Maintaining your new home: handy how-to videos
From registering appliances to servicing your boiler, there are several simple jobs you'll need to do to keep your new home running smoothly. Take a look at our handy video guides for more information.
Congratulations! You're officially the proud owner of a brand-new Persimmon home. It's an exciting time, but you'll also have lots of questions.
One of the great benefits of buying a new Persimmon home is the peace of mind that comes with the 10-year warranty, and our commitment to support you after you move in.
That said, as the homeowner you're responsible for maintaining different aspects of your home to keep everything working as it should do.
So, take a look at our how-to videos below and get in touch with our friendly customer care teams if you need any more support - they'll be happy to help.
To find the information you're looking for, choose from the list below to skip to the how-to video:
- Your new home demonstration
- Looking after your taps
- Registering your home appliances
- An introduction to your boiler
- Servicing your boiler
- Isolating your water supply
- Looking after your loft
- Ventilating bathrooms
- Drying out, shrinkage and settlement
- Maintaining your windows
- Hanging fixings to walls
- Testing and checking smoke alarms
- Fire escape windows
- Looking after stainless steel
- Your consumer unit
- Looking after your garden
- Maintaining fences
- A guide to your new garage
Your new home demonstration
The New Home Demonstration is to help you to understand more about your new home including appliance maintenance and system operations, as well as taking a look at all its benefits.
This short video will help to supplement the information you'll receive at your New Home Demonstration and lets you know what to expect on the day.
In addition to the video, you can also find your New Home Demonstration form here if you don't have a copy to hand.
Looking after your taps
The water to all your sinks, baths and showers is supplied under pressure from the mains water supply. All our taps are fitted with restrictors and aerators to provide a constant flow of water irrespective of demand or flow of pressure.
There are two settings on most of your sink taps – medium and high. At the end of each tap is an aerator which can be unscrewed to remove any grit or dirt, controls water flow and prevents splashback. We fit showers with a similar flow restrictor as well as an adjustable water temperature control. You can set the flow and temperature to your perfect setting.
Registering your home appliances
When you move into your new home you'll need to register your new appliances - the manufacturers will only deal directly with you the customer, and not Persimmon. You can do this by:
- Completing the forms which come with the appliances.
- Calling the appliance’s hotline number.
- Registering online either on the manufacturer’s website or on www.registermyappliance.org.uk
You'll need to know the appliance model name, the serial number of the product and the date you purchased the item (your move-in date).
An introduction to your boiler
Our heating systems differ across developments - your site team will know what type you have and can provide specific details. Here are some general points to bear in mind:
- Most radiators have a Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV) - this works by reading the air around it.
- If you cover the TRV the radiator won't work effectively.
- The frost setting will automatically cut in when the room temperature falls below 8 degrees provided the boiler is operating.
- The rooms where the thermostat is located won’t have a thermostatic radiator valve, as this radiator is a control radiator.
- There may be dual heating zones, upstairs and downstairs, to give you more control of the heating.
- A three-storey house may have a thermostat on each floor.
Isolating your water supply
It's always a good idea to know how to turn off the mains water supply into your home.
The mains water supply to your home is controlled by a stopcock; this can be found under the sink in your kitchen. If you need to isolate the water supply to your home, you’ll need to turn the stopcock until you feel resistance. This will stop water from coming into your home to allow you to undertake any repair or maintenance work.
It’s also important to regularly test your stopcock, to ensure it doesn’t get stuck in one position.
Looking after your new build loft
Access to your loft is usually found at the top of your stairs via the insulated loft hatch. You’ll need to set up your step ladder safely and securely before you can reach up and open the hatch by turning the plastic clips. Please leave enough room for the hatch to swing down safely.
The loft is a ventilated space and isn’t designed for storage or boarding. Doing so can reduce the thickness of the insulation, reduce the energy rating of the property and potentially invalidate the warranty should an issue occur with the ceiling below. If you do have to go into the loft, make sure to only walk on the trusses.
Lofts can also become damp during the normal drying out process of homes and this is another reason not to store items in there.
Ventilating bathrooms and en suites
Bathrooms can be damp and humid, so it's important to keep them well-ventilated to limit condensation and help prevent the appearance of mould and mildew. This is why trickle vents should be left open at all times.
In new build bathrooms with a bath and shower, ventilation from an extractor fan is essential. This is because new builds are built to be more air-tight, so natural ventilation is much lower. At Persimmon we install extractor fans with timers, which keep running for a set number of minutes after they have been turned off.
Drying out, shrinkage and settlement
When you move into your new home, it's important to give the property time to settle. The water used during construction needs to evaporate. This is called the drying out process and can take between six and 18 months. During this period, all new homes will experience some shrinkage.
