Jan10

New Year’s To-Do’s #3 - Home Maintenance Plan

Author: admin  |  Category: Independence, Location

Somehow, the people that praise the joys of home ownership forget what it’s like to have a new roof installed. But once the job is complete, the sense you feel of “shelter” is never so intense. Maintaining a home is like that, terrible to endure the process but delightful to enjoy the results.

Certainly, the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” can be applied aptly to the challenge of maintaining a home. But the process does not have to be difficult if it is conducted with care. There are three facets that must be tailored to your home. They are -

  • a regular schedule of monthly tasks
  • seasonal inspections to uncover any unscheduled surprises
  • a budget to anticipate necessary repairs, and
  • a roster of trustworthy tradesmen to perform certain work.

The start of the New Year is a great time to budget repairs for the coming year as well as perform some routine tasks. Specifically -

Home Exterior:

  1. Will this be the year for a new paint job or a roof?
  2. What was the condition of the roof gutters when they were cleaned in the Fall?
  3. Are there any landscaping changes needed? - trees, shrubs, gardens, lawn, or hedges?
  4. Does any fencing need repair?
  5. Are the decks and/or patios safe?
  6. Will the driveway need resurfacing?
  7. Is more insulation required? This is the time of year to check.

Home Interior:

  1. Detectors - Time to change batteries in smoke and CO detectors?
  2. Furnace - Time to change filters (depends upon filter type and furnace)?
  3. Humidifier - Check to see that it is operating properly.
  4. Interior paint - Time for a new coat on ceiling, walls, or trim?
  5. Floors - Time to refinish?
  6. Bathrooms and Kitchen - If it is time for an update, this can become a major expense.

Maintaining a home can seriously impact finances. Now that the new assessment of Net Worth is complete, a serious assessment of the homestead is imperative. The start of the New Year is a perfect time to make that evaluation. It definitely takes precedence over any travel plans, because you’ll want to feel good about coming home.

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