4 Home Binder Printable Every Homeowner Should Have on File 

Being a homeowner is no easy task. From basic maintenance to unexpected events, a lot goes into running your household. 

 

This is why home binders are such a great tool. Using fillable templates or your own documents, you can keep track of all the things that affect your household and family. Keeping all your important information in one place ensures that you have quick and easy access to what you need, when you need it.

 

How you organize your home binder depends on your specific needs—remember, it’s the ultimate guide to running your home, not anyone else’s. However, some parts of a home binder are too important for any homeowner to leave out. In this article, we’ll go over the four most essential home binder printables to have on file, and what to include with each. 

1. Interior Home Maintenance Checklist 

Proper home maintenance is the key to a safe and healthy home. It’s important to keep your house clean and in good repair, and to address any issues as soon as they arise.

 

Homes are full of parts that need attention and upkeep, from the routine, like chores and cleaning, to the unexpected, like a burst pipe or a broken appliance. An interior home maintenance checklist can help you cover a variety of tasks and concerns. You can easily track what needs to be done around the house, when it was last addressed, and, if it’s an ongoing task, when it needs to be addressed again. 

 

In this section of your binder, you can include pages like:

 

• Cleaning checklist: This sheet helps you track what cleaning activities need to be done. To make a cleaning routine, you can also use a cleaning schedule or a chore chart to divide up the tasks between you and your family members. 

• Contact information for maintenance professionals: When something breaks or malfunctions in your house, you want to be able to call someone you trust immediately. Having the contact information for home professionals makes it easier to get help as soon as you need it. You can include professionals like your plumber, electrician, and local contractor. 

• Service provider information: Keeping the contact information for your utility companies, like cable, electricity, and water, on hand makes it easy to contact them if you have an issue with your service. 

• • Water and electricity shutoff information: Some 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 with confidence. 
  • Appliance model and warranty log: Keeping information about your major appliances on hand makes scheduling repairs much easier. You can give the information to your repair person, or contact your manufacturer for a replacement appliance if the warranty allows it.

• Paint log: Keeping a record of the exact shades of paint used on your walls helps you make seamless touch-ups if there are any blemishes to cover, without the need to totally repaint. 

• 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 Checklist 

The outside of your home is as important to maintain as the inside. In addition to making your home presentable, keeping things like your roofing, gutters, and yard well-maintained is essential to a functioning and safe household. 

 

In this section of your binder, you can include pages like:

 

• Landscape maintenance calendar: If your yard involves a lot of upkeep, 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 interior home maintenance section, keeping the contact information for home professionals on hand makes it easier to get help as soon as you need it. Some professionals to include here are your contractor, roofer, and landscaper. 

• Equipment maintenance information: If you do yard work, the tools you use might 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 Checklist 

Nothing is more important to your household than the people within. Your home binder is a great place to keep all of your family’s important documents. That way, if you need them in a pinch, you know exactly where to look. From routine health check-ups to meal planning, you’ll always be prepared for what your family needs. 

 

In this section of your binder, you can include pages like:

 

• • Healthcare provider information: Whether it’s 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 contact and office information for your primary care doctors and specialists, such as your dentist and optometrist, as well as local hospitals and urgent cares. 
  • Health insurance information: Along with healthcare provider 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 you experience issues with your coverage. 
  • Family members’ contact information: Having your family members’ addresses and phone numbers on hand makes it easy to stay in touch. You can also use this section of the binder to track birthdays and anniversaries, so you never miss an important date. 

• Sitter information: If you’re going away for a vacation, or even enjoying a night out with your spouse, you might need the services of a trusted house sitter, babysitter, or pet sitter. Having this contact information on hand simplifies making plans whenever you need someone to look after your home. 

• 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, write out your shopping list, and collect recipes that your family enjoys. 

4. Emergency Planning Checklist 

It’s scary to think about emergencies or disasters affecting your family, but, while rare, they do happen. And when or if they happen, taking steps to prepare now is the best way to ensure your family’s safety. 

 

It’s especially important to prepare if you live in an area where natural disasters, like earthquakes, hurricanes, or wildfires, happen frequently. 

 

In this section of your binder, you can include pages like:

 

• Emergency bag checklist: Keeping a checklist of what you need to pack and prioritize in an emergency situation helps you stay organized, even when you’re in a panic. 
• Emergency equipment maintenance checklist: Make sure that any equipment you’d need to have 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 your checks in your home binder.
• Disaster safety plan: Having a disaster safety plan that you review with your family ensures everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency. You can include safety instructions, like a safe meeting point or emergency exits, and plans for different scenarios. 

Final Thoughts 

With all the work that goes into running a household, you deserve all the support you can get. A home maintenance binder not only helps you stay on top of what you need to do daily, but can also be a lifesaver in the event of unexpected problems and emergencies.

 

Try using some of our tips and checklists to create your own home binder. You’ll be amazed by how easy it can be to have a safe and healthy home!