Whether you have recently purchased your home or have been living there for a while, home maintenance is an unavoidable part of owning a property that if you do right, can ensure that your home remains a safe, secure and cared for environment.
Not only can staying on top of things avoid problems in the long term, but regular maintenance and repairs will provide the opportunity to make minor upgrades that can increase the value of your home, as well as improve on it as a living space.
Home maintenance, in this instance, does not refer to general, everyday tasks such as cleaning and gardening – rather, tasks that may be considered as more of a hassle. This includes things such as:
- Checking safety and security features
- Maintaining plumbing, heating and other utilities
- Carrying out inspection of the structure of the home
- Maintaining exterior paint, materials and general aesthetics
Why You Should Get Around To Home Maintenance
Carrying out maintenance tasks sooner rather than later is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, you will ensure that you are living in a safe and functional home, while saving money in the process. In the long run, the avoidance of home maintenance tasks will mean that problems build up, eventually leading to significant damage or safety hazards in the form of poor structural integrity or ineffective safety features like smoke alarms. Furthermore, these problems will cost a significant amount in comparison to the minimal costs associated with regular maintenance and small repairs.
You will also save time and maintain a flexible schedule if you stay on top of your home maintenance duties. While maintenance is able to be scheduled and worked around due to the non-urgent nature of the repairs, waiting for a problem to become more serious will mean that you have to move your schedule around, in order to take care of it as soon as possible.
Additionally, being responsible for the upkeep of the general aesthetics of the inside and outside of your home will retain your homes’ image and atmosphere, resulting in a home that you, your family and visitors can enjoy.
A final point here is that carrying out home maintenance will directly increase the value of your home. Whether you are considering selling your home or planning to stay, maximising the value of your home is important in being prepared for any unexpected changes. Any inspections that are carried out will result in higher valuations in a well maintained home.
Maintenance Areas to Focus On
Regarding where you should focus your maintenance and repair efforts, the aforementioned areas of checking safety features, maintaining utilities, inspecting building structure, and maintaining visual appeal are all important.
Home Security and Safety
Firstly, there can be a lot involved in maintaining fire safety, home security, and minimising other hazards. The easiest place to start is to eliminate general hazards like clutter in doorways, replace safety tools and items such as first aid kits, and keep dangerous products (such as cleaning products) out of reach. Next, ensuring that your home has appropriate fire safety means checking all smoke detectors, maintaining a clear and clean cooking space, and storing flammable liquids responsibly. This is important due to the very dangerous potential of home fires. Finally, home security should be maintained – this means checking on the functionality of any cameras, considering the addition of things like light timers, and having a general evacuation plan.
Maintaining Utilities
Next, maintaining utilities is an obvious task that is very important if you want to maintain the functionality of your home. Not only can a lack of plumbing and electrical maintenance mean that you do not get to take advantage of things like hot water and heating – neglecting these areas can also potentially result in more serious problems and safety issues.
Building Structure and Quality
Possibly the most involved task, maintaining building structure and focusing on features such as the walls and roof, is extremely important. Small problems like wall cracks or dampness are relatively easy fixes that if avoided, can ultimately result in significant problems that put your entire home at risk. An important aspect of this is maintaining your roof and making any necessary repairs. In addition to this, be sure to repair arches and lintels, address subsidence, and fix leaning or cracked walls as well. If you are unsure of where to start, getting in touch with a contractor for an inspection is a good initial step to make.
Visual Appearance Finally, maintaining visual appearance is a great way to ensure that you keep loving your home and that your guests admire it too. Repainting the interior and exterior of your home, if you think the house is in need of an update, ensures that your home looks fresh and up to date. Other important tasks regarding visual maintenance might be oiling your deck, maintaining other wood features throughout your home, and pressure cleaning any outdoor areas.
