This guide includes general house maintenance tips that could save your roof, foundations, and other vital parts of your home.
As well as the high priority tasks, there are a lot of tips for general upkeep of your garage, air conditioning, garbage disposal buymyhouse7.com, and aspects you could cost yourself a fortune by overlooking.
In this guide, I’m going to show you 41 home maintenance tips and tricks you can’t ignore if you want your home to stay structurally sound, maintain low running costs, and retain its full value.
Let’s go!
Vital home maintenance tips that could save your life
The most drastic outcome when you ignore home maintenance is that you put your life and your home’s structural integrity in danger.
In this section, I’m going to go through the vital tips you need to know and take action on.
Test your sump pump to avoid flooding
Sump pumps are often found in basements, and are the last line of defense against floods, condensation build-up and water from drains. Unless you’re happy to end up with a flooded basement or damaged foundation, you need to test the pump at least every 6 months.
Here’s how:
- Remove debris from the outside pipe
- Restart the pump so to test if it’s running (unplug and plug it back in)
- Pour water into the sump crock and ensure the pump starts running and pumps the water away
For extra protection, consider getting an automatic leak detector.
Clean your window wells to avoid breakage from water pressure
Window wells are great for letting natural light into your basement and providing ventilation. They also keep soil away from your window fixtures, but they can put your basement at risk if they’re not looked after.
Leaves and other debris can clog the drainage pipe, and after extended rainfall, the water pressure against your basement window will be intense.
If you don’t clean the drainage, the water pressure can smash the glass and pour gallons of water inside. So, make sure you’re using a shorthanded shovel, a snake, or just your hands to pull out any blockages from the pipe.
Check for mice nests near wiring
It’s not fun to have mice living with you, regardless of where they are. However, when they nest in places like your A/C units, garden machinery, and near electrical wiring, it can be disastrous.
Make sure to check for mice in your home, or risk electrical faults and fires. Here’s how:
Clean your dryer vents and avoid a house fire
Every time you use your dryer, you’re adding a little bit of lint to the vent. This means the dryer is less efficient at cooling down, and will take longer to dry your clothes. But it also turns dryers into fire hazards.
Remove the vent at the back of the dryer, and vacuum the area. Alternatively, use a cleaning kit like this to make sure you’re maintaining this vital part of your home.