How to Keep Your House in Top Shape

Your home is most likely going to be the biggest purchase that you will ever make. Considering that it is a huge investment, you should carefully look after it. However, know that owning and maintaining a home is no easy task. In fact, you will need to dedicate a lot of your time and energy into making sure your house stays in top shape.

Proper home maintenance means that you will have regularly need to do certain tasks. The good news is that you will be able to do them even if you don’t have a lot of experience. Although certain tasks like cleaning your home need to be done each weekend, there are also some things that you should do on a monthly, quarterly, and annually.

Monthly Tasks

One of the most important monthly tasks is cleaning your kitchen sink disposal. Although there are numerous ways you can do this, the easiest solution is to use ice cubes made out of vinegar. To get these ice cubes, you should simply put vinegar in an ice tray and let it freeze. After that’s done, simply run the vinegar ice cubes through the disposal.

You should also be checking your HVAC filters on a monthly basis. Although some experts advise you change the filters every month, this usually isn’t necessary. If you don’t have any pets or none of your family members suffers from allergies, then you can simply change the filters every 2-3 months. If you see that a filter is dirty, then you should definitely change. However, if you notice that it’s not then simply leave it and check again next month.

Finally, you will need to make sure that your fire extinguisher is easy to access and that it doesn’t have any visible signs of wear and tear.

Quarterly Tasks

One of the simplest quarterly tasks is to test your smoke detectors. To do this, you should press the “test” button on the detectors. If you hear an alarm, it means that everything is working fine. However, if you don’t hear anything, then you should replace the batteries. If they still don’t work, then you may need to buy new detectors.

If you have any water sources that you don’t use often, then you should run water through them in order to prevent grime or any different type of build up.

It’s also important that you inspect interior and exterior walls for cracks. If you notice any cracks in your home, then you may have a foundation problem.

Yearly Tasks

Every year, you should make sure to check for any warning signs of pests. Keep in mind that it will be much easier to deal with this problem if you find an infestation early. In case you notice that your home is infested, make sure to contact reliable pest control providers. If you do some research online, you will easily find the best companies near you. For example, with a simple search, you can find the best pest control providers in Missouri.

You should also check the roof for leaks or damages. You should do this especially if you live in a location with harsh weather conditions like hailstorms.

Another good idea would be for you to service your air conditioning and heating systems. This way, you’ll probably save a lot of money on future utility bills.

If you want to increase the lifespan of your fridge, then you should vacuum the refrigerator coils once a year. These coils get dirty over time, which will make your fridge use more energy. This can significantly increase your bills, since refrigerators can use up to 15% of the total power of your home.

Finally, you should give your house a deep clean every year. Deep cleaning refers to when you dust every nook and cranny, and it typically lasts for a few days. After all one of the best ways to keep your house in top shape is to give it a proper deep clean.