Home Maintenance – Maintain Your Investment
Regular home maintenance is important for your home. I like to think of it like I would my car. My car gets regular maintenance – oil changes, tire rotations, some new fluids may be needed now and again – what ever it takes to keep my car and its engine happy and healthy. Well, it is the same thing with a home.
Home maintenance should be taken seriously. It can help you avoid future repairs that may be more costly than performing simple maintenance regularly. Plus, it can save you a lot of headaches and stress.
Home Maintenance Tasks
• Inspect your air conditioner’s filter. Many suggest that these should be changed every month. However, with regular home maintenance, you can simply check the filter each month – if it is dirty, change it! Sometimes filters can last longer if your home doesn’t have any pets or you have a smaller family. Filters should be changed at the very least, every three months.
• Test your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors. This should be done every three months. Simply push the “test” button and if the alarm sounds, your alarm batteries are still good. However, if you do not hear a sound, replace your batteries and test it again. If the alarm still does not sound, check the battery terminal for corrosion. If there is corrosion, clean it off and try it. If this doesn’t work, you need to replace the whole detector. Do this immediately. These detectors are not only there to protect your home, but to protect those that live in the home.
• Before the seasons change, test your cooling and heating systems. These require regular maintenance. If it hasn’t received maintenance in a while, you might want to consider getting it serviced. Always test to make sure it works properly before the seasons change. You don’t want the AC to go out when it is going to hit 100, nor do you want to discover your heater is broken when it reaches 40 degrees outside.
• When the seasons start to change, you should also inspect your roof for damage or leaks.
• Clean the kitchen’s sink disposal. I recommend using some baking soda and vinegar in the drain with a cucumber, lemon, lime or orange wedge. This will freshen it up and clean out any food particles, fat, or acid that gets stuck in the disposal. This is something that should be done monthly. As a bonus, empty your icemaker into the garbage disposal and turn it on. The ice will sharpen the blades.
• Every month, you should run the water and flush any unused toilets (such as a guest bathroom). This will help flush the pipes and avoid any build ups.
• Inspect the exterior of your home twice a year. Verify if there is any paint chipping, loose bricks, broken or damaged window screens, dead plants or shrubs mucking up the place, trees interfering with electrical lines, et cetera.
• Address any insect problems in the summer. It is the best way to stay in control.
• Clean out your garage at least once a year. Not only does it free up space, but the garage can be a scary task to handle if you ever decide to move. Annual cleaning can help drastically.
This list is just a basic checklist to remind yourself of the importance of home maintenance. Be sure to address any concerns before they become problems. With regular cleaning and inspection, you can prevent minor home maintenance from becoming major projects.
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