You had a goal to own your dream home at one point in life. The feeling of owning your own home is like no other.
Now that you have crossed that bridge, Five Star Management Team says the next thing you should do is keep your home at its best with the regular maintenance it requires.
Doing this will save you from future costly repairs and help maintain your property's value. Here is a guide from a custom home builder that you to follow:
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1. Do a Thorough Inspection
You probably have already spent a fortune purchasing your first home, and you just want to settle in and start your new life.
Before you move in, you need to hire the right person with a keen eye for detail to take note of every area of your home that may be a potential hazard.
Creaky stairs, loose shingles, missing tiles; nothing is too small to be addressed in a home inspection.
If you take care of this inspection during the negotiation stage of the home buying process, you may persuade the sellers to take care of some of the repairs.
Otherwise, you may find issues that you did not realize you had in the home that make it uninhabitable.
2. Deep Clean Your Home
Before anything else, a deep clean is essential to have a clear outlook of your home.
Clean the carpets, windows, and doors; scrub the floors and walls; dust your furniture and all the appliances.
Don’t also forget to clear your garage of piled-up items. The garage often ends up dusty and thus should also be aired out regularly.
Furthermore, a clean home saves you time and energy and keeps you relaxed.
You should plan on keeping a quarterly schedule to do a deep clean as you clear the clutter in your home.
3. Check the Plumbing Fixtures
Your home's plumbing system can cause considerable inconveniences if they stay unchecked for a long time.
Every homeowner is responsible for ensuring every plumbing connection is working as it should and fixing repairs as soon as possible.
Plumbing entails your drains, shower water heaters, taps, and flush toilet system.
Learn how to do a regular DIY cleanup to unclog them. Also, do an inspection for all these fixtures and if you notice any leaks or faults, call in your plumber to fix them for you.
4. Check Your Electric Heating System
Many modern homes have effective climate control systems, with central air conditioning to keep it cool in summer and heating for those cold winters.
When not in use, it is easy for these appliances to accumulate dust, which can become a fire hazard over time.
Additionally, a coating of dust on your air filter will make it run less efficiently, using more energy and negatively affecting your utility bills—setup time to clean these appliances and regularly replace the filters.
You can also schedule to have an HVAC specialist inspect your equipment or minor repairs to save you money in the long run.
5. Inspect Your Fireplace
If you have one, your fireplace can be one of your favorite places on the house, especially during the cold season.
Before you resume using it frequently in the cold season, ensure that a professional chimney sweep checks it out to inspect and clean the vents.
Continuous use causes creosote to accumulate in the chimney, and if it’s not removed, it can cause fire hazards.
Consider doing an annual servicing to your fireplace, but you can arrange for a quarterly servicing if you use it more frequently.
6. Look Out Damaged Caulk
Bad caulking attracts mold due to air and water leaks and may cause severe structural complications on the walls and floors.
Any air leaks in your home should be a cause for alarm.
They are not easily noticeable since they are often in the window and door edges, countertop, bathroom, kitchen sink, and bathtub.
It may further extend to your health, yielding more complications.
If you notice a substantial increase in your utility bills, especially in the cold season, ensure no air leaks and use good insulation foam to seal it.
Do this at least twice a year.
7. Check Your Roofing Condition
Check if your roof has holes, damaged shingles, or clogged gutters. Your roof protects you from many potential external hazards; thus, regular checkups are needed.
In the cold season, any leak will also damage the interior, and the repair process will be much more expensive.
Therefore, contact your roofing contractor to address the situation immediately if you notice troubling spots.
8. Pressure Wash Your Home’s Exterior
A pressure washer is one of the many super gadgets that every homeowner can own. It will help easily clean up your driveway, sidewalks, gutters, and windows.
They are efficient, and within no time, you’ll achieve the clean exterior that you always long for as it also gets rid of the stubborn unsightly stains and droppings, leaving your home with the sparkle it needs.
Furthermore, it also helps get rid of the possible mold that can damage your home or cause health problems.
Consider doing this twice a year, and if you don’t own a pressure washer, you can hire a cleaning company to come with their equipment to handle it.
9. Boost Your Curb Appeal
Your lawn needs constant maintenance and every season has its unique process of doing it.
It’s not enough to do a thorough exterior cleanup if your compound still looks the same.
If you’re a beginner in gardening, consider using all-season low-maintenance plants but still reflect your property’s natural beauty.
Get rid of the weeds as well. Don’t forget to water your plants to give them the lasting lush required. Don’t also forget to trim the shrubs and trees in your compound.
10. Repaint
Your home’s exterior is more prone to paint flakes, especially after a power wash and the weather changes.
Any paint peeling in your home will cause damage to your siding.
The paint cost will depend on the area needing a repaint and the quality of the paint, but if you use quality paint, you save more since it extends the time frame for your next repaint.
Besides, doing this also enhances your curb appeal.
Being a homeowner is an outstanding achievement, but it's even more fulfilling if you can manage to give it the maintenance it needs.
That way, you can all reap the benefits of what a good home should be.