One of the first things that will become a constant for you after buying your new home is home maintenance. It never really stops when you are the homeowner as you no longer have a landlord to tell you what to ignore and come in to fix what cannot be ignored. Perhaps you will encounter the same issues as you did in your rental place but you are not the type of homeowner to ignore something small that could become a big issue later on.
Obviously, the first and best thing you can do to avoid having too many home maintenance issues is to buy a good house. A house and land package deal is less likely to cause you too many issues and unlikely to develop that many serious issues till you have lived in it for several years. Good construction will always provide a measure of relief to homeowners because they know they can rely on it to keep them safe from expensive repair situations till they build up a repair fund for several years.
But, preparation is still key to peace of mind. So let’s take a look at home maintenance tips that will serve you well in the coming years.
HVAC Filters
Your HVAC filters need to be clean and working properly to ensure that your heating and cooling systems are working optimally. Regular checks and changes can help to reduce the build-up of dust and various household debris like hair and pet dander. These types of irritants can block your filters and reduce the effectiveness of your system.
If anything other than cleaning filters or replacing them is required make sure to call in a repairman. HVAC systems are too complicated and expensive for an amateur to try to fix the problem as that can result in even more damage and a higher repair bill.
Protect your Windows
Your windows are your helpmate in keeping the heat and cold air out depending on the season. Keep them in good repair and regularly check the caulking to ensure that they are not warped and insulated effectively against the weather.
Double-glazed windows with a shutter are even better than single-glazed windows at keeping the inside of your house the temperature you want. Consider installing an awning or building an overhand over the windows to make them even better at keeping the sun from heating up your home through the glass. The benefit of an awning is that it is retractable so you can retract it and let the winter sun warm up your windows.
Get a Home Audit
You could get in a home auditor for free through a government program to check the insulation of your home. Even if you go the private route, it can be a good investment because the amount of money you might be spending to heat or cool your house might be much more than you need to be spending.
If the insulation and sealing of your house are assessed and found wanting, this is proof that your best efforts at conserving energy have been sabotaged by bad insulation. Repairing and fixing these issues allows you to better heat or cool your house and not lose money to leaks.
Check Your Roof
Your roof needs to be in good repair to prevent any moisture from leaking into the hard-to-reach areas and crawlspaces of your home. Moisture in the house can be hard to detect and very insidious. It will eventually make itself known when it gets to a point where repair costs will be sky-high. This can take the form of sagging walls, discolored and wrinkling paint, crumbly walls, and worst of all: mold.
Mold is hard to get rid of and can be very hazardous to health. The only way to be sure of keeping it out of the house is to make sure your roof is in good condition and repair any leaks or replace missing tiles as soon as possible so moisture does not get a chance to get in the house.
Seal Your Deck
Moisture can be very destructive to your outside porch or deck as well. Check the condition of the posts and wood regularly and reseal it seasonally to ensure that it stays in good condition.
These may all seem like things you can take your time about but it is best to make a schedule that you follow. There are so many aspects to keeping a house in good condition from the activities mentioned above to others like gutter cleaning and weatherproof painting, etc. It can be easy to lose track without a schedule.
In the event of a repair issue, you can also better advise your repairman about the condition of the system by referring to the schedule so that they have helpful information about what to expect and the condition of the system. This can help keep your repair bills low by a great deal as your repairman does not have to solve three other issues while also fixing the specific one you called him out to repair.
