How to Stay on Top of Property Maintenance

It’s easy to let routine property maintenance slip down your to-do list, especially if you are used to putting in long hours at work or trying to keep up with other aspects of your daily life.

However, you must make time for the important things when they need doing, even if it means waking up early one morning, taking a break from watching TV in the evening, or spending some weekend time completing essential home improvement tasks. Or if your property is an estate whose maintenance is more challenging, you can hire a property manager to keep up with maintenance.

Here are just five common jobs that every good homeowner needs to perform on occasion:

Check Your Fireplace Before Winter Starts

Fireplaces can be great ways of heating your living space during chilly winter months. However, before using your fireplace again each year, it’s important to ensure that the chimney is in good working order. This means hiring a professional chimney sweep to inspect your property and clean out any debris or loose mortar that could present a fire hazard when you light the first fires of autumn.

Plant Trees Near Your Home

Trees can present several benefits for homeowners, from serving as natural noise buffers from road traffic and other sources of pollution from outside your property lines, providing homes for native wildlife species, or acting as stabilizing windbreaks that help prevent erosion around streams and ponds on your property. However, it’s important to plant your trees at an appropriate distance from your property line to avoid losing any of their benefits.

Change Your Air Filters Regularly

One aspect of property maintenance that busy homeowners often neglect is replacing air filters. However, regular filter changes are important for keeping heating and AC units running efficiently, reducing the chances of these systems breaking down during peak usage periods or incurring regular cleanings. Dirty filters can also reduce airflow rates through HVAC units, which wastes energy and increases monthly household utility bills.

Clean the Gutters and Downspouts

Leaves, twigs, and other debris can easily accumulate in gutters and downspouts, leading to drainage problems and roofing damage over time. To avoid this, it’s important to clear away any obstructions from these areas at least once a year using a ladder, gutter scoop, and hose.

Check the Roof for Damage

Roofing damage can occur due to several factors, such as wind-blown debris, age, excessive weathering, or improper installation. To help prevent roofing damage and the associated costly repairs, it’s important to inspect your roof for any damage every year and fix any problems as soon as possible.

Check the Exterior of Your Home for Signs of Damage

A yearly exterior inspection can help you identify areas where your home’s siding, foundation, or roofing might have incurred damage due to wind damage, water leakage, other sources of erosion, etc. It’s important to make any necessary fixes as soon as possible to avoid costly issues down the road. While you may not need to perform all of these tasks every year, it’s important to prioritize the five most important and make time for them as part of your property maintenance schedule.

Clean the Interior of Your Home Thoroughly

Of course, no home maintenance schedule is complete without taking the time to routinely clean your property’s interior. Whether you’re hiring a professional cleaning service or doing the work yourself, you must not neglect this aspect of property maintenance.

This means removing any furniture that gets in your way and moving appliances out of reach so they can be cleaned underneath, as well as thoroughly dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, disinfecting surfaces with bleach solutions, etc. Once these areas are clean again, it will be much easier for you to spot damage caused by mold or pests before it becomes too severe.

Don’t Neglect the Garage and the Basement

The garage and the basement are often neglected areas of the home, but they still need to be regularly cleaned and maintained. This means checking for water leaks, cleaning up spills or stains, removing clutter, organizing storage areas, etc. If you’re unsure about what to do in these areas, speak with a professional cleaning or home improvement service, and they should be able to help you out.

Know When to Call for Professional Help

While there’s no need to hire a professional property maintenance team every time something needs fixing around the house, it makes sense to bring in an expert when you know that your knowledge and experience will not be sufficient to make the necessary fixes. For example, if you only know how to install new faucets but not repair leaking ones, it may be worth the cost of hiring a plumber for that job alone.

By following these simple tips, you can help make sure that your property is well-maintained and remains in good condition for years to come. Hiring a professional property manager may be the best option for larger estates or properties that require more regular maintenance. Contact your local real estate agent today to learn more about hiring a property manager for your home or estate.