Christin Rordam: Tips for maintaining your home by season

Home ownership is the American dream. You can build equity and save for your future all while making your living space a personalized oasis from the stress of the outside world. While potentially profitable and pleasurable, owning a home isn’t without its responsibilities and costs.

Your home is a like a living breathing organism. You need to take care of it in order for it to stay healthy and avoid costly surprises like wood rot, roof repairs or worse. Similar to going to your doctor for regular check ups, checking in on the condition of your home and performing preventative care maintenance can save you major money and protect your investment for the long run, whether your intent is to flip, move up into something larger or pass your home on to your family.

With the warmer months upon us here in Florida, I thought it appropriate to share a checklist of items to add to your quarterly calendar courtesy of Lowes and Better Homes and Gardens to help you stay one step ahead of the handyman.

See below for suggestions on what to do when and sleep better at night knowing you are caring for the most important investment you’ll ever make the right way.

Spring Home Maintenance

Exterior:

Clean gutters and downspouts

Inspect roof and chimney for damage

Touch up paint

Interior:

Test smoke detectors

Dust blinds vacuum curtains

Clean out kitchen and bathroom cabinets, checking for water intrusion and or mildew

Summer Home Maintenance

Exterior:

Prune trees and shrubs

Remove lint from dryer exhaust vent with long flexible brush

Service air conditioner and clean coils as needed

Interior:

Change or clean a/c filters

Clean ductwork as needed

Flush water heater

Clean kitchen appliances including fridge coils and water filter replacement for fridge as needed

Fall Home Maintenance

Exterior:

Clean gutters and downspouts (again, yay!)

Rake leaves and use as mulch

Check doors and any areas of your homes exterior for wood rot, repair and treat as needed

Interior:

Check windows and doors for weather stripping and weather tightness

Treat for insects as needed

Check all toilets and sinks for functionality and water tightness of seals

Winter Home Maintenance

Exterior:

Check locks and hardware, replace or repair as needed

Pressure wash driveways or exterior surfaces

Inspect garage door for any issues, clean out garage

Interior:

Check for frayed wires or cords

Dust tops of cabinets appliances and high shelves or pieces of furniture

Clean carpets if any

Clean grout in tiled areas

While this is certainly not a complete list of all possible items of maintenance for any home, it’s a good start. The main principle here is to get used to walking the interior and exterior of your home in order to spot small problems before they grow larger as well as remembering to care for the systems in your home. With a watchful eye and a bit of elbow grease now and then you’re sure to have a healthy home and a secure investment.