Home owners instruction manual

I can be useful to collect together basic information about your home and how it works, how to look after it, and where you will find important information about services and construction. This can be particularly useful if you need to document and pass on this information to a future occupant, or if you are the primary custodian of the information and might need to pass it to other family members who may survive you!

What to keep and where

Keeping manuals for appliances, along with your own notes can be very helpful. Taking and keeping photographs (probably digitally these days) and including them can also help explain things far more easily. If you get stuck into a large DIY project, then keep the plans, notes, receipts, and photos of work in progress, they can be very useful later - sometimes even to yourself!

This all needs to be kept in an accessible form, that is easy to find. A printed copy, and perhaps electronic ones as well.

Categories of information

Here are some suggested entries for the home owners manual:

Water

Where to find stopcocks
Where drains run
What storage tanks there are, and how to access them
Details of water filters
Details or water softeners
Are there any pressure reduction valves? Where?
Are there thermostatic blending valves? Where?
Make and model of any ceramic tap valves
Is there a shower pump? Location? How to isolate (electrical and water)?

Plumbing

Where are the main drains?
Manhole covers?
Is there mains drainage?
Who owns sewers?
Are services shared with any neighbours?
Which drains are foul drains and which are surface water only

Gas

Is there a gas service?
Which appliances and where

Where is the gas meter and the main shut off valve

Electricity

Where is the main switch
Where are the consumer unit(s), and what circuits they feed
The earthing system used
Any known faults
Which circuits serve which areas / appliances
How smoke alarms are powered
Details of feeds to outbuildings
The most recent installation/inspection report (often there is a sticker on the consumer unit saying when this was done)

Heating

What type of heating system(s) are fitted
Where is the boiler?
Where is it powered from, ho do you isolate it?
What heating zones are there?
What type of zoning?
Where are the thermostats?
How are they powered?
How to program the timer
Is it a vented or sealed system? If vented, where is the header tank? If there are multiple tanks, which is which and where the stopcocks are
Where is the central heating pump? In some flats it can be hidden under the floorboards
If you have chimney stacks, which pot corresponds to which room's fireplace.

Hot water

How is hot water produced?
Is there a cylinder?
How is it heated?
Is there a backup heater?

TV & Radio Aerials / Satellite dish

Is there a main aerial or dish?
Where are the TV points?
How are they fed?
Location or amplifiers / splitters / multi switch?
What reception area are you in?
Which transmitter?

Telephone / Broadband

Landline(s) installed?
Where are the phone points?
Where is the master socket?
What broadband services are available in the area?
What is the expected broadband performance?

Security

What keys work which locks?
Is there a security system? If so, how to configure and use it?

Fences, hedges etc

which fences, hedges walls etc are your responsibility?
what if any maintenance do they need?
who fitted/built (if not DIY)?

Trees

any trees need routine attention?
if so roughly how often?
any recommended firms who have dealt with them?

Decoration

paint manufacturers and colour names
wallpaper manufacturers and design names - and where bought, as they may be store-specific
kitchen unit/door/worktop manufacturer and design name
sanitaryware manufacturer and design (and colour shade, if anyone still has a coloured bathroom suite)
internal and external door and window manufacturer and design name
any other particular features like special electrical fittings, wall lights, door knobs
even if originals have ceased to be produced, replacements/additions may be available second-hand for many years afterwards if you know what it's called

Works carried out

Solicitors often ask for evidence of Planning and Building Regulations compliance, or that something was done long enough ago it's no longer enforceable

Window replacement
Insulation and energy efficiency works - loft insulation installers may have stapled a certificate to a joist
Porches, garages, outbuildings, conservatories - even driveways and paved areas can have planning and building regulations implications (such as permeable surfacing and drainage)
Any alterations of walls, doors and window openings even if you think they're "not structural"
Boiler and heating system installation and annual service
Electrical wiring including smoke alarms
Gas and oil bulk tanks - regulations for bunding may have changed