Maintenance
Home Maintenance Guide
Home Ownership is a wonderful thing but it does come with responsibility. Homes endure everything from the elements outside with Georgia being a four-season city to indoor usage of varying degrees. Basic maintenance goes a long way to ensure your home stays in tip-top shape and maximize the home living experience.
Like a car’s oil changes and tire changes, keeping a simple schedule of reminders for upkeep makes the process simple. An ounce of prevention has tremendous mileage in home ownership. Use the checklists below to help guide you on a regular basis and when in doubt, always hire a professional to handle the task at hand.
Monthly Home Improvements
It may seem a little overkill, but checking out your home on a monthly basis really does keep things working at their best. If monthly is excessive, aim for bi-monthly. It keeps things easy to manage and the bills down. Plus, you’ll always be ready for entertainment that comes up at the last moment or if you should ever have to unexpectedly sell, you’ll have great peace of mind that your home is already in great condition.
The following list contains basic monthly home improvements:
Clean and/or replace the filter in the air conditioning system.
Test all ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI outlets)
Seasonal Home Improvement
Spring Maintenance Checklist
Once the ground has thawed and the trees begin to bud, it’s time to prepare your home for spring. On top of your regular spring cleaning, you’ll also want to consider these general home maintenance tips. Use our spring home maintenance checklist to make sure everything in your home from the basement to the roof is in tip-top shape.
- Inspect roofing for missing, loose, or damaged shingles and leaks.
- Change the air-conditioner filter
- Clean window and door screens
- Polish wood furniture, and dust light fixtures
- Repair and/or refinish the deck if needed.
- Power-wash windows and siding
- Remove leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts
- Ensure there is no water pooling anywhere around your house so there is no water pooling near the house
- Check the exterior for any paint chipping and touch-up. If you have brick, check for any holes to fill. Check the foundation for any cracks to ensure they are cosmetic in nature.
- Inspect sink, shower, and bath caulking for deterioration.
- Vacuum lint from the dryer vent.
- Inspect the chimney for damage.
- Repair or replace caulking and weather stripping around windows, doors, and mechanicals.
- Remove the insulation from outdoor faucets and check sprinkler heads.
- Have air-conditioning system serviced.
- Drain or flush the water heater.
- Fertilize your lawn.
- Trim any tree limbs that could interfere with utility lines before the green comes back
Summer Maintenance Checklist
When the sun is out and warm weather is finally here to stay, the last thing you should worry about is home maintenance. Use our quick summer home maintenance guide to get the hard work out of the way at the beginning of the season. Even if the weather is already pushing 90 degrees, there’s no need to worry—most of these tasks are indoors!
- Oil garage-door opener and chain, garage door, and all door hinges.
- Remove lint from inside and outside washer hoses and dryer vents.
- Clean kitchen exhaust fan filter.
- Clean refrigerator and freezer coils and empty and clean drip trays.
- Check the dishwasher for leaks.
- Check around kitchen and bathroom cabinets and around toilets for leaks.
- Replace interior and exterior faucet and showerhead washers if needed.
- Seal tile grout.
- Prune trees and shrubs.
- Handle insect issues as soon as you can.
- If you didn’t catch it in the spring, any deck maintenance and painting/staining can be done at this time
- If you have window wells, clean them out
- Clean out the garage if you didn’t catch it in the spring
Fall Maintenance Checklist
In many regions, fall is the perfect season to tackle general home maintenance projects because the weather is generally dry and temperatures are moderate. Before you start your seasonal home maintenance checklist, examine both the interior and exterior of your home. Most of these home maintenance items can be accomplished without the help of a professional, but it’s always better to be safe and call for assistance if a home improvement project is beyond your abilities. Here are our seasonal home improvement recommendations for fall and spring:
- Rake leaves and aerate the lawn if you have fescue or other cool weather grasses
- Have the forced-air heating system inspected by a professional. Tip: schedule an inspection in late summer or early fall before the heating season begins.
- Check the fireplace for damage or hazards and clean fireplace flues.
- Seal cracks and gaps in windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping; replace if necessary.
- Swap old, drafty windows for more energy-efficient models.
- Touch up exterior siding and trim with paint.
- Inspect roofing for missing, loose, or damaged shingles and leaks.
- Earlier in the year, power-wash windows and siding
- Remove leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts.
- Mend cracks and gaps in the driveway and walkway.
- Drain and winterize exterior plumbing if you live in a colder climate such as pool plumbing. In warmer climates, you may simply choose to run them daily.
- Check out the state of appliances. If you plan to replace one, Black Friday sales tend to be the best deals of the year.
- Repair or replace siding and paint.
- Replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Clean the carpets.
- Clean window and door screens.
- Vacuum lint from the dryer vent.
- Inspect exterior door hardware; fix squeaky handles and loose locks.
- Check for frayed cords and wires. Squirrels among other creatures find things to chew on.
- Drain and store water hoses, and drain in-ground sprinkler systems. Cover outdoor host bibbs if in a climate that gets down to freezing.
- Wrap insulation around outdoor faucets and pipes in unheated garages.
- Check the water heater for leaks and drain it. Remove any sediment.
- Test any sump pumps you may have.
- Reseal any driveway/pavement cracks before winter.
- Ensure you have a shovel and sidewalk salt should you snow arrive!
Winter Maintenance Checklist
Winter weather can be harsh on your home. The below-freezing temperatures can cause a number of problems, including frozen pipes and roof damage. To prevent winter harm and avoid calling a professional in the middle of a blizzard, be sure to check these winter items off your home maintenance checklist:
- Check the basement for leaks during thaws. Deep clean it and ensure there is no mildew or mold taking hold. If mold is found, we strongly suggest hiring a professional to handle it.
- Inspect the roof, gutters, and downspouts for damage after storms.
- Vacuum bathroom exhaust fan grill.
- Vacuum refrigerator and freezer coils and empty and clean drip trays.
- Clean drains in sinks, tubs, showers, and dishwashers.
- Don’t let icicles grow if you spot them. They can be a hazard. Be careful.
- Tighten anything with loose screws such as handles, knobs, racks, etc.
- Check all your door locks for smooth functioning
- Caulk around showers and tubs if needed