Essential Home Maintenance Checklist: Keep Your Home in Top Condition

Owning your own property brings a sense of calm and reward, however, household upkeep is a job on its own and demands your time in attention to small details.

Think of maintaining your house as a regular health checkup. It is an investment needed at intervals that saves you from spending altogether. This does not include

Property care checklists can be broken down into exterior and interior tasks, which require cleaning and and repairing. You need to pay attention to plumbing, monitor appliance safety and electrical and gas systems.

Some of these tasks may be too complex for your skill level and you may put them off for maintenance. For this reason, we have prepared a home maintenance plan that you can follow easily and quickly.

These checklists can be followed in every season, be it preparing for a tough snowfall or dry summers. You can take up small tasks each month to avoid huge repairs and replacements costs at the end.

Follow the home maintenance schedule and do justice to your property!

Monthly Maintenance And Inspection Tasks

The impending doom of maintenance emergencies is best avoided with regular home inspections.

We recommend you maintain a monthly checklist of the upgrades needed and accordingly tabulate your finances to mitigate urgent expenses.

The task of checking all your appliances may seem time consuming. To help you out, we have a list of the necessary equipment you should be monitoring for maintenance.

1. Clean HVAC filters

The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system of the house keeps the air fresh and free from dust, pollen and pollutants. The layer of buildup gradually decreases the efficiency of the HVAC filter, increases power consumption and costs. 

Experts recommend that HVAC filters should be cleaned every once a month, and replaced every six months. This varies depending on the dry or dusty climate and exposure of your house to pet fur.

2. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Although a part of every home kitchen, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are often overlooked. You do not want one of the most important alarms in your house to not go off in cases of emergencies and cause any harm to your loved ones.

Carbon monoxide is odourless and a silent killer, necessitating preventative maintenance of detectors and fire alarms.

Testing the alarms monthly not only saves you in crucial situations, but allows them to last up to five to ten years.

3. Checking for leaks in faucets and pipes

As home owners, water leaks are the most detrimental to the property and require immediate detection.

Ideally, you should be inspecting the faucets and pipes for leaks every time you use them, but a monthly check should suffice too.

Keep an eye out for unexplained and unnecessary high water bills every month, where sudden spikes indicate water leaks. While puddles around leaking faucets are self-explanatory, you should examine ceiling and walls for discolouration and dampness.

4. Inspecting fire extinguishers

The NFPA recommends inspecting the fire extinguishers every month, but the frequency changes depending on the location of your house. It is safer to do it more often if you live closer to the sea, with higher chances of rusting.

Seasonal Home Repair And Maintenance Tasks

We have a handy checklist that allows you to execute seasonal home care practically. You can follow this to ensure you tick off annual property inspections.

Keep in mind, some checks may need a professional’s experience to evaluate the damage and repair cost.

Spring Maintenance Checklist

This is the time of calmness after a reckless winter season. Pay attention to small details and make it a part of your chores list so it does not become a burden.

• Check for any visible entry points for pests such as rodents, roaches, termites, bats
• Check the roof’s condition and any peeling paint caused by water damage
• Check for air or water leaks at window and door sills
• Clean gutters and downspouts to prepare for rain
• Clean dehumidifier coils, and check operation.
• Replace in air conditioner after checking the central air Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value

Summer Maintenance Checklist

Peak summers are for you to enjoy the season, and worry less about home repairs. Carry out these most important maintenance tasks for :

• Burglary rates can be high all year round, specially in summers. Take extra precaution against intruders by checking locks on doors and windows and replacing them when needed.
• Clean and reorganise the garage. Make plenty of space should you need to protect your car from a sudden summer storm.
• Check weatherstrips to be fully functional. This prevents bugs from sneaking in under your door and keeps your home cooler and lower your energy bills. Make sure all weatherstrips are fully functional and don’t have any rips or holes.
• Wrap water heater with an insulation jacket to lower utility costs
• Examine the water pump for mould growth and proper pumping of water
• Fumigate your house with insect repellents and close cracks in your walls

Fall Maintenance Checklist

If you experience extreme winters, spend your fall preparing and renovating the house to not add on to your last minute worries.

