Maintaining a home takes a lot of work. The specific things you need to do will depend on the house itself, but there are many tasks that are required for all different homes. If you’re a homeowner and are unsure where to start with home maintenance, here are some tasks that are very important.
Inspect Your Roof
The average lifespan of a roof is 20 to 50 years, depending on the materials it’s made out of. Make sure that you inspect your roof regularly to look for signs of wear or damage. This will help you make necessary repairs and extend your roof’s lifespan for as long as possible.
Check All Filters
You need to check the filters for appliances in your home regularly. Otherwise, they could start to work poorly or break down. Your furnace filters should be changed every 30 to 90 days. This will keep the air quality in your home at a healthy level.
Check Smoke Alarms
Your home needs to have working smoke alarms in order to keep you and your family safe. Make checking them a part of your lifestyle. Inspect them regularly, then change the batteries twice a year. That way, if there is a fire, you’ll be sure your alarms are working.
Maintain Your Septic System
When you buy your home, you need to know if it is connected to city sewage or if it has a septic system. If you have a septic system, you are responsible for maintaining it. So make sure that you clean and inspect it as often as the manufacturer suggests. According to SCDHEC, your septic system should be cleaned every three to five years. So make sure you schedule that cleaning and don’t forget.
Wash Your Siding
Your home’s siding protects the house from damage. Unfortunately, if dirt and debris build up, it can make your house look ugly. Wash your siding in order to remove all of that dirt and make the house look clean. This will increase your home’s curb appeal, which is essential if you’re considering selling your house.
Declutter the Yard
You want to keep your yard maintained as a part of your lifestyle. Not only will it make the yard a more pleasant place to spend time, but it will also reduce the chances of getting injured. You or a family member could trip on debris lying in the yard. Or you could get bitten by a tick in the tall grass. Mow your grass and clean up anything that is out of place in the yard. Once the yard is cleaned up, you can consider any landscaping you might want to do.
Do an Energy Audit
An energy audit can be a great way to determine where your home is losing energy and how you could improve it. While this is a process, it is a relatively painless thing to do. Many power companies will offer a free audit, so check with your provider. Once they’ve sent the inspector to look through your house, they’ll tell you exactly what you should do to make your home more energy-efficient. While it might be an investment upfront, you can often get rebates. Plus your power bills will go down significantly.
Repaint the Exterior
If your home is looking a little ugly, even after you’ve washed the siding, it might be time to repaint it. This isn’t something you’ll need to do every year, but it is important to keep it in mind. Repainting can improve curb appeal and increase your home’s value.
Home maintenance is very important. However, there are so many tasks that need to get done that it’s easy to miss some. Use this list to get started on adding home maintenance into your regular lifestyle!