I would say I am one of the lucky ones, who, a few years out of college was able to purchase my first home. While I’ve been renting an apartment for almost a good decade, I always dreamed of becoming a homeowner. So, it was one of the goals worked hard to attain.
I would always have a sense of accomplishment when I think of what I’ve achieved, but I couldn’t also deny that being a homeowner is not an easy feat. This is mostly because there are TONS of responsibilities that go with maintaining a home. I no longer had a landlord whom I can call when there was something wrong – I had to deal with everything myself. Of course, I really try my best to keep my home in top shape, but there are also (unwelcomed) surprises along the way.
A few weeks ago there was a thunderstorm in our area that came with heavy rains. As expected the electricity went out, and while I was OK with it, what stressed me the most was that I found out that a portion of my kitchen ceiling was leaking! I was home alone and had to deal with the water already pooling on the floor. Long story short, after the storm passed, I found out that the leak was because of a broken gutter. Good thing I was able to call a professional gutter repair service right away. Turns out, some of my gutters already had cracks and there was also clogging, mostly because it didn’t dawn on me that I had to keep my gutters clean – yikes!
To tell you honestly *and embarrassingly* that I never really thought about clearing my gutters. Of course, I kept my house clean and my yard perfectly manicured (thanks to my lawnmower guy) but what I realized is that there’s more to a house’s upkeep than those things. So I thought it was a good idea to create a short list of house maintenance tasks that are often forgotten.
Roof Inspection
As I said, I think I do a great job keeping the interior and exterior of my house maintained, but it never occurred to me to look up and inspect my roof – not until I started to get issues with my gutter system.
Don’t wait for something to happen before you do a quick inspection of your roof. You should at least do this task once or twice a year (ideally before winter and after spring). Remember, your roof is your home’s first defense against the elements, so you want to keep it in good shape.
When inspecting, look out for cracks, missing shingles, moss/algae growth, as well as dirt/debris build-up on your gutters. If you do spot an issue with your roof, call in the professionals right away.
Flush Water Heater
This is another task that could easily slip your mind, but it’s one of the necessary tasks we need to do as homeowners. Flushing the water heater at least once early will help extend its lifespan. Forgetting to do this may cause mineral sediments to build up in the tank that could eventually lead to the tank being rusty – which means you may need to get a new water heater sooner than usual.
Clean Dryer Vent Ducts
Did you know that the lint build-up in the dryer vent is one of the leading causes of house fires? If you want to lower the risk of your property getting caught on fire, make sure to clean out your dryer vent ducts every six months. Even if your house doesn’t catch fire, clogged dryer vents will cause longer drying times and will make your home smell funky.
Dust Refrigerator Coils
You may be cleaning and disinfecting the shelves in your fridge every time you add stocks, but when was the last time that you checked what’s going on behind your refrigerator? When left uncleaned, the dust that is collected on the coils will affect the efficiency of your appliance and can lead it to eventually break down. If you want to make sure that your refrigerator has a long lifespan, make sure that you dust off the coils at least every three months.
Test Sump Pump
If you have a basement, then you sure have a sump pump. Make sure that you check if the pump is working every quarter (just pour a bucket of water into the sump) or you’d end up with a flooded basement floor when heavy rains come.
So there you have it! I hope this quick list will help remind you of the important, yet forgotten, things you need to do to properly maintain your home.
Can you think of other things to add to this list? Let me know in the comments!
