There are about 85 million single-family homes in the United States, which is a lot of houses. If you own one of them, then you already know what you don’t know —from real estate terms to the actual cost of owning the place. Buying and maintaining a house is a life-long learning process.
But no matter how long you’ve owned your home, there are probably aspects of it that you have no clue about. This can be a problem because you’re relying on this structure to protect you and your family from the elements, to be a valuable asset in your financial portfolio, and to be an attractive place you can be proud to show off to friends and family. In order for that to happen, you need to know some fundamental details about your house.
If you don’t know these things, find them out ASAP. Shutoffs Your house runs on a few basic resources—water, electricity, and possibly natural gas. Unless you’re totally off the grid with solar power and localized supplies like propane tanks, these resources are piped into your home from outside under consistent pressure.
If something goes wrong (e.g., a water pipe bursts, or a pilot light goes out and gas leaks) you need to know how to shut things off—which means you need to know the location of the following: The water shutoff: The main valve that controls the flow of water into your house.
It will usually be located outside, but if it’s inside (mine is), it’ll be near the perimeter, and possibly in your basement. Know where it is and.
