5 things new homeowners in Alberta commonly overlook

Throughout the pandemic, many Albertans made the leap and invested in their forever home.

It’s an exciting next step that can spark joy and really cement your financial future — but, once the journey of house-hunting has come to a close, the burden of maintaining your home begins.

A trusted Alberta brand for over 70 years, ATCO recently introduced its newest enterprise, Rümi (think “roomie”), to the family. Their goal? To make creating a happy home easy with a seamless offering of handy products, reliable home maintenance services, and solid professional advice for homeowners.

“We let homeowners focus on doing the things they love, knowing they have trusted local experts a click or call away to provide services and products to keep their home well-maintained while making life around the home a little easier and more enjoyable,” said Shelley Spear-Brunet, Rümi’s senior manager of products and services.

This means instead of trying to decipher the best services based on a flurry of Google searches, you can connect with Rümi and know you’re in good hands. So, we did just that and got in touch with a Rümi expert to get to the bottom of the biggest missteps that plague new homeowners — and how to handle them.

Check on your attic

Catherine.Things/Shutterstock

Your attic is one of those things in your home that may be out of sight, out of mind — but checking on it regularly can help prevent future hassles. Our Rümi expert says a good place to start in your new home is ensuring the attic hatch is insulated. “This will reduce the likelihood of attic rain in the wintertime,” says Brendan Graham, the home solutions lead for Rümi. 

We all want our homes to be safe havens — a place for rest and relaxation — but sometimes the upkeep can feel a little, well, overwhelming. “Rümi’s mission is to take away the dread and replace it with a sense of peace,” adds Graham. “Empowering homeowners with the confidence to check items off their to-do list so that they can get back to loving their homes.”

Preventing fires starts with the dryer vent

Something you may not be aware of as a new homeowner is that your dryer is the biggest threat when it comes to appliance fires. Thankfully, you can put your mind at ease by simply doing an annual clean of any build-up.

If it’s a task that seems daunting, don’t fret, Rümi partners with local, often family-owned service providers that can take care of it for you.

Look for leaks

Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

Water leaks are some of the most common — and also some of the most destructive — things that can surface in your home. Whether it’s leaky pipes or a roof that needs new shingles, it’s always best to try and get ahead of potential water issues before they can wreak any havoc.

Flo by Moen, a new product Rümi offers, can detect and alert you if it senses something is leaking — so you can take the guesswork out of where it’s coming from and spring to action quickly.

Change your furnace filter

If you have AC, then you’ll want to heed the advice of our Rümi expert and change your furnace air filter regularly in the summer and check that your humidifier is working properly during the winter months.

In doing this, you’ll prevent dirt, dust, mould, and allergens from building up in the air circulating around your home. It’s an easy way to keep the air clean and crisp while avoiding pricey repairs to your heating or AC system.

Do a 360

paul90g/Shutterstock

You may think of a home inspection as that thing you did before you bought your home but, in truth, it’s somewhat more ongoing than that. It’s a good idea to do a visual inspection of your home on a yearly basis.

“It’s a simple 360-degree walk-around of your home. You’re looking for anything out of place. Missing shingles, siding, animals living under your deck. It’s key to get comfortable with both the inside and outside of your home,” says Graham.

Above all, Graham’s “biggest tip” is to “reach out to Rümi when you have a question. If something doesn’t look right in your home, there’s a good chance it’s not! There’s no such thing as a silly question to us and we’re here to empower homeownership.”

You can even book a free consult with a Rümi home inspector to help answer those questions. You can keep up with Rümi by following them on social @Rumiforhome or by heading to the website to learn more at rumi.ca.