The 7-service checklist
- 1
Service the heating + cooling system
You rarely know when the furnace or AC was last serviced. A tune-up catches a failing part before the first cold snap or heat wave, and confirms the filter, refrigerant, and safety controls are right for the home you just inherited.
- 2
Get a plumbing once-over
Find the main shutoff, check the water heater's age and the supply lines, and look for slow leaks under sinks and around the meter. Catching a corroded valve or a water heater near end-of-life now is far cheaper than the 2 a.m. version.
- 3
Run an electrical safety check
Older homes can hide aluminum wiring, an undersized panel, missing GFCIs near water, or DIY work behind the walls. An electrician's safety inspection tells you what's actually code-safe before you plug in a new range or EV charger.
- 4
Inspect the roof + clear the gutters
The roof and gutters are the home's first defense against the bill you don't want. A post-purchase inspection finds lifted shingles, failing flashing, and clogged or sagging gutters before the next storm turns them into interior water damage.
- 5
Scope the sewer line or inspect the septic
Sewer and septic problems are invisible until they back up. If the home is on a septic system, get it inspected and pumped on a known schedule; if it's on a city sewer, a camera scope of the lateral line catches roots and cracks early.
- 6
Book a pest + termite inspection
A purchase inspection doesn't always include a thorough pest check. Termites, carpenter ants, and rodents do structural damage quietly — a baseline inspection now sets up a plan instead of a surprise.
- 7
Assess trees near the house
Dead limbs, leaning trunks, and branches over the roof or power lines are a liability you take on with the property. An arborist's assessment flags hazard trees before a wind storm decides for you.
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Request quotes from verified prosNew homeowner FAQ
What home services should I set up first after buying a house?
Start with the systems that fail expensively and seasonally: have the HVAC serviced, get a plumbing and electrical safety check, and inspect the roof and gutters. Then handle the slower-burning risks — sewer or septic, pests, and any hazard trees. Doing these in your first few months turns surprise emergencies into planned maintenance.
Do I still need inspections if the home passed a purchase inspection?
Often yes. A purchase (general) inspection is a broad visual pass under time pressure and usually excludes specialized checks — sewer-line scoping, a full pest/termite inspection, HVAC internals, and detailed electrical panel review. Trade-specific inspections go deeper on the systems most likely to cost you.
How do I avoid overpaying as a new homeowner?
Get more than one quote for anything non-emergency, ask whether the estimate is a fixed price or an hourly range, and confirm licensing and insurance before work starts. ProFix Directory shows license evidence and verification signals on each pro's profile, and our cost calculators give you a planning range to sanity-check bids.
Should I do all of this at once?
No. Sequence it. Do the seasonal safety items first (HVAC before the season turns, electrical before you add big loads), then spread the rest across your first year. Bundling a few visits with the same trade can also save trip charges.
Moving in from out of town? See the Ohio moving + relocating playbook for choosing a PUCO-registered mover.