• Clean the chimney’s debris before making your first fire
• Protect exterior plumbing with insulation to prevent freezing or burst pipes once the temperature drops suddenly.
• Inspect your radiator and thermostat to avoid repairs on cold winter nights.
• Cover your AC with jackets or tarps to prevent water and snow from entering. This helps extend the life of your AC units.
• Avoid frozen pipes by adequately insulating them 
• Cut branches that hang over your roof. Branches can break in heavy snow and cause costly damage to your property.

Winter Maintenance Checklist

Brace yourself and prepare your home for extreme weather conditions. This list will guide you towards danger signs you should be watching out for to stay ahead of the frost:

• Check for ice in high-traffic areas, like walkways and driveways. Keep entryways clean to avoid mud in your living room.
• Monitor areas prone to ice dam formation, such as roof edges and eaves. The melted snow collects behind it, causing massive leaks. Try to remove snow from the roofs as quickly as possible after a storm.

Annual Tasks

If you are a first time buyer devising a maintenance schedule for your property on an annual basis saves you from spending an extravagant amount in emergencies.

As first time property buyers, we often overlook the maintenance and repairs a house demands in order to make it livable.

We have a rounded timeline of yearly home check ups that you should not miss out on.

March to May:

1. Roof and Gutters:

    - Inspect roof for damaged, missing, or loose shingles, curled or buckled shingles.

    - Check and clean gutters and downspouts for damage, sagging, or clogs.

2. Exterior:

    - Inspect siding for damage, cracks, or rot.

    - Check windows and doors for proper sealing and damage.

    - Inspect decks and patios for damage, rot, or insect infestation.

3. Plumbing:

    - Check for leaks under sinks, toilets, and around water heaters.

    - Inspect water heater temperature and pressure relief valve.

4. HVAC:

    - Change air filters.

    - Inspect and clean condenser coils.

    - Schedule professional maintenance for AC and furnace.

June to August

1. Pest Control:

    - Inspect for signs of pest infestation and seal entry.

2. Landscape:

    - Trim trees and shrubs.

    - Inspect and repair irrigation systems.

3. Appliances:

    - Clean and inspect the refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher.

    - Check expiration dates on fire extinguishers.

September to November:

1. Roof and Gutters:

    - Inspect roof for damaged, missing, or loose shingles, curled or buckled shingles.

    - Clean gutters and downspouts.

2. Exterior:

    - Inspect siding for damage, cracks, or rot.

    - Check windows and doors for proper sealing and damage.

3. HVAC:

    - Change air filters.

    - Inspect and clean the furnace and chimney.

Emergency Preparedness

We are here to help you navigate through unexpected events and keep your home and loved ones safe.

One of the first steps in disaster readiness is creating a home emergency kit. You should always have the following items in store:

• Drinking water
• Non-perishable food items
• Flashlights and extra batteries
• Dust mask
• Garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal hygiene
• Warm clothing and blankets
• A bag of important documents (copies of insurance policies, identification, etc.)
• Cash

Next, you and your family members should be well-versed with the emergency exits of the house or the apartment complex.

Ensure everyone knows the closest two escape routes from each room, with a meeting point outside the home. Most importantly, no windows and doors are blocked.

Conduct regular fire drills with all household members, and Identify the safest escape route.

Teach family members how to shut off utilities such as electricity from the main circuit breaker or fuse box, water and the gas shut-off valve.

Conclusion

A living space that poses no immediate threats to family members or to the property makes a great home.

We recommend you to carry out Daily or monthly tasks so you do not Britain yourself with yours at the end of the season. These can be cleaning the HVAC filter, testing your smoke and fire alarms and inspecting fire extinguishers.

Similarly, you can go over our checklist at the beginning of each season to ensure home wellness.

Fall is the ideal season to equip your house with insulation for winters, check drains and clogged pipes. Regularly rake snow from your driveway in winters and prevent build up.

Our conclusion on home maintenance includes a recommendation to deep clean your house at least twice every year and keep an emergency kit ready.

A thorough property care plan helps identify areas needing professional maintenance hires.

Why wait for the last minute to schedule home maintenance?

Get started immediately!