Life is busy. Kids, work, meals, appointments - the list goes on. And no matter where you live, you also have to spend time keeping your home safe and running smoothly. We've put together a Yearly Homeowner's Checklist, with tasks for each month, to help remind you of common home maintenance chores to make your life just a little bit easier. 

Becoming a new homeowner is a thrilling life event, but with your new home comes an avalanche of tasks and responsibilities. Between packing, moving arrangements, decorating and setting up utilities, your to-do list seems never ending. So, it's no wonder that in all of the excitement, many new homeowners forget to cover some of the basics.   To ensure the move into your new home goes smoothly, check off these four must-do tasks:  

As the year rolls on and winter settles in, you may be thinking about ways to keep energy costs down. Or if you're not, you may want to start! Keeping your home warm in the winter without draining your bank account can be a bit tricky when the temps drop as low as they did last winter. 

If you've ever been the last to shower in a houseful of people, you often know what's coming before you step naked into the bath:  bone-chilling, teeth-chattering ice cold water. If you're having water problems, however, without the houseful of people, it's time to spend some time evaluating your electric water heater.   Electric water heater problems can cause a variety of symptoms, including issues with water temperature, leaks, discoloration, odor and noise. Here's a step-by-step process to help you troubleshoot your water heater problems.