Home Maintenance: 5 Tips to Save You Thousands
We understand if you’re not big on DIY and spending your weekends working on home maintenance projects sounds like a huge chore.
So, hiring a professional handyman in your area might be the best idea. A quick online search for handyman near me there are skilled craftsmen to choose who can provide cost-effective solutions
Aside from the hours and money involved, some people are just less enthusiastic about home improvement projects. However, it needs to be done.
Just like keeping your regular dentist appointment and taking your car in for tune-ups, preventative maintenance on your house can save you a lot of time, money, and hassle down the road.
That’s why we’ve compiled this list of five home-maintenance tips to do now so you won’t have to pay thousands on expensive repairs later. Considering that your home is your most significant investment, hiring a professional to handle these items for you will be well worth the cost in the end.
1. Clean the Gutters
Cleaning the gutters is an essential chore that should be at the top of everyone’s home maintenance to-do list. Neglecting to perform this simple task can have a domino effect on multiple other home systems and end up costing thousands of dollars.
When your gutters are clogged, water can’t drain into them – leaving standing water on your roof that causes leaks, wall and ceiling damage, mold, and even structural damage. So, while it’s a hassle to shimmy up a ladder and clean the muck out of your gutters, this is a simple task that you shouldn’t ignore. Or, better yet, install some of the best gutter guards to eliminate the problem.
If you haven’t installed gutter guards, you should clean your gutters at least twice a year – once in spring and once in fall. You should also check your gutters after a heavy storm to ensure they are free from debris and that water flows freely through them.
If you don’t want to deal with your bi-annual gutter cleaning yourself, another option is to hire a professional gutter cleaning service to do it for you.
2. Extend the Life of Your Roof and Avoid Expensive Repairs
If you’ve stuck to a regular gutter cleaning schedule, you’ve already taken a massive step toward avoiding damage to your roof. To replace a roof, you’re looking at around $5,400 to $11,000 – so you want to avoid it at all costs.
Aside from being extremely costly to repair or replace, you should also take care of your roof because it’s you and your family’s first line of defense against the elements. In that case, maintaining your roof is also an important aspect of disaster preparedness.
Aside from keeping your gutters free of debris, you should also regularly inspect your roof. Look for any damaged or missing shingles and any signs of moisture, such as fungus, moss, or algae growth. Keep all the trees surrounding your home trimmed, so they do not touch your roof. Getting a professional roof inspection is recommended at least once per year. The roof inspector will remove leaves and debris, replace damaged or missing shingles, and fix any cracks around your chimney, skylights, and joints.
3. Stay on Top of Garden Maintenance
Instead of waiting for a large storm to fell the trees around your home, call a professional tree-trimming service before it happens. Trees with diseased or dead branches can cause a great deal of damage to your property – and they are also a huge personal injury risk.
Pruning and trimming the trees around your property will keep them looking lush and bushy. If you have big trees in your yard, calling a professional felling service to deal with them is recommended.
Usually, a professional tree-trimmer will provide a free inspection by a qualified arborist. The arborist will then let you know if any trees pose a hazard. It’s a good idea to get at least two arborists’ opinions to determine whether the work is vital. Once you’ve found a professional tree-trimming service you trust, call them to do an inspection once a year.
4. Get an HVAC Tune-Up
While you may doubt that regular HVAC tune-ups are necessary, you’d be surprised by how much money they can save you. An HVAC breakdown in the summer heat or winter freeze isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s costly too.
Besides keeping you and your family comfortable year-round and avoiding expensive emergency callouts for unexpected breakdowns, a well-maintained HVAC can reduce energy costs and extend the HVAC system’s lifespan. You should also ensure that your HVAC is maintained for health and safety reasons – namely, by eliminating the possibility that carbon monoxide could be leaking from the furnace’s heat exchange.
Another reason to get your HVAC tuned up is to prevent leaks. A clogged HVAC line can cause water to leak onto your ceiling – causing significant damage that will require costly repairs to the ceiling.
A professional HVAC tune-up usually includes clearing clogged vents, checking the gas pressure, flushing out the drain lines, and cleaning or replacing the filters. This service costs around $100 to $200, on average. If you can’t afford to call a professional, you’ll need to learn how to clean and change the HVAC filters and flush the drain lines yourself.
5. Declutter Your Garage and Keep it Organized
Your second-largest investment is probably your car. Keeping your garage organized and clutter-free is the best way to protect it. If your garage is piled high with clutter, you won’t be able to keep your car inside it – exposing it to the elements, criminals, and other hazards. A vehicle hammered with hail, snow, and debris loses a significant amount of its resale value.
Organizing your garage will also make keeping up with your home maintenance to-do list much more manageable – it’s challenging to tackle DIY projects when you can’t locate the right tools for the job!
If your garage has accumulated a seemingly insurmountable amount of belongings, consider renting a portable storage unit to store it all in while you clear it out.
Final Words
Whether you’ve just become a homeowner or you’re simply overwhelmed, this checklist of the most essential home maintenance tasks can motivate you to get started.
While preventative home maintenance is not the most fun you can have, it’s much better than having to contend with the costly repairs that come with letting things go.
Home Maintenance: 5 Tips to Save You Thousands
