The Consequences of Ignoring Home Maintenance (& a Handy Checklist to Help!)
"Out of sight, out of mind" is a good motto until your basement floods or your pipes burst. Prevent emergency disasters by following this home maintenance checklist.
“These are not fun aspects of owning a beautiful home,” Ridley Wills of Wills Handyman says about home maintenance. “It’s the unglamorous, but necessary side of homeownership. If you don’t maintain your home, it won’t remain the beautiful space you love.” If you are like the rest of us, it’s likely you’ve been guilty of ignoring a problem until there is water coming through the ceiling of your living room. Out of sight, out of mind is the motto many of us live by — but we shouldn’t. “There are a million little things homeowners need to be checking on; if you are handy, you can do this yourself,” Wills assures us. “Something, such as a dead battery sump pump goes unnoticed, and it becomes a big deal in an emergency — and your basement floods.” Avoid the large — and costly — consequences of ignoring home maintenance by following the checklist below. You and your home will be glad you did!
PinWe made a list, and checked it twice. You should do the same in order to keep your home in tip-top shape and looking nice!Here is a checklist, crafted by Ridley Wills of Wills Handyman, to keep you up to date with your home needs — and to tell you what will happen if you don’t.
ONGOING
√ Change out the filters on your HVAC unit.
If you have pets who shed a lot, keep your doors and windows open often, or are on a farm, do this every month. Otherwise, do this every three months with 90-day filters. If you have electrostatic filters, then clean them at least twice per year.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: poor air quality in your home and shortened lifespan of your HVAC unit
SPRING
In the spring, after the last freeze and when the pollen blooms
√ Clean out areas on the outside of your home, including:
foundation vent and window wells
gutters (Visually inspect the gutters and downspouts for signs of leaking/damage.)
strip drains
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: water damage to your house. Initially it may be surface damage, but it can quickly become structural damage if ignored.
√ Remove any limbs or significant debris atop the roof.
If any limb is touching or within 1 inch of the roof, cut only that offending limb at its nearest fork in the tree branch.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: shortened lifespan of your roof; water damage to your home; allows pests a way into your home
√ De-winterize
De-winterize the following:
fountain
irrigation system
pond
pool
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: Although there is no large risk in overlooking this task, you will not be able to enjoy these features.
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
SPRING/SUMMER
When the temperatures start to get consistently warm
√ Get your HVAC units inspected and serviced.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: The system won’t be balanced properly for the upcoming hotter weather, and it will shorten the lifespan of your HVAC unit.
FALL
When temperatures start to get cooler, before the first freeze
√ Get your HVAC units inspected and serviced.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: The system won’t be balanced properly for the upcoming colder weather, and the lifespan of your HVAC unit will be shortened.
√ Disconnect the hoses from exterior water spigots.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: Exterior spigots, even when they are frost proof, are meant to drip. If you keep the hose on them, the water line can burst.
√ Winterize
Winterize the following:
fountain
irrigation system
pond
pool
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: Freezing will damage these features.
FALL
After the leaves start falling
√ Clean areas on the outside of your home, including:
foundation vent and window wells
gutters (Visually inspect the gutters and downspouts for signs of leaking/damage.)
Strip drains
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: water damage to your house. Initially may be surface damage but can quickly become structural damage if avoided.
√ Remove any limbs or significant debris atop the roof.
Each house and lot are different, but most houses require at least two gutter cleanings in the fall.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: shortened lifespan of your roof; water damage to your home; allows pests a way into your home
SEMI-ANNUALLY
√ Check the battery on your sump pump to ensure that it is charged.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: During storms, your power can go out, and this is when you most need the sump pump to work. If the battery is not charging your sump pump, your home can flood.
√ Clean the lint from your clothes dryer, including the following:
external vent system
internal lint trap if accessible, not just the lint screen
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: This is a fire hazard, and built-up lint will shorten the lifespan of the dryer.
ANNUALLY
√ Inspect the accessible portions of the unfinished attic, unfinished basement and crawlspace
Look for the following:
animal or pest damage/intrusion
damaged or loose ductwork
loose or missing insulation
water damage/intrusion
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: All above conditions are warning signs and can potentially signal other significant problems that can damage your home. Many homeowners may not go into these spaces during the normal course of the year.
√ Inspect the exterior of your home, including:
the condition of paint and caulking
proper operation of the exterior doors
masonry hardscape (patios, walkways, etc…)
rotten wood
pest damage
torn screens
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: All of the above conditions are warning signs and can potentially signal other significant problems that can damage your home.
√ Change out the batteries on your non-hardwired, smoke detectors.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: By doing this annually, you will hopefully avoid that annoying and seemingly random beep warning sign and know that your house is best protected.
√ Vacuum the coils on the back of your refrigerator and icemaker.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: shortened lifespan of your appliance
√ Replace the filter on your water purifier.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: By avoiding this, you might as well not have a water filter!
√ Inspect water heaters with a tank.
Ensure that it is not leaking and that the drain pan is free of debris.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: water damage to your home
For a tankless water heater: Clean/flush it out to keep the warranty valid on your water heater.
√ Get your overhead garage doors inspected and have their hardware lubricated.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: getting stuck in your garage
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
ANNUALLY
For homeowners who do not use a significant portion of their home, or who may not be physically able to inspect their home on a consistent basis
√ Visually inspect sinks for leaks at the faucets and below the sink bowls.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: Leaks can lead to unnecessarily high water bills and damage to the house.
√ Check the toilets to ensure that they are not running.
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: Running toilets can lead to unnecessarily high water bills and damage to the house.
√ Inspect the interior of your home.
Inspect the finished interior of the home for the following:
caulk and grout condition
mold
settling issues
water damage/intrusion
Possible consequences of ignoring this task: All of these above conditions are warning signs and can potentially signal other significant problems that can damage your home.
Take care of your home, and it will take care of you!
For more tips on maintaining your home, see Wills Handyman’s blog post: Ten Simple Steps to a Better Maintained Home.
*******
Find beautiful homes and additional insider tips by visiting StyleBlueprint’s Home Section.
Alex is a Southern writer known for hunting down delicious stories and traveling the world with hunger. Her passions and interests lie in food, travel, interior design and inspiring people, and her dream is to eat a dozen oysters a day.
Our unofficial motto at StyleBlueprint is "Be kind. Do good." We encourage this to be the basis for all comments on our articles. Provide feedback that adds to the story. Some controversy or disagreements are part of any good dialogue between friends, but anything that tears down or belittles others is subject to disapproval or removal. Thank you for being a member of the StyleBlueprint community! View our Community Guidelines.
