After you buy a home, there’s so much to do. You have to unpack after you move in, paint the walls, get rid of boxes and start up your yard work.
It’s a lot to handle, which is why home maintenance can sometimes be forgotten about. As time goes on, you’ll settle into a routine that takes care of your everyday life, but your house will still have needs that aren’t super obvious if you don’t know what they are.
To help your home last as long as possible and stay in great condition, use these six tips to create an effective maintenance plan.
1. Plan to Clean the Sink Disposal
The disposal in your sink is a lifesaver. Food that is rinsed down the drain is disposed of quickly and easily, and you don’t have to contend with days-old leftovers stinking up your garbage can.
Even though it might seem like rinsing out the disposal is enough, that’s not always true. Food gets stuck around the edges and in the blades, becoming a nasty cement that leaves behind the worst smells. Take some time to learn how to clean a disposal the correct way. You can use a sponge to wipe it down after the power has been shut off, or you can pour a mixture of baking soda and vinegar down your sink.
You can also make a huge difference by updating your kitchen appliances, especially if they are in need of regular maintenance that doesn’t seem to be doing the trick. While things like this typically require more time and money, kitchen updates are a great way to add value to your home in the process.
2. Remember to Inspect Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers traditionally sit in the bottom of a cabinet or pantry in your kitchen. You may have chosen to place them in other rooms around your home, as well.
In order for the extinguishers to be effective, you must inspect each one monthly so they’ll be ready to go if you should need them. Double-check a few main details.
+ The locking pin and tamper seal should be intact
+ The pressure gauge indicator should be in the operable range
+ The directions on the nameplate or tag should still be legible
After you inspect your fire extinguisher, write the date of your inspection on the back of the tag so you know when you checked it last.
3. Learn How to Caulk
As your home goes through rounds of good or bad weather, the exterior will experience changes you’ll need to fix. Check your windows regularly to ensure the caulking is in place. If it’s not, redoing it will save you some money. Caulking insulates your home and keeps your HVAC unit from working overtime.
4. Test Your Smoke Detectors
Every three months, press the test button on the side of your smoke detector. After it starts beeping, find the farthest spot away to see if you can still hear it. If the beeping is weak, replace the battery. Detectors as a whole unit have a lifespan of around 10 years, so the battery is the only thing you should have to replace.
5. Inspect Your Roof for Damage
After major storms roll through your town, get up on your roof to check for any damage while you’re cleaning up your yard. Look for broken shingles, holes and leaks. You may not find anything to fix, but it’s better to know that everything’s fine rather than let potential problems get worse. If your roof has been damaged, call a roofing inspector for their recommendation on how to fix it.
6. Deep Clean Twice Each Year
You may have a tradition of spring cleaning your home, but you should really deep clean it twice each year. That gives you another opportunity to spot things that need repair or maintenance you might have forgotten about.
Make Your Efforts Routine
Creating and implementing an effective maintenance plan is only possible if your efforts become your new routine. Write them down in your planner, schedule reminders or set alarms to get used to checking up on things regularly. Your home will thank you for it by continuing to be a safe and happy place to live in.
AUTHOR: KACEY BRADLEY
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more!
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