It doesn’t matter if you’re living in a flat in London, a beachside bungalow in the Bahamas, or a mansion in the Hamptons. Every home needs maintenance from time to time. If you don’t take the time to keep up on your home, sooner or later pipes will leak, appliances will break, or you’ll find yourself sitting in a draft.
Keeping up on your home’s maintenance is an activity that is important in both the short- and long-term. For the former, performing basic upkeep is a critical part of what keeps your home functioning on a daily basis. As far as the future is concerned, a well-kept home is much more likely to retain its value and sell for a higher price when you go to move.
With that in mind, here are a few home maintenance items — some bigger and others smaller — that may have slipped through the cracks since your last spring cleaning.
Clean Out the Dryer Lint
This quick task is one of the easiest ones to forget. At the same time, it can also have fairly significant effects on your home if only because it’s a big fire hazard. Start your home maintenance activities by checking your dryer to ensure that it’s lint-free.
Wipe Down the Walls and Baseboards
It’s easy to remember to mop the floor or vacuum the carpet. But what about the walls? If you have kids or a dog, gunk can end up all over these vertical barriers. Even without children or pets, dust and grime can still build up over time. Take a sponge to your walls — and don’t forget the baseboards, too
Re-Caulk the Bathtub
Bathtubs need to be cleaned regularly. However, even the most religious cleaning schedule can leave out the caulk or grout. This can lead to peeling, crumbling, and water damage behind the walls. Take a look at your tub and consider if a re-grouting or re-caulking is needed.
Seal Up Drafts
Drafts don’t just make rooms more uncomfortable. They can also impact your heating and cooling bills and the overall sustainability of your home. As part of your maintenance routine, look for any areas where drafts may be an issue. This can include doors, windows, and even a crawl space. Once you’ve found them, use something like weatherstripping, caulk, or expanding foam to seal them up.
Dust … Everything
You may dust once in a while before company comes over, but how often do you thoroughly dust everything in your home? Get a feather duster out and take some time dusting each room. Look for high up and out of the way places that can serve as dust collection hot spots. After you’ve dusted, it’s also a good time to make sure that you’ve changed your air filters, too.
Power Wash Your Exterior
So far, the maintenance has primarily focused on the inside of the home. However, the outside of your house is important as well — and not just for its curb appeal, either. Power washing the exterior of your home is a great way to give it an in-depth cleanup. It removes dirt and debris that can build up on your home during inclement weather. It can help preserve your siding, too.
Clean the Gutters
Along with the siding, it’s also wise to check out the state of your gutters, especially in the spring, as leaves, sticks, and other garbage may have built up over the winter. Removing these items from your gutter can ensure that they do their job properly.
In addition to functioning properly, clean gutters can indirectly preserve both your yard’s grading and your home’s foundation. They can also help prevent damage to your roof in the winter.
Remembering the Details as a Homeowner
Owning a home takes a lot of commitment. Even so, major home improvement projects often soak up the spotlight. But the truth is, it’s the little things that often end up being a bigger deal.
Ignoring drafts can lead to higher heating bills. Clogged gutters can spill over and erode your home’s foundation. Even something as small as neglected dryer lint can ultimately start a fire if you’re not careful.
So take some time to assess the current state of your home. Review the list above and look for any areas where you may be forgetting to keep up on things. If you can avoid more serious issues by doing so, you won’t be sorry you put in the effort upfront.
This post was authored by Sam Bowman
