How to keep home maintenance organized without a binder

A maintenance binder holds the right information, but it doesn't remind you when a job is due. Keep the same information as three short lists on your phone, in a shared folder or in an app that sends reminders. Give each job a date and a reminder.

List one: the equipment

Write down each piece of equipment that has a manual, a filter or a service interval. Start with the furnace, the air conditioner, the water heater and the alarms. For each one, note the brand, model, serial number and install year.

The age is the number you'll use most. A tank water heater lasts about 10 years, and a smoke alarm is replaced 10 years after its manufacture date. If the install year isn't written anywhere, look for a date on the label. A water heater's manufacture date is sometimes printed there, and otherwise it's coded into the serial number.

Photograph each label. A photo of the rating plate keeps the model and serial number.

List two: the jobs

Give each job an interval and its next date. Take the intervals from the manuals and the list below, not from memory.

• The furnace or heat pump filter. Check it every month and change it at least every 3 months.
• The check-ups. Book the cooling check-up in spring and the heating check-up in fall.
• The alarms. Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms every month. Replace a 9-volt battery at least once a year.
• Everything else. Use the interval in the owner's manual.

List three: the papers

Keep receipts, invoices, warranties and manuals for the house in one folder, so the record of what was done and when stays in one place.

An annotated example

What to do next

Start list one this weekend. Walk the house with your phone and photograph each equipment label. Then add a monthly 15-minute walk as a recurring reminder, and add jobs to list two as you find them.