If there’s one thing that every homeowner knows, it’s that the upkeep of a home requires time and money investments. The good news is that whatever investments you make as a homeowner are worthwhile because maintaining your home comes with many benefits. For instance, if you create the best home maintenance checklist and stick to it, you can boost your home’s curb appeal and impress visitors and neighbors with your ability to keep up appearances.
In addition, if you’re planning to sell your home down the line, a well-maintained home tends to have a higher resale value. Most importantly, you can save money by preventing expensive repairs and reducing the overall cost of running your home. Read on to find home maintenance ideas to include when creating the best home maintenance checklist that will help reduce long-term costs.
Fix Leaks
Leaks are one of the most common plumbing problems that homeowners have to deal with regularly. Small leaks like the constant drip from the faucet can seem like they’re not a big deal. However, this leads to significant water loss and higher utility bills over time. In addition, when a small leak goes undetected or suddenly becomes worse, you end up paying more than budgeted because of expensive repairs. For instance, when the floor gets flooded, it’s ruined, and you now have to pay to fix it. Leaky pipes, in particular, can cause a lot of damage, so it’s perhaps wise to utilize reputable plumbing services.
When you schedule a professional plumbing inspection, your plumber will have the right tools to detect any leaks or potential problems. They will then advise you of the best course of action to ensure your plumbing system is working smoothly. The biggest issue you want to avoid by fixing leaks in a timely matter is water damage. The last thing you want to end up with is rotting wood, ruined drywall, ugly water stains on the ceiling and walls, and a mold problem. All these problems come with an expensive repair bill, so it’s in your best interests to be proactive about fixing leaks in your home.
Waterproof Your Basement
Looking for more tips to help you identify activities for the best home maintenance checklist? Then you should look no further than waterproofing your basement. To ensure the best results, consider hiring a reputable waterproofing contractor to help you prevent the damaging effects of water on your basement. Because your basement is the lowest level of your home, it’s more susceptible to flooding and moisture problems than any other area. Therefore, waterproofing your basement can help reduce repair costs, especially if your insurance policy does not provide cover for basement flood damage. Paying out-of-pocket to repair water damage can strain your finances, so it’s better to focus on preventive maintenance.
Most homeowners are not aware of this, but a dry basement can also help lower energy costs, while a damp basement and foundation increase heat loss. The wonderful news is once you have worked on waterproofing your basement, you can now focus on finishing it and adding square footage to your space. This can save you more money than trying to figure out the best home additions to increase the space available in your home. When you have dry space in your basement, this is valuable space that you can put to good use by converting it to a work office, storage area, or even living area.
Install Energy Efficient Windows and Doors
If you’re interested in creating the best home maintenance checklist that helps you reduce long-term costs, it’s essential to incorporate ideas that increase your home’s overall energy efficiency. One such idea is to install energy-efficient windows and doors. These energy-efficient additions not only help reduce your heating and cooling costs but also help make your home more comfortable. For example, adding windows and door updates to your home’s front can help reduce your energy bill if they have energy-efficient glazing and high thermal performance. Most homes lose a significant amount of energy through their external windows and door. This is especially so for older homes where the fenestrations have not been replaced in a long time.
While we are on the subject of doors, it’s also a good idea to hire a local garage door service to take care of any garage door repairs that may be needed. Sometimes, your garage door may still function, but there may be hidden problems, and you can save money by identifying and fixing the issue early on. Let’s say your garage door is making louder noises than usual. This can be because of a worn-out part that needs to be replaced, and doing so earlier helps reduce repair costs. The good news is you can also find garage door insulation kits so you can DIY your garage door insulation and help reduce heating and cooling costs.
Inspect and Fix Your Roof
Having a fully functional roof is one of the most underrated benefits of a well-maintained home. Imagine how uncomfortable your home would feel if the interior was constantly exposed to the harsh elements? Therefore, if you’re looking to create the best home maintenance checklist, inspecting and fixing your roof is not something you should overlook. You can either DIY the inspection or hire a roofing contractor who can do a better job of identifying issues with your roof. Your roof can develop any number of issues, including missing or damaged shingles, roof leaks, damaged flashing, failing granules, and damaged gutters.
All of these issues compromise the integrity of your roof and can lead to expensive repairs. For instance, if you don’t catch and fix roof leaks in time, this can result in significant damage to your property. In addition, when your roof is not properly maintained, it can actually increase your heating and cooling costs. Your roof can continue to deteriorate at a faster rate, and this might mean replacing it sooner than you had planned. On the other hand, you can get more years of service from your roof by scheduling professional roof inspections and maintenance regularly.
