HVAC, and gaps before the freeze. An ordered list with regional notes and what to do for a vacant home.
A spring home maintenance checklist of 18 tasks, ordered exterior to interior, with time and cost for each and a note on what you can safely skip.
A fall home maintenance checklist to get your house ready for winter, ordered exterior to interior, with the prevention economics behind each task.
What home maintenance costs per year: the 1 to 4 percent rule explained, an itemized annual budget, and why prevention beats emergency repair on cost.
How often to replace smoke detector batteries and test alarms: test monthly, change batteries yearly, replace units every 10 years. CO detectors too.
How often to flush a water heater: once a year for most homes. A step-by-step guide for tank heaters, when not to DIY, and how flushing extends its life.
How often to clean gutters: twice a year is the baseline, more with heavy tree cover. DIY versus hired costs, and what neglected gutters do to a home.
Average appliance lifespan for 15+ home appliances in one table, a repair-versus-replace rule of thumb, and why serial and purchase records matter.
How often to change your HVAC filter: 30 to 90 days for most homes, sooner with pets or allergies. A clear schedule by filter type, plus the cost of neglect.
A complete home maintenance schedule broken into monthly, quarterly, seasonal, and annual tasks. Printable-minded checklists with timing so nothing slips.
Records & Documents
Which home improvement receipts to keep for taxes and resale, how capital improvements affect your cost basis at sale, and how long to hold each receipt.
A home inventory for insurance documents what you own before a loss. Learn the room-by-room method, what to photograph, and how to keep it current.
Where to find the model and serial number on any appliance, with a location table by type, plus why the nameplate matters for recalls, parts, and warranties.
Keep track of warranties on appliances and home systems: manufacturer vs extended vs home warranty, why registration matters, and how to track expiry dates.
Learn how to organize home documents the right way: which papers to keep, how long to keep them, and a clear retention table for deeds, permits, and warranties.
A home maintenance log records every repair on your house. Learn what to log, a simple template, and how it pays off at resale, warranty, and tax time.
Landlords
An honest look at self-managing a rental: property manager fee math (8–12%), what PMs actually do, when self-managing works, and when hiring out is the right call.
Lease renewal tracking done right: the 90-day renewal timeline, rent-review cadence, and the vacancy math that shows why one lost month dwarfs any software cost.
Common tax deductions for small landlords: repairs vs improvements, depreciation basics, and commonly missed write-offs — explained plainly. Not tax advice.
How to document a security deposit properly: photos, itemized deductions, normal wear vs. damage with examples, and the state deadline patterns to watch for.
A rent ledger records every rent payment, charge, and balance per tenant. Learn what each entry needs, why courts ask for one, and spreadsheet vs. app tradeoffs.
A room-by-room move-in and move-out checklist with timestamped photos and signatures — the documentation that prevents security deposit disputes for both sides.
A landlord expense tracking system that maps to Schedule E: receipt discipline, per-unit separation, and mileage — so tax season takes an hour, not a weekend.
A practical rental property maintenance checklist for small landlords: turnover, seasonal, and per-visit tasks that keep units habitable and vacancies short.
Selling
What to leave for new home owners: manuals, paint colors, vendor list, warranties, and quirks. A complete handoff packet checklist that protects the seller.
What to fix before selling your house, ordered by return: the repairs that pay off, what inspectors flag, and what to disclose instead of fixing.
Do home maintenance records increase resale value? An honest look at how a documented home history signals care, speeds diligence, and supports your price.
The documents needed to sell a house: deed, permits, warranties, manuals, maintenance records, and disclosures. A full checklist and what agents ask for.
Renting
A renter document checklist: the lease, addenda, payment records, communications, and condition reports to keep until your deposit is returned after move-out.
Move-in photos for an apartment are your best defense in a deposit dispute. What to photograph, why timestamps matter, and how to store and share them.
huswerks
Projects, maintenance, documents, expenses. Free for one property, no card on file.
Start free