Guides
What we'd tell our own family.
Short guides to looking after a house in north Fulton and East Cobb. Read them here, print them, or pass one along to a neighbor.
- For this monthThe North Fulton Home CalendarWhat a house here needs each month, and why.Read it
- Every seasonThe seasonal walkthroughThe sixty things a trained eye checks, four times a year.
- For your recordsYour house, on one pageWhere the shutoffs are, who to call, what's under warranty.
- Planning aheadWhat your house will need in the next ten yearsLifespans, costs, and the number to set aside.
- Before you signRepair or replace?How to read an HVAC quote before you sign it.
- Before you signThe three-quote sheetPut three quotes side by side and find the row where they disagree.
- Before you signHow we vet a contractorLicense, insurance, the three questions, and the red flags.
- When something happensAfter the stormThe first hour, the first day, the first week — and the door-knockers.
- When something happensThe first ten minutesBurst pipe, gas smell, no heat, a fall: what to do first.
- For your recordsThe home service logOne line for every time someone works on the house.
- For your recordsThe home fileTwelve documents that belong in one folder.
- Comings and goingsKeys and codesHow to let people in without handing the house over.
- Comings and goingsLeaving for two weeksSo the house isn't the thing you think about on the trip.