Who it's for
The homeowner who wants one calm place for everything about the house. The first weekend in a new home, at the kitchen table among the boxes, there is a small and specific wish: to stop the house feeling like a stranger's. Which wall hides the water shut-off. What color the last owners painted the hallway. When the boiler was last serviced, and who to call when it isn't. This is the book you write it all down in, a line at a time, until in a year the house is yours in every sense — and one day it is easy to hand on.
It is a record, not a repair manual. It never tells you how to do anything; it holds what your house is and what was done. That also makes it an unusually good gift: a housewarming present, or the real-estate closing gift that actually gets opened for years instead of re-gifted.
Inside the book
- 13 sections, one area of the house each: the house at a glance, where everything shuts off, a room-by-room inventory, appliances, the major systems and their service history, a paint and finishes log, a running repairs and improvements log, a contractor directory, seasonal checklists, utilities and accounts, warranties and manuals, a page for whoever comes next, and a keep-it-current review.
- Where everything shuts off — water (the stopcock or main shut-off), gas and the electrical panel — with room to sketch exactly where they are.
- One repeated form for every appliance: make, model, serial number, install date, warranty end and who to call. Fill it in once, thank yourself later.
- A "For Whoever Comes Next" section — the things a house-sitter, a family member or the next owner would need to know in a hurry.
- Gentle, plain-spoken guidance opening every section — useful, never preachy.
How it works
- Add a line whenever something is fixed, replaced or discovered. You do not fill it in all at once; you build it as you learn the house. Keep it in a kitchen drawer where you will actually reach for it.
- It is broadly country-neutral. It says "stopcock or main shut-off," gives both terms, and asks about your house rather than any country's forms. Swap the seasonal checklists round for your hemisphere.
- Never write a full account number, password or PIN. The sensitive pages record only where those details are kept — so the book is safe to leave in a drawer or hand to a sitter.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a how-to or repair manual?
No. It is a record of what your house holds and what has been done to it — not instructions for doing the work. Anything unsafe is a job for a qualified tradesperson; this book is where you write down what they did, and when.
Is it only for the United States?
No. The wording is broadly country-neutral: it uses both "stopcock" and "main shut-off," makes no jurisdiction-specific claim, and the seasonal pages are meant to be adapted to your own climate. Buyers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia are all served.
Is it safe to keep account details in?
The sensitive pages record only where account details are kept — never the passwords, PINs or full account numbers themselves. That is a deliberate feature, so the book is safe in a drawer or in a house-sitter's hands.
Does it make a good gift?
Yes — it is designed to be one. It suits a housewarming, and it is the practical, warm closing gift a real-estate agent can give that gets kept and updated for years.
How big is it?
8.5 x 11 inches, 122 pages, printed in black ink on white paper.
See it on Amazon
