Vicky Sanderson Think home maintenance is a bit of a hassle? Sure it is. But try not looking after your home, and see what kind of big-ticket issues and expense you face down the line. Investing in home maintenance delivers great ROI on your real estate, and is one of the most important things you can do as a homeowner.
Here are some of home maintenance tasks that matter most.
Watch your windows
Energy efficiency is hugely increased by keeping the windows in your home properly sealed. So check seals regularly and repair when necessary. It’s an easy task that can have far-reaching effects, including preventing the huge headache of mould taking hold in interior walls.
Keep trees and shrubs at a distance
Love your trees, but don’t keep them too close. Ensure that trees are kept at a safe distance from the house. Keep an eye on upper branches. Remove broken or falling branches whenever you see them. If it’s a big job, call a tree surgeon. Don’t forget to check and see if your municipality/local council offers any free or low-cost programs, or will send out a consulting arborist to give advice.
Keep shrubs around the house well-trimmed. It’s a good security move and will help ensure branches and leaves don’t clog windowsills, porches, and planters. Don’t forget to keep an outdoor air conditioning unit free of shrubs and weeds.
Guard your gutters
This is a out-of-sight-out-of-mind chore that’s so easy to ignore. Don’t. Think about it. If your toilet or sink was clogged, you’d deal with it immediately. The same should hold true for gutter blockages. With nowhere to go, water sits against sensitive materials; areas like roof decking can be softened, and additional weight may bow or pull gutters away from fixtures. Pests (and mould) will just love that damp, covered environment.
If like me, you’re a bit tippy on a ladder, or you’re just not sure of what you are doing, consider using a gutter cleaning service. A clean gutter will keep water flowing properly, so you won’t have to deal with potential disasters, like standing water on your property. You do not want that to happen —a good gutter cleaning is a small price to pay to avoid it.
Make a list
These may all seem like pesky little chores right now. But trust me when I say that dealing with home maintenance on the regular will save you stress, savings, and sanity in the future. To make it easier, draw up a yearly calendar of tasks that need to be done annually, quarterly or monthly.
Stay on dry ground
If the ground around the foundations of your home and the exterior wall is too moist, it can damage the structure. Pay attention. Make sure water drains away from the house. There’s lots of good info online about how to do this, but it may be another area you want professional advice on. Again, it would be a wide investment.
Hit the roof
Walk the perimeter of your house and look up. Cross the street and look at the roofline. Watch out for water spots on ceilings, leaks, broken or lifting shingles, ice dams. They could all indicate issues with the roof. As with all these potential problems, dealing with them quickly will typically cost less than fixing long-term damage.
Featured pic from Erika Wittlieb for Pixabay
This is a collaborative post. It was not reviewed prior to publication.
