If you have just bought or built a new home, you definitely want to keep it looking and feeling shiny for as long as possible.
As an expensive investment, seeing your home degrade its value through the years is surely heartbreaking.
How can you enjoy your investment if your home is damaged after a few years? Do you think you and your family will actually stay in this place if it no longer provides safety and security?
Proper home maintenance improves your living experience and ensures that your house doesn’t degrade and lose its value over time.
This ensures you get a good price on it if you ever decide to sell.
As a homeowner, you’re responsible for maintaining your home’s condition for the longest time possible.
Neglecting this responsibility will only cause you more stress and expenses in the long run.
If you’re unsure where to start your maintenance, repair, remodeling, and renovation projects, it’s worth knowing the size of your property using this square footage calculator.
While there are some things you need to call in professionals to handle, there are just as many things you can easily handle yourself.
If you’re an experienced home project DIYer, these tasks will be easy-peasy for you.
As long as you’re willing to spend a little more time and invest in minimal tools, you can easily keep your home in tip-top condition by yourself.
Here is a list of DIY tasks you can save money on:
Contents
1. Clean Your Gutters
Gutters tend to be forgotten until they cause bigger problems. By then, the damage is usually more significant and costly to fix.
The gutter carries debris and water away from your house’s foundation. When it gets clogged, it’s easy for water to find its way into the basement.
In some cases, clogged gutters can cause moisture inside your home and allow molds to thrive.
Clogged gutters can also become the reason why your home’s structure will weaken and become susceptible to damage from storms and heavy rains.
The gutter can also get too heavy with debris and standing water and become loose or even come undone.
Once or twice a year, clean your gutters by removing any debris physically. Also, don’t forget to clear up the downspouts of dirt and debris by running the water hose at full pressure.
Make sure to wear proper gloves to protect your hands from anything that may cause injury or infection. If you haven’t cleaned your gutters in a while, you’re guaranteed to find some nasty stuff there, so better be safe than sorry.
You can accomplish this task by using a ladder to climb up your roof and scoop the debris. If your home is located near trees or prone to storms, consider cleaning your gutters more often.
You can also use a garden hose to wash away smaller particles. Ideally, you should install a pistol-grip trigger spray nozzle on your hose. This allows you to adjust the water pressure using only one hand.
2. Fix Leaky Faucets
Leaky faucets are more than a nuisance. This is because they encourage mold and mildew to grow. If your leaky faucet isn’t addressed immediately, it can build up to a more complicated problem, such as drain clogs and overflows.
Leaving this problem untreated can also cause your water bills to skyrocket, causing financial stress to the entire family. This is especially true if more than one faucet in your home is leaking.
The primary cause of leaking faucets is the washers. These are located inside the faucet handles and are made of rubber, which wears out easily.
Before performing any fixes, make sure to shut the handles and knobs, connecting the line of the faulty faucet to the main water supply.
Then, find the washer and O-ring located in the valve seat and replace them with new, fitting ones. If you’re unsure of the O-ring size, you can bring your old O-ring to your local hardware store first.
If faucet leaks persist, it may have a more complex problem, such as corrosion in the valve seat, worn-out seals, loose parts, and broken plumbing.
You can also consider taking a course in plumbing to equip yourself with the skills to handle more complex plumbing issues.
Besides this, being an in-demand skill, you can offer your skills for a fee around your neighborhood to earn an extra buck.
The things you’ll learn from this course will help you fix leaking faucets as if you’re a Dallas plumber, making it easy for you to keep your home in tip-top condition in the long run.
3. Keep Your Water Heater in Check
Fewer things are more frustrating than rushing home for a hot shower, only to get cold water.
Like any other appliance in your home, your water heater requires regular maintenance to prevent damage and increase its longevity.
The water coming into your heater has particles in it, which can settle at the bottom of the heater and build up over time.
This sediment buildup is composed of naturally-occurring minerals such as magnesium and calcium. If these minerals accumulate on your tank, it can cause the following issues:
- Popping and rumbling sounds during operation
- Rising energy bills
- Varying water temperatures
- Reduced supply of hot water
At least once or twice every year, turn off the water and power supplies, empty the heater and give it a thorough cleaning.
Make sure to allow the water present in the tank to cool off first before flushing them out of the system.
Regardless if your water heater is functioning properly, you should never disregard the importance of thoroughly cleaning this fixture. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
4. Check Your Refrigerator’s Seal
Keeping your refrigerator seals in good shape ensures it works efficiently and that internal parts function well for longer.
A fully functioning refrigerator can keep your food fresher for longer periods, allowing you to save more money and reduce wastes.
If it takes extra work for your refrigerator items to cool, one reason can be the wearing of gasket seals.
Do the seal test every twice a year. For this, take a paper or a dollar bill and place it along with the seal. Try and pull the note away with the closed door. If it slides off easily, it’s time for a gasket seal replacement.
Furthermore, regularly wipe down your gasket seal to eliminate any dust, spill, and grime that can stick to its surface, thus disrupting an airtight seal when the doors are closed.
You can also apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to prevent the rubber from drying out.
5. Replace AC Filters
Your HVAC filter should be replaced every six months as it will inevitably build up dust, dirt, and other harmful particles.
If you have pets, this should be done every 30 to 60 days, as your unit is likely to collect pet dander.
This duration should be even shorter in high usage months, and if you have someone with allergies in your household. Also, it’s better to change them once a month if you experience the following conditions:
- Have many household members
- Located in a windy area
- You use your fireplace regularly
- There’s construction work taking place near your home
This maintains good air quality and reduces strain on your HVAC system.
Take-Home Message
While these tips barely scratch the surface of home maintenance tasks, they’re an excellent place to start. Be proactive and act fast because simple problems can become complicated and expensive to fix if neglected.
