# How do you look after a new home?

URL: https://www.varloch.com.au/guides/how-to-look-after-a-new-home
By Jan Lochtenberg, published 2026-11-01
Last updated: November 2026

Let the house dry out slowly for the first 8 to 12 weeks, keep water away from the slab, and work through a simple monthly, yearly and longer-term checklist. Routine upkeep like silicone, gutters and termite inspections is the owner's job, and skipping it can weaken a defect claim.

Let the house dry out slowly for the first 8 to 12 weeks, keep water away from the slab, and work through a simple monthly, yearly and longer-term checklist. Most expensive repairs start as a small leak, a blocked drain or a gutter nobody cleaned.

We've put the whole routine in our free Home Owner Manual. [Download the Varloch Home Owner Manual (PDF)](https://www.varloch.com.au/varloch-home-owner-manual.pdf).

## What should you do in the first few months?

A new house is full of construction moisture. Timber, brick and plaster dry out and shrink a little as you live in it, and small cosmetic cracks are normal.

- Give the house a few weeks to acclimatise before you run the heating regularly.
- Open windows in dry weather and use the exhaust fans in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry.
- Don't patch hairline cracks straight away. Wait for the movement to stop.

If a crack looks bigger than normal, check it against [what counts as a defect in a new home](https://www.varloch.com.au/guides/cracks-in-a-fresh-house).

## How do you protect the slab and footings?

Too much water in the soil is the most common cause of footing movement. Keep it away from the house.

- Keep paths and paving against the house, not large garden beds.
- Talk to an arborist or geotechnical engineer before planting trees near the house or pipes.
- Don't overwater gardens and lawns.
- Never let soil or landscaping cover weepholes or subfloor vents.
- Keep drainage and silt pits clear, and don't dig through subsoil drains.

## What needs checking every month and every year?

**Every month:**

- Look for leaks around toilets and sinks.
- Check grout and silicone.
- Clean the air-conditioning filters and the rangehood filter.

**Every year:**

- Roof and gutter inspection.
- Termite and pest inspection.
- Test smoke alarms and replace the batteries.
- Check decks, irrigation, and storm-window drains.
- Clean the dryer exhaust, solar panels and windows.

## What wears out over 2 to 15 years?

- **2 to 5 years:** replace wet-area silicone and seal grout, replace caulking around windows and doors, sand and stain timber decks, clean heating ducts.
- **5 to 10 years:** repaint the exterior, and have the joists and roof rafters inspected.
- **10 to 15 years:** replace the hot water system, smoke alarms and garage door opener.

## What's your job, and what's the builder's?

The NSW Guide to Standards and Tolerances is clear that maintenance is the owner's ongoing responsibility. A few things catch people out:

- Wet-area silicone may need replacing after five years. That's normal maintenance, not a defect.
- A builder isn't responsible for foundation movement caused by paving, landscaping or trees added after handover, or by drainage the owner didn't maintain.
- If damage gets worse because the home wasn't maintained, or a defect wasn't reported promptly, the builder may not be liable to fix it.
- Fair wear and tear, such as discoloured sealant, blown globes and tap washers, is the owner's from handover.

Keep a simple record of what you've done and when. It helps if you ever need to make a warranty claim.

## Can Varloch look after it for you?

Yes. Our services arm handles home care for Sydney homes, from a yearly building inspection to builder-led repairs:

- Yearly building, roof and termite inspections.
- Roof and gutter cleaning, power washing and window cleaning.
- Re-staining, painting and special surface care.
- Rising damp, cracking render, timber repair and underpinning.
- Plumbers and electricians on call, plus HVAC servicing and pest control.

You can book a single job or put the house on a care plan. [See home care services](https://www.varloch.com.au/services#home-care) or [compare care plans](https://www.varloch.com.au/services#care-plans).

## The short version

- Let a new house dry out slowly for the first 8 to 12 weeks.
- Keep water away from the slab: paving against the house, clear drains, no overwatering.
- Monthly: leaks, grout, filters. Yearly: roof, gutters, termites, smoke alarms.
- Reseal wet areas every few years and repaint the outside every 5 to 10.
- Maintenance is the owner's job, and neglect can weaken a defect claim.

[Download the Varloch Home Owner Manual (PDF)](https://www.varloch.com.au/varloch-home-owner-manual.pdf), our full maintenance guide.

Want someone else to keep on top of it? [Tell us about your home](https://www.varloch.com.au/contact?source=services) and we'll put a plan together.