Home Maintenance Tips

Whether you are in the market for a home, are enjoying your current home, or are interested in getting your home ready to sell, home maintenance is of utmost importance.  Buyers are always better off if the home they’ve fallen in love with has been treated and maintained with care and attention.  Living in your home means your safety and enjoyment of your home is of top priority.  Sellers are better off if they’ve been proactive when caring for their home while living in it as deferred home maintenance can result in the need for annoying and often expensive repairs when it comes to the home inspection.   To that end, here are some tips to consider when it comes to home maintenance. . .

Maintaining your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) system is of utmost importance, especially here in Arizona where a malfunctioning ventilation or AC system can be an (expensive) health hazard, especially during the summer months.  Therefore, be sure to be proactive when maintaining this system by changing the HVAC filters regularly (typically it’s recommended that this be done on a quarterly basis, but check your system’s user’s guide for specific recommendations).  Having your HVAC serviced on an annual basis (and saving this paperwork) will also help you when it comes to your home inspection.

Maintaining your water heater is another important task when it comes to home maintenance.  Draining your water heater once a year is a good way to make sure it functions up to capacity, by flushing out minerals and other toxins that may clog the unit.  If the water in your area is harder than typical, a flush out may be necessary more often than annually.  Directions on how to do this are in the manual (and also online), or you may want to call a plumber to walk you through it the first time you do it on your own.  Water heaters are a major line item on home inspection checklists so being proactive will serve you well later on.

Another big item on home inspection lists is your roof.  Therefore, be sure to have a professional roofer conduct an inspection (annually is ideal), to check for issues with insulation, structure and drainage.   The flashings and gutters will need to be inspected as well, especially prior to monsoon season here in Arizona.  Being proactive with the roof will also save you money in the long run.

Taking the time to tackle these major home maintenance items will help maintain your home’s safety as well as your enjoyment of it, as well as getting it ready for a future sale.

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