Regular maintenance on your home is important. Regular maintenance helps you avoid unnecessary costs potentially incurred by simple wear and tear in your home. When such wear and tear is caught early on, larger, more serious breaks can be avoided. So, though it may take extra time and money now, do what’s necessary to upkeep your home so that you don’t incur greater payments and damage in the future.
Sealing Home Windows
The first step in home upkeep is to seal your windows and doors. Unwanted hot or cold air is frequently let into the home or let out of the home because of cracks and crevices in doors and windows. A simple weather stripping or a simple window seal will quickly reduce unwanted temperatures entering or leaving your home. Furthermore, you maintain the set temperature in your home more easily, which in turn reduces your monthly energy bill. Also, by sealing your windows and doors, you reduce the amount of noise that enters your home. This reduction helps the ambient of your home be more peaceful and calmer. So, check your windows and doors now to determine whether they need sealing strips added to them.
Clearing Gutters
Another important way to upkeep your home is to clear out your home’s rain gutters. Clogged rain gutters cause more problems than merely damaging aesthetic appeal. Instead, clogged gutters stop water from draining from the gutters. If the water is stored in the gutters, the water can actually overflow and begin to seep into the house. This seepage can likely cause water damage to many parts of the roof, including the foundation. Damage to the foundation is expensive and difficult to fix and can cause more problems to the house in the future. Not only do clogged gutters cause potential water damage but they also cause pest gathering—they create a nice, cozy hub for pests to settle. Once the pests settle, they naturally begin to breed. Pests settling, breeding, and therefore multiplying in your rain gutters could result in the pests getting into the house or a pest infestation. So, take time to clean the gutters, whether that be done by yourself or a hired hand.
Cleaning Furniture
To help prevent problems in the future, clean your furniture regularly. Replacing furniture is far more expensive than simply cleaning it, so you’ll save yourself both money and headache by cleaning your furniture now. By cleaning it, you’ll first off keep the upholstery looking new. You’ll also help it last longer. Next, regular cleanings help prevent mold and dirt from settling in the furniture. The mold and dirt cause poorer air quality in your home, which air quality negatively affects your health and the health of any others living in your home. Also, when cleaning, remember to use products that are meant for that particular furniture. For example, wooden furniture should be polished regularly with polish specifically meant for furniture. So, though it may be an extra chore to add to your chore list or an extra job to hire out, upkeep your health and save money by regularly cleaning your furniture.
Washing Walls
Another important maintenance tip is to wash the outside of your house. Especially if your house has siding, clean the outside of your house to prolong both its aesthetic appeal and its longevity. Washing the outside of the house and touching up paint that may be chipping away helps prevent mold or dirt from getting caught in the walls and causing future, more serious problems.
Programming Thermostat
Another great home upkeep tip is to program your thermostat. Many homeowners believe they need to keep their houses at consistent temperatures throughout the day. However, such is not the case. Rather, homeowners save money by matching their thermostat temperature to the outside temperature—as closely as they can—during the day. So you, likewise, should adjust your thermostat. For example, if the temperature outside is 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you clearly don’t want your house at 100 degrees. However, if you won’t be home during the day, you can program your thermostat to be set at about 80 degrees while you’re gone and to drop back down to a comfortable temperature once you’re home. This simple adjustment will both save you money and help your thermostat not be running constantly.
Controlling Dust
Controlling the dust in your home helps to upkeep your home and your health. Excessive dust can cause various health problems including lung problems. It can also cause allergy problems, which nobody enjoys. So, vacuum and dust your house regularly. If you live in a desert, dusty location, dust and vacuum even more often. Doing so will again save you time in the long run and will help you have a healthy and functional body.
Cleaning Fans
Finally, to best upkeep your home, clean the fans regularly. Fans are contributors to the dust and dirt in your home, so clean them to keep that dust from spreading further or floating in the air. Furthermore, rotate the way the fans are spinning depending on the season of the year. Doing this helps maintain the fans and helps to circulate the temperature of air you’re wanting to circulate.
Upkeeping a home is a large feat. It takes time, resources, and knowledge. Though the endless chores and items to remember can feel daunting, taking time to actually accomplish those tasks daily, weekly, and monthly helps you keep a strong and healthy home. So, seal your windows and doors, clear the gutters, clean the furniture, wash the walls, program the thermostat, control the dust, and clean the fans. These seemingly menial tasks will help maintain the value of your home. And don’t be afraid to hire professionals! If some of these tasks feel too unfamiliar or too difficult, look for companies or private parties who do the work for a reasonable price. Even paying for someone to do such work regularly can be cheaper than fixing the large problems that can be created from failing to upkeep your home.
