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Owning a home requires a lot more responsibility than renting. If something breaks down,
there is no landlord to come and fix the problem; it is in the owner’s hands. That means the
responsibility of keeping a home clean and maintained is up to the homeowners. Your realtor,
mortgage lender and everyone on the Internet has told you how important it is to keep your
home maintained, as well as thousands of ways to do it. But why is it so important?
Home Maintenance Saves you Money :
The first reason home maintenance is so important is that it saves you, the homeowner,
money. “That can’t be right, “you are thinking. “I spend so much of my time, money and energy
cleaning and maintaining. How does that save me money?”
While it’s true, maintenance takes some money, dedication and hard work, in the long run you
save much more money than if you didn’t do maintenance. Why is this? According to Your
Money: the Missing Manual, for every dollar you spend on preventative maintenance around
the home, you save approximately $100 in future repairs. That is because taking care of small
problems now (a dirty filter or clogged drain) makes it, so you do not have the problem worsen
over time and develop into a larger issue (a burned-out HVAC motor or burst pipe.) Those
bigger problems that tend to crop up after not maintaining a home cost significantly more than
a new furnace filter every month or so.
Home Maintenance Keeps Your Home Running Efficiently :
The worst part of maintenance is that it is just that: maintenance. It requires completing a task
repeatedly, and often, to provide upkeep for your home’s working parts. It is just like sweeping
the kitchen floor; you must keep sweeping it every week or so to keep it clean. If you did not,
imagine the state of the floor! Now think about how often you clean out your dishwasher’s
filter or unclog your bathroom drain… probably not as often as you sweep the floor, correct?
Yet you probably use them almost as often as you use the floor.
Just like you must continue to sweep your floor to keep it usable and clean, you must clean and
maintain the other parts of your home to keep them usable. If you do not, you will end up
having your home run less efficient. If you do not clean the furnace filter, you will be paying for
more gas or electricity as your HVAC system works hard to cool or heat air in your home. If you
do not clean the evaporative coils under your fridge, it has a harder time keeping your food
cool, and uses more energy to do so. When you maintain your home, you keep it running
efficiently, which also saves you money with lower utility bills.
Home Maintenance Increases your Home’s Value :
When you drive a new car off the lot, it immediately drops in value. The resale value decreases
the longer you drive the car and the older it becomes. This principle does not work the same for
a home. In fact, the longer you own a home, the more you could increase its worth. Of course,
home values have to do with the market and not solely what you do to the house, but you can
still have a direct effect on your home’s value by maintaining your house.
How does this work? If you decided to put your home up for sale tomorrow, and you had not
maintained any of your systems and appliances, you would find that the home inspection
report would probably show that your home had a lot of problems or potential problems.
Buyers would either want a discounted rate depending on the issues that your home may have
or ask you to replace or repair systems that may give them trouble in the future. Either way,
you will not be getting as much money out of the sale of the home as it could potentially be
worth.
However, if you had maintained your systems and appliances as per the manufacturer’s
instructions, the home inspector would find less issues you would have to take care of while
doing an inspection, and you would most likely end up getting more money out of the home.
Of course, the more home improvement and maintenance projects you do out of your own
pocket that increase your home’s value, the more equity you end up having in the home.
HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
Your home will be in ship-shape year-round with this home maintenance checklist. Checking up monthly
and seasonally on things like your home’s appearance (interior and exterior) as well as the electric,
plumbing, cooling, and heating systems will keep the bones of your home in good shape.
Likewise, the maintenance of household appliances is essential, too, as they are the motor of our homes.
Devices like washer and dryer, refrigerators, range, oven, and microwave, to name a few, need to be
cleaned and maintained regularly.
MONTHLY MAINTENANCE :
- Clean or replace A/C filters and vacuum air vents if there is dust build-up.
- Vacuum air vents if there is dust build-up.
- Dust and clean crown moldings, fans, and light fixtures.
- Deep clean the dishwasher.
- Deep clean the refrigerator.
- Deep clean microwave, stovetop, oven, and other appliances.
- Clean the garbage disposal.
- Clean the range hood filter.
- Wash shower curtains.
- Run the auto-clean cycle on the washing machine.
- Wipe the front of the kitchen cabinets.
- Wash windows.
- Deep clean couches, chairs, and vacuum upholstery.
- Polish wood furniture and use a conditioner on leather furniture.
- Clean the outside of the washer and dryer.
