Why New Home Orientation Is Essential: A Focus on Siyona Homes’ Process

Why New Home Orientation Is Essential: A Focus on Siyona Homes’ Process

Understanding and managing your new home’s features is essential for a seamless ownership experience. At Siyona Homes, we prioritize this through a comprehensive home orientation process, ensuring homeowners are well-equipped to make their house a home.

What Is New Home Orientation?

New home orientation is a structured walkthrough with your builder before moving in. It serves as an educational session to familiarize homeowners with the various features, maintenance needs, and functionalities of their new property. This meeting also covers warranties and identifies any deficiencies, ensuring everything meets expectations.

Goals of New Home Orientation

• Educate homeowners about operational details and essential systems.
• Address and document deficiencies, reducing post-move-in surprises.
• Provide clarity on warranty terms to differentiate coverage from homeowner responsibilities.

Why Is New Home Orientation Important?

New homes are increasingly sophisticated, integrating modern systems and smart functionalities. Without proper guidance, homeowners might face unnecessary challenges or frustrations. This session provides hands-on knowledge, ensuring you understand your home inside and out.

Benefits of a Comprehensive Orientation

• Stress-Free Transition: Knowing how your home functions makes moving in less daunting.
• Preventative Maintenance Awareness: Learning how to maintain systems avoids costly repairs.
• Warranty Understanding: Clarity on warranty terms ensures you know what’s covered.

At Siyona Homes, we believe every homeowner deserves confidence in their purchase. Our orientation eliminates ambiguity and ensures a solid start to your homeownership journey.

Siyona Homes’ Detailed Orientation Process

At Siyona Homes, we follow a meticulously designed orientation plan, ensuring no detail is overlooked. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:

Exterior Overview

• Siding Review: It is important to review your maintenance requirements on the exterior envelope of your home, a small amount of water can do a significant amount of damage if not maintained properly.
• Seasonal Review: There are some seasonal items that are important to review, caulking, paint additions, checks, etc.
• Water Surface Management: Western Canada receives a significant amount of rain between May and October every year. It is important to take the time to review that window wells are kept clear of all debris and snow, eavestroughs are clear of leaves and other debris, downspouts are down and sump pump discharges are draining away from the homes foundation, and any low spots due to settlement are filled in.

Garage Essentials

• It is important to review the operation of your garage and the many devices that keep it secure from unwelcome guests and weather. Items like overhead door sensors, how to operate manually, turn on vacation lock, re-program remotes, adjust if needed, how to adjust your self closing door if applicable, and any mechanical/electrical items as needed.

Mechanical Insights

Managing Humidity in your Home:
Excess humidity in homes can lead to issues like stained ceilings, frost, and swollen wood. Homeowners must manage humidity levels, and a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) helps by expelling moist air and bringing in drier, conditioned air while balancing air pressure. It’s crucial to check settings, clean or replace filters, and ensure proper operation, especially in cold weather. Despite fan assistance, condensation may still occur on windows, so it’s important to raise blinds for airflow and wipe up excess moisture to prevent damage.

• Water/Gas Shut off Locations – Review location and operation.
• Hot Water System – Review operation and maintenance, control location, optimal settings.
• Ductwork – Review which ducts do what, push air or draw air, what can you close and what needs to stay open.
• Smoke/CO Detector – Review operation, wired and replacing back up batteries.
• Furnace – Review operation and maintenance, control location, optimal settings.
• Electrical Panel – Review main shut off, breakers, Arch fault, GFI, how to reset breakers.
• Sump Pit – Review location, sump operation, importance of reviewing proper operation moving forward.
• Floor Drain – Review the importance of keeping clear of debris, may need to fill the trap with water.

Bathroom Area

Managing Humidity in your bathroom

Your bathroom is designed to remove moisture from the home. It is importance that you run your fan when you run the shower or tub, it is also important to run until all of the moist air has exited the home

• GFI – Review operation, how to reset and test, where the other plug is if it is connected to another plug.
• PVF – Review operation of the primary ventilation fan if applicable.
• Sink / Faucet / Toilet Shut offs – Review location and operation.
• Countertop & Cabinets – Review maintenance for potential water damage, proper cleaning, and operation/adjustments.

Upper Floor

• Window / Screen – Review operation in case of emergency, screen install process.
• Attic Review – Review access, insulation levels, maintenance requirements, seasonal reviews.
• Phone / Cable Outlets – Review location and process for install
• ARC Fault Plugs – Review location, operation, how to reset.

Laundry Room

• Washer Water Connection & washer drain – Review location & operation.
• Electrical – Review location and how to reset breaker
• Dryer Vent – Review importance of keeping clean as a maintenance item
• Floor Drain – If applicable review location, importance of keeping clear, may need to fill with water as a maintenance item.

Main Floor

• Lamp Switch – Review location and operation, reason it is required.
• Thermostat – Review operation and provide manual, ideal settings, and adjust settings if needed.
• HRV control – Review operation and provide manual, ideal settings, and adjust settings if needed.
• Humidistat – Review operation and provide manual, ideal settings, and adjust settings if needed.

Kitchen

• Countertop & Cabinets – Review maintenance for potential water damage, proper cleaning, and operation/adjustments.
• Hood Fan / OTR – Review operation, when to operate, and the importance of running until all the moist air is out of the home
• GFI – Review operation, how to reset and test, where the other plug is if it is connected to another plug.
• Warranty Documents – Review manuals, educational sheets, and warranty documents.

Experience the Siyona Homes Difference:

Ready to move into your dream home? At Siyona Homes, we do more than hand you the keys—we provide the tools and knowledge to thrive in your space. Schedule your new home orientation today and embark on a worry-free homeownership journey!