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<\/p>\nOwning a home can be both a blessing and a curse. If you aren\u2019t prepared for all the work that goes into your house\u2019s maintenance, it can quickly become overwhelming.<\/p>\n
To help make sure you feel prepared, we created a seasonal home maintenance checklist to guide you through the process. We\u2019ll also explain why doing routine maintenance is important and the benefits of doing so.<\/p>\n
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As a human, you do routine maintenance on yourself\u2014going to the doctor if you\u2019re sick, getting routine checkups at the dentist, and keeping yourself healthy. So why wouldn\u2019t you do the same for your home?<\/p>\n
Keeping your home in the best shape is something that can not only benefit you now<\/a> but also pay off in the future.<\/p>\n Routine home maintenance saves money by seeing and fixing small problems now before they become bigger, and more expensive, repairs.<\/p>\n For example, if you have a small hole in your roof that you don\u2019t repair, that hole can lead to your roof deteriorating faster. Or the water can leak into your attic causing mold and mildew or even rot on your ceiling joists. Replacing a roof can be an expensive repair that you could easily avoid. And the price can increase depending on what materials you use<\/a> and prices in your area<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most home warranties require you to keep up with routine maintenance. If you don\u2019t then your policy can refuse to pay for repairs or replacement caused by the lack of maintenance.<\/p>\n Your home is one of the biggest investments and you should be treating it as such for resale. Prospective buyers will notice if you\u2019ve kept up with landscaping, painting, and other repairs. Most buyers want to move into a turnkey property so they will notice these small details and it will help increase your home\u2019s value<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t keep up with the small repairs, it can be reflected in a home inspection report and cause your home\u2019s value to decrease. A well-maintained home can sell for about 10% more than one that isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n By conducting regular home maintenance checks, you minimize the risk of incidents like fires and burglaries from happening. Frequently testing your home\u2019s smoke alarms and fire extinguishers helps ensure that they\u2019ll be in working order in the event of an emergency, giving you peace of mind.<\/p>\n By maintaining your landscaping, you\u2019re also detecting thieves. They tend to target homes with overgrown or high bushes because the home looks abandoned and they provide easy cover to jump into windows.<\/p>\n One of life\u2019s inescapable facts is home maintenance costs money. And sometimes it can cost a lot of money. But the big question is how much money will you need to spend on maintenance<\/a>?<\/p>\n A general rule of thumb is to set aside anywhere between 1%-4% of your home\u2019s value in a house maintenance account. For example, if your home\u2019s value is $300,000, then you would budget anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000 to spend on annual maintenance.<\/p>\n When creating your maintenance budget, you\u2019ll want to keep in mind any additional projects you want to do, like a kitchen renovation<\/a> or adding a new deck<\/a>. That should be a separate expense in your budget.<\/p>\n Here are some ideas for routine maintenance tasks in your home. An important thing to keep in mind is to customize these lists to your home and your schedule. Some of these items can be done monthly or you can set a specific day for spring\/winter maintenance projects.<\/p>\n Checklist for Fall\/Winter Months<\/strong> Turn off outside faucets and put away hoses before the first freeze Check furnace Clean gutters Check HVAC Keep an eye on pipes so they don\u2019t freeze Check dryer vents for lint buildup Seal any gaps where heat can escape Checklist for Spring\/Summer Months<\/strong> Inspect foundations Replace any caulking and weather-stripping Inspect roof Inspect trees Check HVAC Repair\/refinish deck Reverse the ceiling fanIt Saves Money By Reducing Secondary Damage<\/h3>\n
It Validates Insurance & Warranties<\/h3>\n
It Increases Home Value<\/h3>\n
It Increases Safety<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nHow Much Should I Budget for Home Maintenance?<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nSeasonal Home Maintenance Checklist<\/h2>\n
\n Cover your AC unit
\nPlacing a cover over your unit helps protect the coils inside from damage from debris and ice.<\/p>\n
\nDrain any excess water so it won\u2019t get trapped inside the hose\/faucet and damage them.
\nIf you have an inground sprinkler system also drain that so it doesn\u2019t get damaged.<\/p>\n
\nClean or replace filters to improve air quality and make your furnace operate better.<\/p>\n
\nRemove any organic buildup, like leaves, so water can run freely.<\/p>\n
\nMake sure your system is operating correctly and have plenty of time to get any issues repaired before it becomes an emergency.<\/p>\n
\nWhen you\u2019re leaving on a winter trip, make sure your heat is still on in case of a cold snap. This keeps the water in your pipes from freezing and potentially bursting the pipes, leaving you a mess to clean up.<\/p>\n
\nClean out dryer vents with a vacuum or by manually pulling any excess lint. This not only makes your dryer run efficiently, but it also reduces your fire risk.<\/p>\n
\nIn the colder months, keeping as much of the heat in your home as possible helps save you money and keeps your family comfortable.<\/p>\n
\n Check gutters
\nMake sure there isn\u2019t any damage from winter storms so any water can run down a drainpipe instead of inside your house or behind any siding.<\/p>\n
\nLook for any new cracks or if any existing cracks are worse.<\/p>\n
\nCheck around any spaces where water can get in like windows and skylights. This can help you keep cool air inside, lowering your electric costs and helping keep water out of your home.<\/p>\n
\nLook for missing tiles or shingles and replace them with new ones.
\nCheck for leaks to make sure water isn\u2019t running into your home.<\/p>\n
\nExamine trees for dead limbs that could fall and damage property.<\/p>\n
\nCheck the cooling part of your HVAC system to see if you need any refrigerants like freon.<\/p>\n
\nCheck your deck to make sure it\u2019s still structurally sound and make any necessary repairs.
\nRefinishing your deck can help protect it from the weather and help it last longer.<\/p>\n
\nChanging your ceiling fan\u2019s motion to rotate counterclockwise creates a downdraft that can make the room feel cooler.<\/p>\n