» Should First Time Home Buyers Be Required To Take a Home Maintenance Class?

Should First Time Home Buyers Be Required To Take a Home Maintenance Class?

I remember the phone call I got Christmas Day, 2008. I happened to be coming back to Seattle when my phone rang just as I got on the plane. December of 2008 was frigid. It had been snowing on and off for days. Everything had been freezing. The airport had been shut down. There was not enough de-icing fluid for the planes. Remember? Things were just starting to thaw out that Christmas Day.

A neighbor across the street from a home I had sold earlier that month called to ask if I knew how to find the buyers because water was gushing out the front of the house! I had no idea how to get in touch with them as I had a relationship with the sellers. I immediately contacted the buyer’s agent who told me the buyers were out of the country.

It turned out the buyers closed on the home, moved their stuff in, and left the country for a month. When they left their home they turned the heat off. Apparently pipes froze in the wall and burst on Christmas Day. The new home owners did not know to leave the heat on while they were out of town. Having lived most of their lives in a warm climate, it did not occur to them to leave the heat on.

So this brings me to my question with a new idea for the new year:

Should first time home buyers be required to take a home maintenance class?

There’s so much press about the consumer not being armed with enough information about the home buying process, the home inspection or the mortgage process, but I rarely hear of anyone talking about the home ownership process. I haven’t heard of a class for new home owners. I believe the real estate industry, the insurance industry, and lenders have all let new home owners down by not offering or suggesting classes about home ownership and home maintenance. Buyers close on a house, their insurance is in place, the first loan payment coupons have been handed out, and the keys delivered. We thank our buyers, tell them congratulations and wish them well. Many of us keep in touch over the years, but no one offers a home maintenance class that I’ve heard about.

Should we offer classes to first time home buyers?

Should we require first time home buyers to take a home maintenance course?

Should ongoing classes be offered to home owners?

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http://www.kenmoreundressed.com James Lupori

Hi Debra – Oh my, you’re asking one of those “what should everyone know” kind-of questions. Let me answer you this way:

We have lost a lot of “cultural history” in the U.S.. Parents and schools no longer retain basic sorts of knowledge: basic money management, cooking skills, basic “fix-it” skills. It’s a lot like asking if college students should have access to credit cards….probably not, but they’re going to get them anyway (and run up enormous debt).

So the answer to your questions in my mind is sure, we should offer them; however, I don’t think you’d have many participants.
http://www.debrasinick.com Debra Sinick

Hi Jim,

As an ex-educator I appreciate your comments. You touched on one of the core problems with education today: not teaching people real world skills. You are right, it is ironic that many people would not think of taking such a class, but it does amaze me how little some people know about home maintenance. And if they don’t know about home maintenance, they don’t know whom to call!

Happy New Year.
http://www.mortgageporter.com Rhonda Porter

I’d like to see courses like this offered as a form of “home-ec” in high school (along with courses on credit scoring). I have a similar story where some first time home buyers did not understand the importance of having several months of reserves in savings after they buy their home for unplanned expences…a few months after moving in, their heater broke during winter and they did not have enough funds to repair it. It was a real tough situation for them to be in. The heater issues was disclosed on the home inspection and the seller had supposedly fixed it…it was a mess…

Many first time home buyers (and repeat buyers too) may not have realstic views on home maintainance and the work/cost associated.
http://www.debrasinick.com Debra Sinick

Hi Rhonda,

A course on credit scoring would be great and, as Jim said, a course in managing credit cards would be so valuable. Many people do not have realistic views about managing and maintaining a home.

A lot of people think it will be less expensive to purchase a new home over a resale because they think nothing will happen for years. They forget about all that needs to be done when buying a new home, such as adding to landscaping, appliances, window coverings, etc. A new home does not eliminate maintenance either!