4 Home Binder Printables for Any Stage of Homeownership, and How to Set up the Binder

When one of my buyers showed me the binder of information he was creating for his new home I was impressed and wrote about it! Planning your move… create a HOME BINDER for your new home When Rachel from HomeAdvisor showed me their fillable templates and offered to write a post about it I was again impressed… this info is helpful whether you are a new buyer, getting ready to sell, or just working on organizing your home!

GUEST POST: from Rachel Perez for HomeAdvisor powered by Angi

Owning a home is something that many people dream of, but being a homeowner is no easy task. From basic maintenance to unexpected events, a lot goes into running a household. 

A home binder can make managing your home much simpler. Using fillable templates or your own documents, you can keep track of all the things that affect your household and your family. Keeping all important information in one place ensures that you have quick and easy access to what you need, when you need it.

Whether you just bought a home or have been a homeowner for years, a home management binder can help at any stage of homeownership. In this guide, we’ll go over how to set up your home binder, and some of the most important printables to include. 

Setting Up a Home Binder 

A home binder is easy to set up. All you need are:

  • A large 3-ring binder
  • Paper to print documents from your computer or write on directly
  • A writing utensil 
  • Binder dividers or inserts to organize the different sections
  • A binder cover 

Keep in mind that your home binder is the guide to running your specific household. While there are concerns and tasks that many homeowners share, you can customize the binder to meet your home’s unique needs. As long as it’s organized and easy to navigate, you can include as many sections as you need.

Top 4 Home Binder Printables 

Although a lot can go into a home binder—and you should feel free to personalize yours as much as you need—these four home binder printables are household necessities. Here are some of the most important categories to cover in your home binder. 

1. Interior Home Maintenance 

Proper home maintenance is the cornerstone of a healthy home, thus keeping your house a safe place to live for you and your family.

Homes are full of parts that need attention and upkeep. Some maintenance activities, like chores and cleaning, are routine. Others, like a burst pipe or a problem with the HVAC system, might arise unexpectedly or involve more serious repairs. 

Whether it’s a weekly chore or something that requires professional help, a home binder can help you stay aware of when something in your home needs attention, and how to address it. 

Here are some pages to include in this section of your home binder:

  •  Cleaning checklist: This sheet helps you track what needs to be cleaned, including when it was last cleaned. If you want to make these activities routine, you can also use a cleaning schedule or a chore chart to delegate tasks among you and your family members. 
  • Contact information for maintenance professionals: You can keep information for the home professionals you trust, so you’ll have someone to call immediately if something goes wrong. Professionals to include here would be your plumber, electrician, and local contractor. 
  • Service provider information: Having this on hand makes it easy to contact your utility companies, like cable, electricity, and water, if something goes wrong with your service. 
    • Water and electricity shutoff information: Sometimes, emergencies, like a leak or electrical issue, require the power or water to be shut off in your home. Having pages in your binder that go over the procedure for shutting off the main water valve or flipping a circuit can help you or others take care of it confidently. 
  • Home insurance and home warranty information: Keeping your coverage documents in one place makes it easier to access help when you need it. You can also review what your policy covers, what it costs, and how long it lasts. 

2. Exterior Home Maintenance

The outside of your home needs care and attention, too. In addition to making your home look nicer, maintaining your roofing, siding, gutters, and yard is essential to keeping your house standing and free of potential hazards. 

Here are some pages to include in this section of your home binder:

  • Landscape maintenance calendar: If your yard involves a lot of work, keeping track of when you or a professional landscaper work on it can help you get into a good routine, and keep up with the changing needs of each season. 
  • Contact information for maintenance professionals: Similar to the page for the interior home maintenance section, you’ll want to keep the contact information of professionals you trust on hand, like a contractor or roofer. There may be some overlap with your interior home maintenance professionals. 
  • Equipment maintenance information: If you do yard work, the tools you use may need a tuneup now and then. The home binder is a good place to keep information on your lawn mower, snowblower, or any other outdoor equipment in case it needs a repair or replacement.

3. Family Information 

What’s more important to your home than the people inside of it? Your home binder is a great place to keep your family’s important documents, especially if you need them in a pinch. From routine health check-ups to meal planning, you’ll always be prepared for what your family needs. 

Here are some pages to include in this section of your home binder:

  •  Primary healthcare provider contact information: Whether you need to schedule a routine appointment or get help with a medical emergency, it’s important to be able to contact your healthcare providers. You can include information for your primary care doctors and specialists, such as your dentist and optometrist, as well as local hospitals or urgent cares. 
  • Health insurance information: Along with your healthcare providers’ contact information, you’ll want to have easy access to your insurance information. That way, you can keep track of your plan and what’s covered, and have the resources to get help if something goes wrong with your coverage.
  • Family members’ contact information: Having your family members’ addresses and phone numbers on hand makes it easier to contact them when you want or need to. You can also use this section of the binder to keep track of important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries, so you never miss them. 
  •  
  • Meal plan: Planning meals in advance can help make feeding your family less stressful. You can also easily accommodate dietary needs, like food allergies and preferences, and keep recipes that your family enjoys on hand. 

4. Emergency Planning

No one likes to think about emergencies or disasters, but, while rare, they do happen. And when or if they happen, taking steps to prepare is the best way to ensure your family’s safety. It’s especially important to do this if you live in a state where natural disasters, like earthquakes, hurricanes, or wildfires, happen often. 

Here are some pages to include in this section of your home binder:

  •  Emergency bag checklist: It’s difficult to stay calm in an emergency. Keeping a checklist of what you need to pack or prioritize helps you stay organized, even when you’re in a panic. 
  • Emergency equipment maintenance checklist: Make sure that any equipment you’d want to use in an emergency is working properly. For example, if you have a solar-powered battery to use during a power outage, check to see that it’s working regularly and keep track of that in your home binder.
  • Disaster safety plan: A disaster safety plan helps ensure everyone in your family knows what to do in an emergency. You can include safety instructions, like a safe meeting point or emergency exits.

Final Thoughts 

A lot of work goes into running a household, but a home maintenance binder can make it much more manageable. It not only helps you stay on top of what you need to do every day, but it also can be a huge help in the event of unexpected problems and emergencies.

Try creating your own home binder with some of our tips and templates. With all the time it saves you, you’ll have more time to enjoy a safe and healthy home! 

Written By

I love what I do! Highly insightful, analytical and creative, there is nothing I love more than helping you find the right solution for your real estate transition. My mission is to serve my clients with honesty and integrity, exceeding their expectations in service and support… and to help others by donating a portion of every transaction to Habitat for Humanity.

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