Some people are the luckiest people on earth. They do the absolute minimum to their home and it remains standing for years. Yet, when the crisis hits they blame the high cost for repairs on the contractor.

Gathering information
Every house has a story and it’s up to you to gather information and start a preventive maintenance program. So you may avoid the inevitable, costly and unexpected crisis.

Electrical
Know where your electrical panel is located in case of emergency.
Use an electrician who’s familiar with the house. It will save you money. He will know what kind of wiring you have.
He will open the panel to see if it’s breakers or fuses.
Loose connects could be causing lights to dim.
Rust on the panel is dangerous.

Are there 30 amp breakers in the panel where there should be 15 amps? In a fused panel it’s not unusual to find 30 amp fuses where there should be 15 amp fuses. This has the potential of causing a fire.
He will look for open junction boxes
Cracked or damaged receptacles or wiring

Light sockets that are cracked or wired improperly. If the power is wired to the outside of the bulb you could get shocked.
Older homes should have bathroom and outdoor receptacles updated to ground fault receptacles.

What’s plugged into those kitchen receptacles?
Rust on the electric meter socket is dangerous. Loose connects at the utility pole could cause lights to dim. The life of the cable coming down the side of your house is 20 years before it starts to break down. If its old cloth covered cable its probable frail and dangerous. If the attachment point is weakened or leaking, water could flow down into the house.

Plumbing
In case of emergency where is the water shut off located?
Do you have a plumber who’s familiar with your home?
Replacement parts for cheep faucets are difficult to find. It’s often less expensive to replace the entire faucet with a quality faucet.

Pans are often found under sink to catch water from leaning pipes.
When where those old appliances last replaced: disposal, dishwasher.
Where is access to sewer lines in case off blockage?

Toilets, the latest models are far superior to ones manufactured just a few years ago. They actual flush and save water.
At a minimum gas heating systems need service every other year. Oil burners need annual service. Zone control valves and pumps seam to fail at the most inconvenient time.

Often the first sign of a failing hot water heater are little pieces of what looks like white ceramic found in faucet aerators. What follows are hot water shortage and then the burst tank and the inevitable flood.