Many home owners know that home repair projects are not always do it yourself and many can be quite expensive. In order to keep these costs down, it is important to maintain a regular maintenance schedule for your home as most people do with their cars. There are things that you should do monthly, semiannually, and annually to keep your home in the best condition that you can.
Monthly items are all things that most home owners can do on their own. These are your most common maintenance care projects. The most common of these is to test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Most homeowners have smoke detectors but many people forget that the must change the batteries and must check to make sure that they are working properly.
Other items in the home that should be checked monthly are the fire extinguisher gauges, heating and cooling system filters. Dirty filters can lead to other problems with heating and cooling systems that can lead to more much expensive repairs at a later date. It is also a good idea to clean the stove exhaust filter at this time as well. Make sure that the outdoor cooling unit does not have leaves or debris around it as those can cause it to overheat.
Seasonal changes bring about semi annually maintenance repairs and changes also. Installing/ removing screen windows or storm windows are the biggest tasks that should occur semi annually. This will help with heating and cooling costs during both seasons. It is also a good idea to install or remove window air conditioner units at the same time as you are changing the windows. Spring and fall are great times to make these changes as that is generally the time that the temperatures will be changing and so will the heating or cooling of the home.
Gutters and downspouts should also be cleaned semi annually. It seems that many items will end up in the gutters and so cleaning them twice a year is an excellent idea. While doing so much work outside, it is also a good time to check the sump pump system, if you have one, and make sure that the outdoor vents to the home are working well and that the screens are in good shape over them.
It is a wise idea to hold a family fire drill at least twice a year too. Be sure that everyone in the house knows what to do in case of a fire and be sure to have a central meeting place away from the home that everyone knows they are to go to if there is a fire. If you have a barn or garage that is away from the home a safe distance that makes the perfect meeting place.
Keeping the home well maintained means that many chores only need to be done once a year but they are still important and must not be overlooked. If you have a well, it should be inspected yearly. Also, any fuel burning systems and appliances should be inspected before they are expected to work through a season. Winterizing exterior faucets and caulking or weather stripping windows and doors should be done each year in the fall so that the home is warmer when the cooler weather hits.
Fall is a perfect time to inspect your septic system and to prune branches away from the roof of the home. It is also the perfect time to replace batteries in a programmable thermostat to be sure that it is working properly. To keep the home looking good on the outside, fall is also a fabulous time to enjoy the last of the warm days and pressure wash the exterior of the home and well as the roof and the garage floor.
The key to keeping your home working properly and reducing the risks of major home repairs occurring is to have a regular maintenance schedule. It might sound time consuming, but it does not have to be. It is important to inspect your home on a regular basis so that a little problem does not turn into a major repair project that could have been prevented. Think of it as protecting one of your financial investments.
Source: Personal knowledge