- Dust, vacuum, or wash window treatment.
- Vacuum under and behind furniture.
- Clean rugs.
- Wash trash cans and recycle bins.
- Sweep porch, patio, and decks.
- Inspect and test fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers.
WINTER MAINTENANCE :
During the winter months, your home is more prone to damage. The very low temperatures can freeze
water pipes, and severe weather, including snowstorms, can cause trees to fall, which could lead to roof
and siding damage.
The following home maintenance items are a must-do. Make sure to check these maintenance things off
the list even before the first snow of the season falls.
- Operate your ceiling fans in the reverse direction (clockwise).
- Check for leaks in the basement during thaws in the winter.
- Check for leaks in sinks, toilets, washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, and icemaker.
- Vacuum refrigerator and freezer coils.
- Deep clean the refrigerator.
- Clean drip trays.
- Trim trees and shrubs to ensure that heavy snow or ice does not break off limbs and branches.
- Install new batteries in all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Clean and store your outdoor furniture.
- Verify your sump pump operation so it’s ready for spring.
- Test all GFCI outlets, to ensure they’re working properly especially during the winter months.
- Cover the outdoor air conditioning unit.
- Clean all exterior house vents including the heating furnace and the dryer vent.
- Turn off outdoor water supplies to prevent leaks.
- Cover outdoor faucets with insulation.
SPRING MAINTENANCE
Spring cleaning is a home maintenance chore we all have heard about, and that is because Spring
is the time of renewal. Historically, it is a time to clean all the dust and soot from using the furnaces,
fireplaces, and chimneys used during the winter months.
Spring is a beautiful – and perhaps the best season- to do some maintenance chores around your home.
When the snow on the ground has thawed, and the flowers and trees are sprouting. The weather is perfect
to go outside and do some updates, repairs, and cleaning outside and inside your home.
- Hire a professional company to service your air conditioning system.
- Clean the kitchen range hood and filter.
- Inspect the chimney.
- Clear gutters and downspouts from all winter debris.
- Powerwash siding, patios, windows, and exterior walls.
- Refinish your deck or patio, and bring back your outdoor furniture.
- Wash windows indoors.
- Clean and polish furniture.
- Inspect all caulking in bathrooms, sinks, and bathtubs. Recaulk if necessary.
- Inspect roof and siding for any winter storm-related damage. Recaulk all masonry.
- Perform an attic walkthrough; look for leaks, and signs for pests.
- Hire a pest control professional for a thorough inspection and application if necessary.
- Uncover outdoor faucets and sprinkler heads.
- Turn on the water supply for all exterior faucets.
SUMMER MAINTENANCE
Summer is the time for outdoor gatherings and preparing the house for company. Chances are you will be
hosting backyard parties, bonfires, and BBQs.
A couple of weeks before Summer officially starts -and the temperatures start rising – head outdoors and
tackle these few home maintenance chores.
- Cut and prune tree limbs, branches, shrubs, and bushes.
- Clean gutters so they are free of debris, and water can flow freely during the rainy season.
- Re-seal deck or patio.
- Inspect, and clean firepits.
- Inspect BBQ grills, tools, and supplies, including propane gas tanks.
- Refinish your deck or patio, and bring back your outdoor furniture.
- Lube door hinges, window locks, and garage-door chains and springs.
- Indoors, operate your ceiling fans in the normal direction (counter-clockwise).
- Inspect all caulking in bathrooms, sinks, and bathtubs. Recaulk if necessary.
- Check all railings and banisters in decks and patios to ensure they are not loose or broken.
- Towards the end of summer, or early fall, seed the lawn.
FALL MAINTENANCE
Your fall home maintenance checklist is mostly focused on outdoor chores. In many places, the air is crisp
and dry during the fall. Take advantage of the nice weather to perform these maintenance tasks.
Indoors, it is very important to ensure all fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers are working
correctly, especially if you are planning on using furnaces, fireplaces, and chimneys.
- Clean the humidifier, if you use one to counter dry air inside your home.
- Inspect your roof. Look for any loose shingles or tiles damaged during summer storms.
- Remove debris from gutters and downspouts.
- Rake all leaves and clear out your lawn.
- Drain the hot water heater to flush out sediments.
- Inspect your heating sources such as fireplaces, furnaces, and the HVAC system.
- Clean and fine-tune home appliances such as oven, freezer, and cooking and baking gadgets.
- Have a professional clean your carpets.
- Test all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers.
