Being a homeowner provides a wonderful feeling of independence and is a milestone for many people. Once you get your dream home, you should take pride in it by decorating and designing your living spaces to look exactly the way you want them.
However, being a homeowner comes with great responsibility. Houses are meant to be strong and sturdy but require a certain amount of maintenance to last you and your family for many years. Neglecting maintenance will cause your home to develop fundamental issues over the years and lose its curbside appeal.
Here are the absolutely necessary home maintenance projects.
1. Roof Inspection
Inspect your roof at least once a year, especially after the cold winter seasons. Roofs are very important to the structural integrity of a house and if not properly maintained, it could turn into a safety hazard.
It’s recommended to use binoculars to inspect your roof instead of climbing up there and doing it manually. Many people injure themselves from falling off of roofs and ladders every year.
No matter how athletic you think you may be, this is best left to an expert. It’s relatively easy to find roofing contractors in your area that will make sure your roof is in its best condition.
2. Search For Leaks
Leaks from a faucet are relatively small issues and can usually be fixed on your own. However, any sign of water coming from a place where it shouldn’t, like around your sink or toilet, is a problem that can’t be ignored.
A leak in these places could indicate a much larger plumbing issue that could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix. Check all toilets and sinks of lesser-used rooms like guest bedrooms and bathrooms to make sure everything is in good shape.
Call a plumber as soon as possible to get any leak resolved quickly.
3. Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
This home maintenance task is relatively easy and makes a huge difference in the safety of your home. Checking your smoke and carbon monoxide detector is very easy to forget about since it’s not something you think about often.
We don’t have to go into the details of what can happen if there’s a fire during the night or a carbon-monoxide leak while you and your family are sleeping. Checking both takes just a few minutes and should be done every month.
4. Check Your HVAC
You should have your HVAC or AC checked at least once a year. It’s recommended that you do it in spring or right before summer and you’ll need air conditioning. No one wants to be stuck in the sweltering heat that summer brings without a working air conditioner, so get a tune-up every year!
Always hire a trained professional, like Gem, instead of trying to do it yourself. There are many companies that offer recurring tune-ups where you just have to sign up once and they’ll automatically schedule a tune-up every year so you don’t have to worry about it.
5. Look For Pests
Once a year, do a sweep for pests in your home. A swarm of termites can lead to extreme expenses to get rid of them. They can also cause lots of damage to the structural foundation of your home. Also look out for moths munching on your clothes, mouse droppings, signs of ants, etc.
You can conduct this inspection yourself or call pest control for an inspection.
Conclusion
There are many ways to maintain your home. Creating a yearly schedule of maintenance tasks will make it less stressful and you’ll be less likely to forget some things. Enjoy being a homeowner by taking great of your home!
