Spring is just a few short weeks away. With longer days and warmer temps around the corner, it’s naturally a time to start thinking about household projects we’d like to complete this summer.

Just like a car, a home requires regular care and maintenance to ensure its functionality and to maintain or increase its value. Regular maintenance is not only critical to the well-being of your home, but more importantly the people and animals that live in the home. Please continue reading to learn how a home maintenance plan can save you time and money and help prevent many avoidable and oftentimes costly home ‘emergencies’.

Home Maintenance Plan

If you own a car, you know the importance of keeping it properly maintained to ensure it is safe to drive and will perform optimally. If you neglect to maintain the vehicle it can become unsafe to operate and ultimately costly and avoidable repairs will result. Unless you are handy at working on cars, you most likely take it to your favorite mechanic as needed for routine maintenance procedures.

When we purchase a home we don’t always have the same easy to follow maintenance plan that comes with a new car purchase. Purchasing a home is the biggest financial investment most of us will make in our lifetime. Just like a car, a home requires regular care and maintenance to ensure its functionality and maintain or increase its value. Whether your home is 1 or 100 years old, regular care and maintenance is critical to the well-being of the home and the people and animals that live there.

A customized maintenance plan encompassing the unique characteristics of your home begins with a thorough inspection of the structural and mechanical systems of the building. This will provide you with a clear understanding of the home’s current condition, life expectancy of replacement items such as roof & gutters, and potential problem areas, including pest control measures. A thorough inspection would include everything from the foundation to the roof, and in between. Outbuildings, surrounding vegetation, driveways, walkways, retaining walls, and drainage should also be considered.

Depending on the square footage of the home, you can expect to pay $500-600 for the average residential, single-family home inspection, inclusive of a comprehensive report. Condominiums generally run slightly less. Considering you will refer to the report for as long as you live in the home (and can pass it on to the next owner) this one-time cost is exceptional value that will pay for itself many times over. Being pro-active and performing regular preventative maintenance procedures will keep your home well-maintained and looking beautiful while keeping your overall maintenance costs to a minimum. And, just like selling a used car, being able to provide a future prospective buyer with comprehensive maintenance records just may tip the scales to your favor.

There’s no wrong time to have a home inspection. However, if you plan to purchase a home, the offer you make will most likely be contingent upon your obtaining an inspection of the property. Now is the perfect time to make sure the money you spend on the inspection will continue to provide good value for years to come. A thorough examination accompanied by a comprehensive report will allow you to make an informed buying decision and the report will be a valuable tool for your future maintenance plan.

Alternatively, if you plan to sell your home you want to be the one most informed of its overall condition. Avoid surprises by knowing in advance what repairs should be made before the home even goes on the market. Eliminate potential objectives that might otherwise dissuade a potential buyer. If you so choose, being able to share the report and disclose the property’s condition could be a significant selling point.

So now you have your inspection report in hand. What do you do from here? If you are handy around the home, you will be able to perform many of the maintenance tasks yourself. Using seasonal checklists for both interior and exterior maintenance will help you plan ahead and not miss important steps along the way. Some items like an annual tune-up of your heating & air-conditioning system are best left to the professionals. Take care of minor maintenance yourself, such as cleaning or replacing filters regularly and making sure registers are free of dust.

If time is short, or for whatever reason you prefer not to handle some or all of these tasks on your own, it is wise to establish a relationship with a home improvement professional. A reputable contractor will work with you to establish a long-range maintenance plan at whatever level of involvement you wish. Finding someone you can build a relationship with and rely upon will ensure your future maintenance and remodeling projects are cost-effective and coordinate well with your existing plan. It’s important to find someone dependable, who communicates well, and who you are comfortable having in and around your home.

Our expertise is matching homeowners with reliable contractors who are not just exceptional at their craft. They are professional, courteous, competitively priced, and of course comply with all state regulations and licensing requirements. We at Contractor Hotline are here for you from start to finish, project after project, year after year. Contact us today with questions, to schedule an inspection, or to be connected with a home improvement professional that best suits your needs.

The following tips will help guide you through the process. We hope you find it useful as you make your way through your fall ‘to do’ list.

Outside Your Home

Tree Trimming: Take special care to have any dead or diseased branches removed from trees that may fall and cause injury, damage property, or take down power lines. For large trees this task is best left to the experts. Trim any trees or bushes away from the side of the house or hanging over the roof and gutters.

Chimney: Have the chimney inspected and cleaned, especially if you use a wood stove or fireplace regularly. On average, your chimney should be cleaned after every two cords of seasoned, dry wood is burned. Stock an adequate supply of dry, seasoned firewood and store away from the side of your house in a location where it will stay dry and has good air flow.

Roof and Gutters: Inspect the roof of your home and outbuildings for any signs of leaks or damage including buckling, curling, or missing shingles. Shingles and metal flashing around chimneys, vents, and in valleys should be firmly adhered. Gutters and downspouts should be flushed and inspected.

Siding, Doors, and Windows: Take care to remove any soil or organic matter in contact with the siding. Check siding, doors, and windows for any gaps where air and moisture can pass through. Remove any old caulk and thoroughly clean areas that need repair. Allow the areas to dry completely and apply a quality, exterior caulk to seal any gaps. Check and replace worn weather stripping on all doors and windows. Install storm windows if you have them.

Outdoor Faucets: Remove, drain, and store hoses for winter. If you have an inside valve for each outdoor faucet, turn these off and open the outside faucet slightly to drain any water left in the pipes. Attach insulated covers over outside faucets. Blow out sprinkler systems.

Tools: Check that all summer tools have been cleaned and stored away for winter and that winter tools like snow shovels and blowers are accessible and ready to use.

Inside Your Home

Air Leaks: If you don’t have insulated windows you can buy inexpensive and easy to install ‘shrink & seal’ insulation kits to reduce heat loss. Changing light weight curtains with heavier drapes helps reduce heat loss and gives the room a fresh look. Add insulated plates to electrical outlets on exterior walls.

Heating System: Have a professional inspect and service your heating system each year to ensure it is operating efficiently. Replace air filters as recommended by the manufacturer. Buying a season’s worth of filters and marking your calendar in advance will help prevent overlooking this important task. Consider installing a programmable thermostat. This can save a lot of money by eliminating those times you forget to turn the heat down when leaving the house for extended periods. Walk through your home and make sure all vents or baseboard heaters are clear of furniture.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Inspect all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are working properly. Replace batteries in each device annually or sooner if needed. Check batteries monthly at the same time you change your air filters.

Insulation: Consider having your home’s insulation inspected to ensure it meets the proper R-value specification and that there isn’t any water or rodent damage. Wrap your water heater with an insulated blanket. Wrapping exposed water pipes in the crawl space or basement and garage will cut your energy bill, as well as help prevent pipes from freezing. Be sure and check for air leaks where pipes enter the house on exterior walls and caulk or add insulation as needed.

Emergencies: Last but not least, prepare an emergency kit for you and your family in the event of a power outage or other emergency. Click here for important tips from the Red Cross and a comprehensive list of essential items to include.