Yearly Maintenance To-Dos

yearly house maintenance

Would you be willing to sell your home for 10% less than its total value?

As your largest asset, losing 10% of your property’s value can take a serious bite out of your net worth. Kissing $35,000 goodbye is a painful and expensive lesson about delaying home maintenance. Yet every time you ignore basic home maintenance, you risk devaluing your home. 

Proactive homeownership includes budgeting for expected and unexpected house expenses, such as a yearly A/C checkup and gutter cleaning. At a minimum, experts recommend that homeowners set aside 1% of their home’s value for routine upkeep, and for older or more expensive homes, homeowners should expect to set aside 4%.

For a quick rundown on the seasonal tasks you should address every year for your home, read on. 

Spring

Inside

  • Get ready for summer by servicing your A/C or humidifier.
  • Inspect your sinks’ pipes for leaks and any needed repairs.
  • Take some time to fix leaky faucets and toilets.
  • Clean indoor fans and reverse the blades’ direction to circulate air down.
  • Flush your hot water heater to remove sediment that settles to the bottom and shortens its lifespan.

Outside

  • Service your lawnmower to get ready for summer lawn care.
  • Fertilize and reseed your lawn.
  • Tear out and replace dead bushes and trees.
  • Wash the outside windows.
  • Verify that gutters and downspouts are sending rainwater away from the house.

Summer

Inside

  • Clean out dryer vents and ductwork.
  • Clean the carpets. 
  • Spray down or repair window screens.
  • Clean the garbage disposal and keep it in working order.

Outside

  • For septic systems, get it checked or pumped out.
  • Inspect the roof for missing or damaged shingles. 
  • Repair, power wash, or repaint your home’s exterior. 
  • Weed garden beds and repair any damaged fence sections. 
  • Address any drainage problems to keep water away from the home’s foundation.

Fall 

Inside

  • Schedule a yearly checkup with heating specialists.
  • Change air filters.
  • Clean fireplace and chimney.
  • Scrape and replace old caulking around toilets, sinks, and tubs.
  • Insulate pipes to prevent freezing in the winter.
  • Consider adding more insulation to your attic space to prevent heat from escaping during the cold winter months.

Outside

  • Aerate your lawn.
  • Mow your lawn shorter and mulch your leaves.
  • Blow out your sprinklers and turn off outdoor water sources to prevent freezing and cracking.
  • Clean out gutters.

Winter

Inside

  • Spray holes in the garage with foam spray to prevent rodents from entering.
  • Clean big kitchen appliances, including deep cleaning the oven and vacuuming behind the fridge.
  • Clean out and organize your basement or garage and keep an eye out for wet spots where mold could grow.
  • Replace aging weather stripping on windows and doors. 
  • Check the batteries on carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Replace and test smoke detectors.

Outside

  • Trim tree branches away from the house.
  • Prevent ice dams and icicles from accumulating on your roof.
  • Protect your floors by creating a spot for outdoor gear to dry without bringing snowy, muddy, or wet shoes and boots into the home. 

The Bottom Line

By taking a few weekends each season to keep up on household projects, you’ll be able to prevent major damage caused by delayed maintenance. 

If it’s difficult for you to remember every minor (or major) maintenance job, try downloading a maintenance app. Serving as a digital reminder, maintenance apps can nudge you when it’s time to clean out your gutters or change your HVAC filters, and they can save you thousands of dollars over time as you proactively care for your home. 

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