Covenant Community Capital

Once you’ve found the right home for you, the work really begins. There are hundreds of things that you need to keep in mind when maintaining your home, from HVAC maintenance to plumbing issues. In this session, we’ll cover some of the highlights, such as:

• Navigate the closing process
• Making initial improvements to your home and moving in
• Performing regular maintenance

We will go over the most common aspects of early homeownership, such as dissecting the closing process, budgeting for initial improvements, and putting together a long-term maintenance plan. During the purchase process, you’ll acquire a home inspection report that will be your roadmap for years to come.

This session helps you better understand the long-term commitment to your home. Proper improvements and maintenance help you protect your home’s value and safety.

Navigating the Closing Process

After you’ve qualified for your loan, selected a home, made an offer, and the owner accepted, you move into the closing phase. This is where all of your hard work comes together into a deal. Closing on a home typically takes about 30 days from beginning to end, and it can be a complicated process with a lot of landmines.

However, with good preparation, closing on a home can be smooth and stress-free. The first step is making sure all of your paperwork is in order. If you have mortgage pre-approval, you can avoid last minute credit checks and delays for fixing any outstanding errors in your financial profile.

Next, we go through what a typical closing document looks like, and how to interpret the costs. You may have to provide earnest money to the seller, and you may be liable for partial-year property taxes. Your real estate agent should be your guide through this process, but it always helps to be prepared.

Making Initial Improvements to Your Home

A home inspection report is an essential part of the home purchase process. This will be your roadmap for initial improvements. Even if you are purchasing a brand new structure, there is always a punchlist of things to do,. They can happen before you move in or immediately afterwards. You can choose to hire a contractor or do them yourself.

We help you understand the range of common improvements new homeowners take on, such as:

• HVAC, electrical, and plumbing system repairs
• Structural improvements to the roof, foundation, and driveway
• Maintaining or replacing your refrigerator, washer/dryer, dishwasher, and other appliances
• Fixing and replacing windows
• Landscaping and outdoor beautification

We will also review ways of screening contractors and prioritizing repairs.

Performing Regular Maintenance to Protect the Value of Your Home

Your home is complicated. There are a variety of systems and structures that work together to put a roof over your head. As a result, it requires continuous maintenance. If you neglect your home, it can cause expensive problems in the future.

Regular maintenance can also minimize replacement expenses. In this session, we’ll cover some of the most common maintenance activities such as:

• Using your utility bill to diagnose problems with your windows and toilets
• Weatherproofing your windows and doors
• Wrapping your pipes in the winter
• Regular service for HVAC systems

Don't worry: you don’t need to be handy with tools to be proactive with your home maintenance. With a simple checklist, you can stay on top of it with very little effort.