We finish all walls with two coats of ‘breathable emulsion’ to allow them to dry out naturally. Try to avoid redecorating for the first 6 to 12 months and we don’t recommend wallpaper for the first 12 months. It’s best not to repair any cracks until the property is completely dry.
Maintaining your windows
Every window in your new home has a lock except the fire escape window. Keep trickle vents open and windows locked in a part-open position when possible. An easy-clean system can be adjusted to help you clean the glass.
To ensure your windows open and close smoothly, follow a simple maintenance routine. This includes regularly running a damp cloth inside the frame and along drain holes, hinges and sliding tracks. Regularly oil all moving parts using 3-in-1 oil or spray.
Hanging fixings to walls
When adding your own personal style to your new home, be aware that cables and pipes can be vertical and horizontal from sockets and switches. Avoid drilling 150mm from corners and ceilings in rooms as these are designated safe zones.
A cable detector can help you avoid cables when attaching items to walls. Be aware that we often use plastic pipes which have metal identification tape on them. Heavier items should be fixed to outer walls and light items to partition walls, if in doubt seek professional advice.
Testing and checking smoke alarms
All our homes are fitted with smoke alarms, and it's important to know how to test and maintain them.
The smoke alarms are linked together, and if the downstairs one sounds the others will too. They are powered by the mains electricity supply but also fitted with a 9-volt battery back-up to ensure that the alarm is always working.
Test your smoke alarm regularly to ensure the battery back-up is working. It’s also advisable to clean the alarm regularly with a vacuum cleaner as excessive dust can trigger it.
How to use a fire escape window
New homes have a variety of window styles and locking mechanisms. It's important to identify the fire escape windows in your home - this clip will show you how to recognise them.
Fire escape windows can be easily identified because they have a button on the handle instead of a lock. These windows open wider than a standard window to allow quick and easy access in the event of an emergency.
Looking after stainless steel in your home
Here are some useful rules for cleaning stainless steel products in your home:
- Remove all food and water deposits from the surface with a microfiber cloth or soft sponge.
- Always use water and soap (or dish detergent) together with a microfiber cloth for standard regular washing.
- Be sure to choose a cleaner with alkaline and without chloride in it.
- Never use abrasive cleaning products such as scouring pads or wire pads as these will scratch the surface, destroying the protective film which can cause rust.
The basics of a consumer unit
Your consumer unit contains an RCD, a sensitive safety device that switches off electricity automatically if there's a fault.
If a breaker ‘trips’ for any reason such as a faulty piece of electric equipment, it will show in the consumer unit. The black switches are labelled to show which room they relate to.
Modern consumer units can be more sensitive than old fuse boxes. If you need to turn off the electric in the whole house, then use the red switch.
Looking after your new garden
It's important to look after your garden space to make sure it beds in to become an established lawn.
As part of our commitment to the environment and planning conditions, all soil used in our gardens is removed from the site prior to construction. This means that the soil is not necessarily cultivated and will need love and care before it can produce the same quality of garden as an established plot.
You’re responsible for maintaining any pre-laid turf from the day you move in - guidance will be provided by your site.
Maintaining your garden fence
As our fence panels come pre-treated you shouldn’t need to protect them within the first 12 to 18 months, however, you may want to paint or stain your fence to suit your taste.
To keep your fence in good shape in the long-term, the panels and all wooden posts in your garden fence must be treated with appropriate paints or stains to protect them from the weather.
Paints and stains are available from hardware and DIY shops and can be applied with wide brushes or a spray unit.
A guide to your new build garage
All detached garages built by Persimmon are single-skin buildings - this means that they are not designed to be habitable dry environments and you should only store outdoor items in them.
For this reason, please make sure any indoor items are not stored in your garage.
A guide to your new build garage
All detached garages built by Persimmon are single-skin buildings - this means that they are not designed to be habitable dry environments and you should only store outdoor items in them.
For this reason, please make sure any indoor items are not stored in your garage.
Need to get in touch?
If you have any questions about your new Persimmon home, contact your regional customer care team - you'll find the numbers at the link below.
Contact us
Warranties
You can feel secure in the knowledge that our homes come with a two-year Persimmon Homes warranty and in years three to 10 you’re covered by an NHBC/LABC warranty. Warranties on appliances can be set up straight away and registered directly with the manufacturer.
Our sales team is on hand via email or phone to help you, and our customer care team is available to offer support during and after your settling-in period. Find out more about support after you move into your new home.
Our Pledge to you
From the moment you reserve your new Persimmon home, we do our best to make the experience enjoyable and informative every step of the way; not just while you're buying, but after you've moved in too. Read our pre-move and after-sales pledge to find out more.
