As a homeowner, you need to answer this question: Would you prefer to budget for maintenance now or frantically come up with a large sum to cover a home repair or replacement later?
Hopefully, this was an easy answer. Most likely, you would say you would prefer to save yourself money in the long run by budgeting for and performing routine maintenance on your home.
Though you can’t prepare for everything, keeping tabs on a few critical parts of your home can save you money and stress in the future.
Read on to learn five home maintenance tips to keep your house in its best condition.
1. Replace Your Filters
Among routine maintenance of your home, you should include the replacement of furnace and air conditioner filters.
If you were to look at your filters now, would you cringe and wonder when you last changed the filters? Help your HVAC system to run as efficiently as possible by routinely replacing filters. Doing so also keeps pollutants and allergens out of the air you and your family breathe.
Keep your system sharp for the cold or hot seasons, and breathe clean air each time you are home with new filters.
2. Check Your Gutters
Gutter maintenance might not sound like a fun Saturday afternoon. However, cleaning the gutters will pay off for you long term.
During gutter installs, you can ask your professional the best ways to clean and maintain your new gutters. Keeping gutters free of leaves and debris will allow them to function correctly.
Clogged gutters can cause leaks into your home, so it’s crucial to ask for help and ensure your gutters are clean and without damage.
3. Clean Your Dryer Vent
Of the 3,000 dryer fires reported each year, 34% of these fires occur because of failing to clean the dryer vent.
Don’t leave your home at risk of a dangerous and costly fire. In your house maintenance plan, clean your dryer filters after each load of laundry, and clean the vent pipe at least every three months.
4. Flush Your Water Heater
Does your water heater have a tank? If so, proper home maintenance is to drain the tank once a year.
You want to flush the tank because as water sits in the tank, sediment can settle at the bottom, causing damage to the tank. Save yourself the wet mess and headache from cleaning after a hole and leak from your water heater by flushing the tank each year.
5. Check Your Roof
Whether you are a new homeowner or have lived in your home for a while, you can’t forget to keep tabs on your roof.
It might seem out of sight and out of mind, but when you see a dip in the ceiling or water dripping into your kitchen, you will regret not inspecting it regularly.
Safely or using a professional, check for cracks or missing shingles. You can also check for any moisture inside your attic for signs of a hole or a leak.
Home Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Home at Its Best
Regular home maintenance might seem inconvenient now, but you can save yourself a headache and financial strain by preventing emergency repairs or complete replacements. Use these five tips to help keep your home at its best in all seasons.
Find other tips and resources to maintain or improve your home on the Home tab. Make your home your favorite place by making it cleaner, safer, and cozier.
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