When it comes to home maintenance, you should abide by the one to four percent rule. This rule states you should spend between one and four percent of your home’s value each year on repairs and maintenance.
You may wonder what type of repairs you should focus on to keep your home well maintained. This can vary based on the house, its age, and other factors, and there are some general guidelines you can use.
Below we’ve included some helpful and actionable home maintenance tips to keep your home in tip-top shape for as long as possible. Regardless of if you build or buy, keeping your home properly maintained is a must.
The Roof
If you don’t notice problems with your roof and take care of them as early as possible, it may result in leaks inside your home. And roof leaks can add up to some very costly repairs and unwanted mold and moisture in your home.
Make sure that you pay close attention to the areas around your vents, chimneys, and skylights as well.
These are the areas of your roof that are most likely to develop leaks.
The Shower
Believe it or not, your shower also needs some love and attention on a regular basis. Take some time to look at the pipe coming off your shower wall (where your shower head is attached).
This is one of the most common areas where issues can occur with any shower. It may become loose over time or corrode without anyone noticing. When this goes unchecked you could be in for some costly repairs, however, fixing it is a breeze.
Fixes in this part of your shower may be as simple as sealing up any areas that could allow cold air or moisture to spread or a quick replacement of a showerhead. If you need, your local handyman can help you accomplish these repairs fairly quick.
The Gutters
Your rain gutters and downspouts are a very important part of your home. When they’re working properly you probably don’t even think about them.
Your home’s gutters are the first line of defense that will protect your home’s siding and foundation from the elements.
But if your gutters aren’t doing their job properly, it may result in a flooded crawl space or basement. One of the main reasons water accumulates in basements is due to malfunctioning gutters.
If you want to keep your basement dry, then you need to clean your gutters and remove the debris. Try not to use gutter guards, as these don’t do that good of a job blocking the debris, and they make it more difficult to clean the gutters out.
In addition to cleaning the gutters, be sure they are properly attached to the fascia boards, and then replace the gutters that have started to leak.
The Windows
Do your windows skip, stick and stutter when you try to open them to let a bit of fresh air inside? If so, this is a problem and one that needs to be addressed.
Also, if you try to force your windows open when they are sticky, it can stress the window and result in damage. The next time you feel any resistance when trying to open your window, spray a bit of silicone lubricant on a rag and then apply a light coat to the guides.
This is a trick that works well on wood, metal, and vinyl windows.
The Toilet
If you have ever had to deal with a leaky toilet, then you know the struggle that goes along with it. A toilet tank that leaks won’t just affect your utility bill, but it may also cause water damage in your bathroom, as well as premature wear of the internal components of your toilet.
If you don’t know if you have a leaky toilet, there’s a simple test. Just add a little food coloring into the tank (a couple of drops should be plenty). Be sure to use a bright color such as blue or red.
Leave the dye in the tank for an hour, and then come back to see if there is any color in the bowl. If the dye is present in the bowl, there’s a leak.
If this is the case, the flapper is going to have to be changed. You can do this yourself or call your local plumber for help.
The Walls
It doesn’t matter how careful you are, your walls are eventually going to get a few holes in them. From hanging up pictures and mirrors to careless kids, and curious pets, holes happen.
Even if you have camouflaged all the holes, if you are ready to change things up, they may be easy to see. The good news is, this is an easy fix.
All you need is some spackle and a bit of time. Applying spackle to cover the holes is relatively easy and once it’s sanded flush with your wall, can be painted to hide the old holes in the wall!
The HVAC System
When it comes to home maintenance, air conditioners, heat pumps, and other heating and cooling equipment are often the most overlooked appliances. However, it is one of the most expensive to repair.
It’s a good idea to hire an expert heating and cooling professional to perform routine planned maintenance on your home comfort systems. It’s at this time your heating and cooling contractor can also inspect your home’s HVAC system to prepare you for any upcoming problems with the equipment.
Keeping your heating and cooling systems in-check and well maintained will help save you in the long-run. A well-maintained HVAC system can far outlive a system that has been neglected and it should help you be able to budget better for repairs.
Keep Your Home in Order: Home Maintenance Tips
This quick list of general home maintenance tips should be enough to get you started on the right path to a happy home. Remember, keeping your home and all its components maintained is going to reduce strain on your home’s systems and allow them to stand up to issues better.