Schedule HVAC Maintenance
Many homeowners rarely get their HVAC system services, yet this is a crucial aspect of home maintenance. Scheduling HVAC maintenance is cost-effective in the long run for several reasons. For one, it can help reduce repair costs because your technician will be able to identify any issues long before major repairs are needed. Fixing these problems is usually cheaper than waiting for a heating or cooling problem to develop. Besides helping you avoid expensive emergency repairs, regular HVAC maintenance can also help prolong your system’s life. Even if you have a durable HVAC system, it still needs maintenance to keep operating efficiently and smoothly.
By scheduling annual checks, you can save money and reduce the costs associated with frequent repairs or replacement of parts. Perhaps one of the most significant ways that HVAC maintenance helps you reduce costs is by lowering your energy bills. When your HVAC system is operating inefficiently, it uses more energy, and this translates to higher monthly utility bills. The good news is that HVAC maintenance involves things like replacing dirty filters and worn-out parts, all of which increase your system’s efficiency. Your technician can also provide valuable advice to help you create the best home maintenance checklist, such as having your ducts cleaned and sealed.
Trim Trees
The best home maintenance checklist should not just focus on improving the interior but should also focus on maintaining the exterior. When it comes to home maintenance ideas that help reduce long-term costs, you should definitely add tree trimming to the list. This is something that you can’t afford to overlook because there’s always the risk that a tree limb can fall and damage your property. Worse, it can fall on an unsuspecting person and cause injuries. That means you’ll have to spend money hiring a roofing or vinyl fencing company because a tree limb damaged your vinyl fence and roof. Not to mention the medical expenses if a falling branch causes injuries.
So, as soon as the weather gets warmer outside, this is the best time to hire a professional to prune your larger trees before any limbs can fall and cause damage. Generally, large trees should be trimmed once every few years, and you can usually tell the time is right when you notice branches that are drooping down and getting heavier. To ensure an easier cleanup after the professional tree trimming, you might want to look for a suitably sized roll off dumpster for rent.
Insulate Your Attic and Seal Air Leaks
The best home maintenance checklist should also include attic insulation and sealing of air leaks. According to the EPA, attic insulation is one of the best things you can do to reduce your energy bill. That’s because it prevents air leaks. Let’s say it’s winter, and you’re trying to keep your home warm, but hot air keeps escaping from your home, and cold air from outside keeps finding its way in. This causes your HVAC system to work harder and use more energy, resulting in increased utility bills. The same thing can also happen in summer when the cooler air keeps escaping from your home. Thus, it’s important to insulate your attic using a material like spray foam insulation and seal air leaks.
Maintain Your Furniture
There are ways to make your furniture last longer so you can avoid having to replace your furniture sooner than you have to. For instance, if you have a custom cabinet, be sure to tighten screws regularly since furniture joints can loosen over time with use. You should also polish the hardware and keep your furniture clean to give it the best look. When cleaning your furniture, avoid harsh chemicals that can damage the finish, but in case the finish is already looking worn out, consider hiring a furniture refinishing service to help you make your furniture last longer. Other things you can do to maintain your furniture include positioning it away from direct sunlight, investing in slipcovers, using stains or varnish to get rid of scratches, and protecting against water stains.
Clean Your Appliances
If you’re looking for a DIY project that can help you reduce long-term costs, you can add cleaning your appliances to the list. That’s because over time, the appliances in your home will accumulate dirt, and this means they may start working less efficiently and consuming more energy. So, something as simple as cleaning your appliances can result in energy savings and more functional home. When cleaning your home, you can start with the fridge because a cleaner fridge keeps its cool much better than a dirty one. Be sure to defrost the fridge to remove the icy buildup that gives the compressor more work to do.
Cleaning your oven and cooktop also helps reduce the consumption of gas and electricity. For instance, it’s crucial for hot air to circulate freely in your oven, and the oven seals must be clean so they can effectively prevent hot air from escaping when the oven is on. Next, you should also pay attention to your dryers. If you are not using a dryer vent cleaning service, it’s important to regularly clean the dryer lint trap. This is mainly for safety reasons since accumulated lint can be a fire hazard. Cleaning your dryer also prevents your machine from working harder and using more energy.
Maintaining your home is a big responsibility that you should take seriously to keep your environment in the best condition possible. By creating the best home maintenance checklist that you follow, you can save more money each year and protect your investment. Remember your home is one of the most expensive assets you own, and if you want it to retain its value, you should prioritize setting aside time and funds for maintenance and repairs. When done right, using the best home maintenance checklist can even boost your home’s resale value, allowing you to build more equity. In other words, if you take care of your home, your home will take care of you.