One of the responsibilities of being a homeowner is making sure that your home is properly maintained. If you don’t perform certain maintenance tasks every year, you’re asking for trouble. A lack of maintenance can hurt the condition of your home, thereby increasing the risk that it will need costly repairs or replacements down the line. The following are some of the important maintenance tasks that you should perform on a yearly basis:
- Have your heating system inspected – To ensure that your heating system is working effectively and efficiently, have it inspected by a professional in the fall season before the temperatures begin to drop significantly. You won’t want to be without heat in the middle of winter, after all.
- Have your A/C inspected – Like your heating system, you should have your A/C system inspected once a year before you need it most. In this case, it’s a good idea to have it inspected right before summer hits.
- Replace your air filters – Dirty air filters need to be replaced regularly in order to retain your home’s indoor air quality. Generally speaking, they should be replaced once every three months. However, you may need to replace them more often if you have pets, if someone in your household smokes or if someone in your household suffers from allergies.
- Keep your gutters cleared – Check your gutters regularly and remove any debris that collects. Debris, such as leaves, branches and nests, can clog the gutters. This can result in the buildup of rainwater, which can leak through your roof or even cause damage to the gutters themselves as a result of the added weight.
- Inspect your roof for missing tiles or leaks – Walk around your property and look for missing or damaged roof tiles. Missing or damaged roof tiles can compromise your roof and lead to serious leaks. You should do a visual inspection the day after you experience any severe weather. You can also check for leaks inside by looking for water spots in the ceiling, the growth of mold in the attic or for any sunlight that’s coming in through the attic.
- Test your smoke alarms and CO detectors – You should test all of your home’s smoke alarms and CO (carbon monoxide) detectors every three months. You should also replace their batteries on a yearly basis.
- Trim bushes and tree branches – Having your bushes and trees trimmed will not only help keep your property’s curb appeal up, it will make it safer as well. Branches that grow too close to your property can be a safety hazard during stormy weather.
- Check plumbing for leaks – Do regular house-wide checks for any leaks in your faucets or exposed pipes. Leaks can result in severe water damage as well as costly water bills. It’s a wise idea to have a plumber do a thorough inspection once a year as well.
These are some of the maintenance tasks that you should do throughout the year in order to keep your home in good condition.
