Tips and Advice for Managing a Home’s Maintenance

Maintaining a home is a huge project that requires attention to detail, remembering important dates and tasks, and paying attention to changes over time. Although buying a home is a big step that almost everyone should try, it still requires a lot of work and focus, and buying a home is simply the first step. 

These are the main tips and advice to manage your home’s maintenance and ensure it gains value as long as you own it.

The most important thing to start with is high-quality products. This means everything from materials to cleaning products and even the decor you get. Purchasing something high quality will allow it to last longer, will generally look better, and will give your property a chance to need less maintenance over time.

Getting slightly more expensive cabinet crown molding that lasts is always better than going for a cheaper material and watching it discolor or end up cracked and standing out from your cabinets as cheap. 

We all love the classic look of worn-down wood shingles, and they have their place in period pieces and fun, whimsical buildings, but in 2023 it’s time to move towards better-maintained roofs. You can still keep your wood shingles, but keeping up with clearing your roof and ensuring they’re sealed from the elements can make a huge difference. 

If you want to take it even further, consider updating to slate, which can last over 50 years if well maintained, and requires far less work and fewer replacements.

Power washing is something that will help your property a lot as long as you keep up with it once or twice a year. Using water to brush away pollen, dirt, cobwebs, and so much more will help you keep an eye on the health of your property and stop a buildup of debris that could eventually lead to rot and issues.

Power washing your sidewalk and driveway will also help you spot cracks and issues as early as possible. If you don’t notice these cracks and problems, they could get worse and eventually ruin your driveway or sidewalk, requiring a costly replacement instead of the simple repair it would have caused. 

It may seem simple to just keep up with yearly maintenance, but this is something that is constantly happening around the entire year. From checking your HVAC system in the spring to having your fireplace checked in the late summer or having your filters replaced every other month, there’s a lot you need to remember.

Throughout the year, you should try to keep an eye out for your roof and siding’s health, which is easier to do if you can remember to simply glance at it and check it out at least once a month. Otherwise, schedule quarterly checks with yourself.

Moisture is one of the most damaging things that can happen to a property, so it’s vital that you stop it before it can begin. To do this, use materials like crystalline waterproofers on driveways and sidewalks, and keep up with drainage all over your land. 

This means keeping your gutters clear, so water can’t build up into ice in them and keeping an eye on your sump pump and lower areas of your land. Over 13% of homes in America are at risk of flooding in the next ten years: but moisture damage doesn’t wait for floods.

Air leaks are an issue that may seem small but can cause devastatingly expensive problems. For many, this takes the form of your heating and cooling bills being three to four times more than they need to be; for others, it can allow insects and moisture into the home that doesn’t need to be there.

At least once a year, walkthrough with string or a lit candle, and watch if any air currents move it when the windows and doors are closed, and the HVAC system is off. A leak can be a quick fix if it’s just one window, but it may require full replacement if all of them are leaking.

Every home is unique, which means it has special risks. This might mean you have a beautiful white stone fireplace, but it runs on gas, which would need to be checked yearly- or it could mean that you’re in a high flood-risk area and you need to check your property’s drain trenches to ensure they’re still pulling water away.

The best idea is to stop and make a calendar checklist for yourself and follow through with what changes and updates are needed.

Whether this is your first home or you simply want tips to better maintain your property, it’s important to stop and take steps that follow what your specific property needs.  Follow these tips, and your property will flourish under your ownership!

Andrea Erickson is a freelance writer that loves sharing her knowledge and expertise on commercial and residential real estate. She lives in her hometown of Austin, Texas where she enjoys spending time with her husband and decorating with her children. Andrea’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor, a new construction industry resource.