When you’re new to home ownership, there’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to home maintenance. It’s hard to know what to keep an eye on and what you’re supposed to do at the changing of each season to preserve the structure of your home.
If you’re looking to find more information on the topic of home maintenance, you’re in the right place. Take a quick read through these home maintenance tips for young homeowners, and start crafting a regular schedule today.
You should do this once a month
There are some parts of your home you should tend to monthly. Keeping up with monthly tasks will help extend the life of your home.
- Change your HVAC filters – Cleaning your HVAC filters once per month will help keep debris from building up inside your system. A clean filter also helps the system not work so hard to heat or cool your home.
- Clean your fridge coils – Your refrigerator has coils on the back that will accumulate dust over time. The dust can be a fire hazard if you let it get out of control, and it can stifle the function of your fridge.
Do this twice a year
- Clean out your dryer vent – The vent from your dryer leading to the outside can get clogged up with dryer lint over time. A clogged vent can be a real fire hazard, so it’s important to clean it out once a year at the very least. Preferably, you want to clear the vent twice a year.
- Have your HVAC unit serviced – It’s not best to wait until your unit isn’t functioning properly to call a technician. You should have your HVAC unit serviced about every six months to keep it in good working order.
- Clean and check carbon monoxide/smoke detectors – For the safety of everyone in your household, it’s important to clean and check the function of your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors at least once a year, preferably twice.
Annual maintenance tasks
Annual tasks may not take you much time to complete, but that doesn’t mean they are any less important to the security of your home.
- Check the health of your foundation/roof – Check for cracks in your home’s foundation. If you find signs of trouble with your foundation, call a professional immediately.
Your roof is just as important. From the bottom of your house to the top, your exterior structure is what keeps you and your family protected. Repair any missing or damaged shingles yearly to extend the lifespan of your roof.
- Check the home for drafts – You should walk through your home at least once a year to check for misplaced drafts of air. Check the caulking around your doors and windows to make sure there’s no rotting or missing parts.
- Clean the exterior of your home – Walk the home’s exterior to check for any easily visible issues.
- Clean the gutters and downspouts – The gutters and downspouts on your home serve a very important purpose. Get up there and clean the debris from your gutters every year after the falling of leaves, and make sure rainwater can freely flow away from your home.