Finding the right home maintenance plan for your home is essential for keeping it in excellent working condition. Like a regular medical checkup, a home maintenance program is important for the maintenance of every home. Continuing to check your exterior, appliances, heating and cooling, plumbing, security and electrical systems will help prevent breakdowns, save money and keep your home looking its best. Use this home maintenance checklist to schedule your upgrades, repairs, cleaning and a handful of monthly seasonal tasks.
Check the list every month and at the beginning of each season to keep your home in excellent working condition. If any of the home repairs and maintenance go beyond your skill level or lead to more complicated projects, consider hiring a professional to help you. Have Your Oven and Ducts Serviced: A clean system will be more energy efficient and an inspection will alert you to problems. Check and replace air filters, as needed.
Test the thermostat to make sure it works properly. Make sure the heater vents are open and nothing blocks them. Pressure Wash the Siding of Your House: Pressure washing once a year can make a big difference. You should always be careful not to get too close to the wood and the side of your house to avoid damage. I've always rented pressure washers in the past, but this year I might buy one.
I prefer gas pressure washers with at least 2700 PSI like this one from Home Depot. Spring is an important month for home maintenance. They don't call it “spring cleaning” at all. Focus especially on the outside of your home, as you have just wintered and you are preparing for the summer heat and, in some parts of the country, brutal humidity. Summer is a great time to focus on the outside of your home, as well as the lawn and garden. It's also perfect for keeping your garage door open and using extended daylight to work on any manly project you've had in the background. Autumn is an intermediate season when you finish the maintenance of your summer house and prepare your house for winter.
Cold, snow, and rain can make a big number in a house, so you don't want to ignore winterizing. There are many checklists online that you can print, or you can buy a planner and use it just to keep a record of home maintenance. Performing some simple monthly maintenance tasks on your home can prevent costly repairs in the future. When a person is a planner (that's me) and their partner is more event-driven (my husband), household maintenance can fluctuate. Home maintenance can seem like a daunting task, especially for a new homeowner who has never seen a boiler up close, let alone a depleted one. Spending more time on cost-effective maintenance will save you money to replace key home systems, such as a new oven or roof. Now that you understand why a home maintenance strategy is important, it's essential that you find a strategy that fits your personality and lifestyle.
In many regions, autumn is the perfect season to tackle general home maintenance projects because the climate is generally dry and temperatures are moderate. So over the past week, I tried to brainstorm as many household maintenance items as I could and organize them by frequency. To maximize your efficiency and perform all of these tasks, you may want to create a home maintenance schedule for yourself. The biggest challenge is often finding a home maintenance plan that works for you AND your partner. A good rule of thumb is to budget between one and three percent of the purchase price of your home each year to cover typical homeowner maintenance. Following a home maintenance strategy is more about finding a schedule that works for you and your lifestyle. With some planning ahead of time, you can ensure that all necessary repairs are taken care of before they become bigger problems down the line.
