Why You Should Keep a House Journal

Is your “Home” pinboard overflowing with virtual sticky notes? Is your junk drawer stuffed full of old receipts from home improvement projects, warranties, and home design magazine cutouts? The chaos can be anxiety-inducing, and it can make it easy to forget to schedule that annual HVAC inspection or make sure your homeowner’s insurance policy is up to date.

If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s time to start a house journal! Brad Smith, interior designer and CEO of Omni Home Ideas, says this small investment can yield significant benefits.

“Keeping a house journal encourages proactivity when it comes to maintenance and can contribute to a well-kept, efficiently run home,” says Smith.

Learn why you should keep a house journal with these expert-approved tips.

What Is a House Journal?

Think of a house journal as your property’s personal assistant that efficiently reminds you to plan maintenance, upgrades, and repairs.

And, a house journal can be more than just a peace-of-mind database. Interior designer and founder of Raleigh Realty Ryan Fitzgerald describes a house journal as your home’s biography. It’s a record of the structure’s bones, heart and soul.

“This diary of your home, filled with meticulous details, doesn’t just offer utility. It’s a tool for the present and a treasure for the future,” says Fitzgerald.

What Is the Purpose of a House Journal?

Keeping a journal helps cultivate creative design ideas and efficient home management systems. Exactly how you choose to use and manage your journal depends on how picky a planner you are and what you want to get out of it.

Here are some common house journal benefits.

Renovation project management

Roman Smolevskiy, owner of A+ Construction & Remodeling says that a house journal is invaluable for keeping on track when doing room or home remodels. “It’s a fantastic tool to manage tasks, stay aware of deadlines and handle all the moving pieces in the project,” he says. It is also great for budgeting, as a point of reference if things go bad with a contractor, and to review what works and doesn’t when tackling your next big renovation project.

Stress-relieving

Wellness coach Phillippa Quigley recommends journaling as a form of self-care, and a house journal can be seen as an extension of that.

“The simple act of noting down maintenance calendars or keeping a record of repairs allows us to manage our responsibilities effectively, reducing the burden of unexpected surprises or forgotten tasks,” she says. “This has a direct impact on reducing stress and enhancing our sense of control over our lives.”

A gift for future owners

If you’re selling your home, being able to hand over an up-to-date house journal (as long as it’s not full of personal details) can be a blessing. “Buyers are going to love this transparency. A well-documented home suddenly transforms into a more valuable proposition,” Fitzgerald says.

Memories and milestones

Your house journal can be a meaningful piece of family nostalgia. “This can be invaluable when it comes to preserving memories, as each page contains a snapshot of your family’s experiences and growth,” says Shaun Martin, real estate professional and owner and CEO of We Buy Houses in Denver.

What to Record in a House Journal?

There’s no one-size-fits-all format for a house journal, and it often develops organically. However, below are some sensible inclusions.

Decor details

“Recording paint shades, wallpaper patterns and other design elements will come in handy for touch-ups, making it easier to match colors or materials,” Kerry Sherin, consumer advocate at Ownerly says.

Maintenance and repair schedules

“Scheduling regular maintenance tasks such as changing furnace filters, cleaning gutters and servicing appliances can elongate the lifespan of your home equipment,” Sherin says. She recommends creating a maintenance calendar in your house journal to keep track of when services were last completed, by whom and when they are next due.

Smith also recommends documenting details about any repairs. “This provides a valuable reference for future projects, and can be useful if questions arise about warranties or if the property is sold,” he says.

Home finances

It makes sense to include details of your utility and insurance providers and information on any appliance loans. You could record your energy costs and consumption for budgeting purposes.

Appliance inventory

“By keeping a record of all appliances, their model numbers and purchase dates, you can easily track warranties and determine when it’s time to replace items,” Sherin says. “This information may also streamline the homeowner insurance claims process in the case of events like theft or unforeseen damages.”

Receipts and warranties

Sherin also recommends assembling a repository of warranties and receipts to stay organized when a service or replacement is needed.

Interior design inspiration

If you love doing creative room makeovers, use your house journal as a mini mood board to jot down interior design ideas, gather inspiration from printed media or collate paint swatches.

How To Start and Maintain a House Journal

How you track your data depends on whether you’re a tech lover or a stickler for a physical pen on paper.

There are lots of journaling apps to choose from. Some allow you to add videos (perfect for progress reports of renovation projects) photos, design sketches and audio recordings. Others have more basic interfaces. However, you might still need a folder for paper copies of warranties, insurance policies, mood boards, receipts, etc., if for some reason you don’t want to scan or snap a picture of them to upload.

Sometimes it’s nice to switch off from technology with a physical journal, and it’s easier to attach relevant receipts and other paperwork for passing to a new home buyer. But guard it well, as there are no backup copies.

Experiment with what suits you best, and get into a habit of journaling regularly for comprehensive and continuous records.

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