Project Home Maintenance

Whether you own your home or you are renting, you should be making sure that you are keeping it all in
excellent working order. Sometimes that is easier said than done though. Owning a home, and taking
care of it is a pretty big responsibility. But, with the right tools, and a regular checklist of things that you
need to do it becomes smooth sailing. You’ll need to know things like
how to make your home mold resistant, how to clean your roof, and how to replace the batteries on your
smoke alarms.

Photo by Nathan Fertig on Unsplash

Setting yourself seasonal upkeep goals, and sticking to it year on year will see you avoid more
significant repair costs too.

Generally, you should make sure that you are checking on:

• Exterior
• Appliances
• AC & Heating
• Plumbing
• Security systems
• Electrics
• Garden

If any of the jobs that are listed are outside of your skill level, then you should make sure that you call in
a professional rather than doing a less than perfect job.

Monthly

If you stay on top of monthly tasks, you will see if there are any repairs due - rather than waiting for it to
be an emergency repair job. Here is a list to get you started, but depending on your type of home, you
might need to add extra or skip a few.

• Test all of your carbon monoxide alarms, smoke alarms, and your fire extinguishers.
• Run your taps for a few seconds, to check of debris and build up in the drains - unclog where
• required.
• Clean the shower head - (white vinegar will do the trick)
• Check all visible electric cords for wear, tear or signs of pests
• If you have a garbage disposal unit, clean it by crushing ice cubes and then flush it with baking
• soda and hot water

Spring List

Spring is a typically lovely time for home and garden maintenance. The warmer days make gardening
less of a chore. Most people have a spring clean, but during the deep clean you can add these next
items to your list:

• Remove leaves, twigs and other debris from your gutters and downpipes
• Polish all of your wood
• Clean all of the windows and doors
• Check your roof for the damage that might have occurred during the winter months
• Sand and revarnish fences and decking
• Change your air-conditioning filters
• Get the chimney swept, or do it yourself
• Fertilize all of your flower beds and your lawn

Summer List

The garden will be in full swing by now, but you can still tackle a lot of tasks that are indoors. So don’t
worry if you aren’t the green-fingered type.

• Prune trees and shrubs, remove weeds and other unsightly things from your flower beds
• Clean in and around the kitchen cabinets
• Check all of the toilets for leaking, and replace any water saving devices if you need to
• Clean behind your fridge, freezer, washing machine and any other large white goods appliances
• Remove lint from the outside and inside washer hoses and dryer vents
• Oil, all of the door, hinges and remove rust spots

Autumn/Fall List

Fall is when you can do a big bulk of maintenance to prepare for the winter. It's the start of the real
change in the weather. It’s wetter, colder and the leaves fall. Temperatures are still good enough to
manage your garden well, and you still have time to inspect your home exterior for places that will need
some extra care.

• Check heaters and radiators for leaks, the small use they get in summer and spring means we
• don’t usually notice
• Wrap insulation around your outside pipes and outdoor faucets
• Recheck your wires, mice, and other pests tend to start heading insides around this time
• Drain any hoses, and store them away
• Clean down windows and door screens
• Deep clean all of your carpets
• Have your fireplace checked by a professional - before you need it
• Keep on top of the leaves that will likely be plugging up your gutters and downpipes
• Power wash your slabs and decking
• Seal any cracks and gaps in the sealant around the doors and windows
• Book an appointment to have someone inspect any forced-air heating systems asap, they get
• busier as it gets colder
• Rake leaves every few days, to prevent build up and the risk of slipping
• Consider if you need to have more energy efficient windows and doors - before it gets really cold
• Repaint the outside woodwork, and varnish any bare wood you have to protect it from the winter
• months

Winter List

The weather in winter can be really hard on your home. And, if you aren’t doing all of the other
maintenance, then it’s going to hit you pretty hard. Burst pipes, roof damage, overflowing gutters - all
avoidable if you maintain a proper maintenance schedule.

• Clean out all of your tubs, showers, toilets, dishwashers and any other water outlets you have
• Re-oil the hinges on doors and windows
• Swap light curtains for thicker ones - they help save on heating costs
• Check your attic and basement for leaks of any kind
• Retest all of your smoke alarms and replace batteries where required.
• Deep clean all of the rooms in your house
• Clean the coils on your refrigerator and freezer
• Check your roof weekly for any damage and check again after any storms or snow
• Cover the air-conditioning unit

Cleaning

A general tip for cleaning is to make sure that you keep to a routine. If you don’t have work or other
commitments, Sunday is a great day to clean. You can do all of the bedsheets, vacuum and so much
more. Then you will always start your week with a beautifully clean home. Cleaning weekly will stop any
build up of the jobs that you hate too - which is a bonus.

Some weeks will require more effort than others, but there is nothing so lovely as
clean sheets and a clean house to enjoy. And, every 4 weeks do a deeper clean.