When it comes to purchasing a home, the first thought that crosses a lot of people’s minds is financial responsibility. However, you can never forget that owning a home also requires factors such as labor and time. Thinking about these types of tasks can be extremely intimidating, especially to those who are purchasing a home for the first time. Perhaps the best thing is that you can do a lot of these tasks on your own without a great deal of experience at all. The best way to maximize efficiency involving these tasks is to create a home maintenance calendar, which you can use to jot down regular tasks that can be performed every weekend. These tasks can be performed monthly, quarterly, biannually, and seasonally.
Here are some of the most basic tasks that you can make note of in order to help keep your home regularly maintained.
Monthly
- Inspect/Change Out Your HVAC Filters
- Clean the sink disposal in your kitchen
- Clean the range hood filters
- Inspect all of your fire extinguishers
Quarterly
- Test all of your carbon dioxide and smoke detectors
- Test the auto-reverse feature on your garage door
- Flush all toilets and run water in any unused spaces
- Check water softener and, if needed, add salt
Biannually
- Test the pressure relief valve on your water heater
- Deep clean your home
- Replace the batteries in all of your carbon dioxide and smoke detectors
- Vacuum all of your refrigerator coils
Spring
- Check all exterior drainage
- Clean out all of your gutters
- Inspect your home’s exterior
- Have your air conditioning unit serviced
- Replace or repair any window screens that have been damaged
- Clear away any dead shrubs or plants
- Make sure no trees are interfering with power lines
- Inspect your roof for any leaks or damage
Summer
- Check for and repair any grout in your kitchen, bathroom, etc.
- Inspect your plumbing for leaks and clean out your aerators on your faucets
- Deal with any issues involving insects
- Repair and/or clean your deck patio
- Clear away debris from your window wells
- Check and/or clean your dryer vent and other exhaust vents
- Clean out your garage
Fall
- Flush out your hot water heater and remove any sediment
- Winterize your air conditioning unit
- Prepare your heating system for the winter season
- Turn off and flush all of your exterior water faucets
- Clean your chimney
- Get your sump pump tested
- Have your driveway and any pavement tested for potential cracks
- Purchase proper winter gear
Winter
- Check for icicles and ice dams regularly
- Test your electricity as much as you can
- Tighten knobs, handles, etc.
- Check deadbolts, locks, etc. on all of your doors and windows
- Check all of the caulking on bathtubs and showers and make any repairs if needed
- Remove all of your showerheads and clean any sediment that you find
- Inspect and deep clean your basement
