We all want our homes to be as beautiful and long-lasting as they can be. After all, we don’t spend large amounts of money on a residential property to have to replace it after a few years or spend enormous amounts of cash on preventable repairs.
The best way to make sure this happens is by putting in place regular home maintenance procedures. Let us look at some of the most important ones.
Ventilation Tools
Few things are more important to your house or apartment than the proper maintenance of its HVAC systems. It includes air conditioners, fans and other ventilation systems, and heating, as well as things like furnaces, heat pumps, thermostats, and temperature control devices.
As a rule of thumb, a qualified professional should visit your house every six months to ensure everything is running well and there is no risk of malfunction, electrical short circuits, and fires.
Clean as You Go
Japan is one of the cleanest countries in the world. Even though the small island nation has more than 130 million people, the streets are not littered with garbage or cigarette butts, and rarely is there more than a speck of dust on public elevators, escalators, and subway doors.
So, how do the Japanese do it? The answer is straightforward. Instead of having fixed cleaning schedules, they clean as they go. If you walk into a Japanese home, you will see people not only dusting off their shoes before entering but also sweeping and vacuuming the dirt only minutes later.
Doorknobs and Pulls
A one-bedroom apartment will have a minimum of three doorknobs. They are to be found on the main door, the bathroom door, and the door to the bedroom. As for pulls, the number is much larger. It includes closets, cabinets, cupboards, and desk drawers.
Even though aside from the main door, other knobs and pulls might seem insignificant, they are anything but. If you think about it, they are the things inside our house that we touch the most. As a result, they are prone to gather dirt and bacteria that might lead to unwanted, preventable diseases.
So clean them often and make sure to replace them with some regularity.
Move the Furniture
Currently, one of the most common trends in the residential real estate industry is multi-functional spaces. Your living room doesn’t have to be only a living room. It can also serve as a guest area or a place of work. Your bedroom can serve the dual purpose of being the place where you rest and a private workout facility.
Having said that, an important tip on home maintenance is to move the furniture around. Only when you do this can you see if something is damaged behind it and needs to be repaired. More importantly, it allows all corners of your house to stay hygienic and clean.
Caring for Exteriors
If you were to ask a bunch of people to name one of their favorite activities to do on weekends, cutting the grass and picking up fallen leaves from their driveways would probably not be it. Still, it is a necessary home maintenance evil as it not only prevent rodents and other pests from developing nesting grounds but also adds to your property’s curb appeal.
If you absolutely hate it, you can turn it into a fun activity with your family members or have your kids do it for a treat or other small rewards.
Window Maintenance
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. When it comes to where you live, are the windows the eyes of your home?
Regardless of what the answer might be, there are few things worse in a house than having dirty, neglected windows. It is especially true since they are transparent, and their imperfections are there for all to see.
As such, the importance of adequate window maintenance cannot be undermined. Besides cleaning, other aspects to consider regarding windows are taking care of frames, replacing cracked or broken glass, and maintaining window films and coating.
Six of the most important home maintenance tips are taking care of ventilation systems, cleaning as you go, making sure doorknobs and pulls function properly, re-arranging furniture, caring for exteriors, and maintaining windows. Others include cleaning gutters, replacing the batteries in carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, checking air filters, and cleaning your chimney if you have one.
All in all, they are a surefire way to ensure your house remains beautiful, useful, safe, and convenient for as long as you choose to live inside it.
