If you are like most families, your home is your biggest investment. It’s also likely the place you spend the most time and a source of pride. Having a well-maintained home is not only good for the value of your home, but for your soul. Keeping up with home maintenance tasks prevents small issues from becoming catastrophic ones, and in the end will lengthen the life of your home.

Read our 9 tips for keeping your home well maintained.

 

1. Make sure you get to issues before they get to you

As a homeowner, the buck stops with you to make sure your home remains in good condition. The best way to do this is to stay on top of issues before they compound and turn into a financially burdensome situation. 

We get it, it can be tempting to try to eke out another year or 2 of a roof or paint job before making the investment to fix what needs to be done. But waiting can lead to issues that could cause perfectly functioning parts of your home to become unnecessarily damaged.

So whether it is a busted window or a cracking foundation, fix any issues you are experiencing with your home before they cause more damage.

 

2. Inspect your home regularly 

Not all problems just come out and make themselves known. Particularly when it comes to your roof or other exterior remodeling issues, you might have to go out of your way to ensure everything looks just right.

We recommend doing twice yearly “self home inspections” to ensure everything looks okay. We recommend taking a look at the following to see if anything looks off.

  • Roof
  • Siding 
  • Deck
  • Gutters
  • HVAC system
  • Paint
  • Chimney 
  • Carbon monoxide and fire detectors 
  • Foundation

If you notice anything wrong with any of these areas of your homes, it’s time to work with a professional. Reach out to All Around Maintenance to see if we can help with our expert and affordable services. 

 

3. Make sure your roof in tip-top shape

The condition of your home begins and ends with the status of your roof. If it has a leak, chances are the rest of your home has a myriad of issues. This is particularly true here in the Pacific Northwest, where one rainy weekend and a leaky roof can create thousands (or more) in water damage. 

This can lead to an unsafe structure and damage to your walls, flooring, and furniture, as well as mold growth. Additionally, leaky roofs draw in animals, which can create a disgusting infestation that takes forever to eradicate.

Whether your house is brand new or a century old, these issues can happen to you. To avoid serious issues from developing, we recommend regularly getting your roof cleaned and repaired immediately when you notice something is amiss. For instance, if you notice moss building up on your roof, get it cleaned!

 

4. Keep siding stable

If your roof protects your home from water and critters from the top, your siding acts as a shield from the side. And much like your roof, when siding fails it can spell trouble for the rest of your home.

A common issue is mold, which is caused by leaky siding allowing water to seep into your walls. Similar to your roof, leaks can also lead to rodent infestations, like rats and mice taking shelter in your walls. 

Be on the lookout for siding that is cracked, loose, or rotting. These are common signs that something is amiss with your siding and it needs to be repaired or replaced ASAP. 

 

5. Don’t neglect those gutters 

Gutters are not a set it and forget proposition. Even new gutters can get jammed up with debris, causing your roof to leak or, when it is cold, form an ice dam.

How does this happen? While your roof is set up and designed to reflect water, it cannot stand up to standing water. When your gutter cannot drain properly, the water backs up onto your roof, causing the leaks and damage.

By regularly cleaning and maintaining your gutters, you’ll avoid this issue. While you might only need to do this twice a year, it is also worth doing after a big wind or ice storm to ensure your gutters are clear and don’t back up.

 

6. Keep your deck and fence safe

Don’t you just love the feeling of relaxing on your deck on a warm summer evening. Cold beer in hand, burger crackling on the grill, and your family close by? Is there a better summation of the joys of life?

Given that your deck is constantly exposed to the elements, it needs attention to stay in good shape. The same is true for your fence, which needs to be maintained to ensure it stays upright and looking great.

Make sure to have your deck and fence semi-regularly cleaned and repaired when you notice something wrong. Additionally, make sure that your deck is stained and finished properly to extend its life and keep it strong. 

 

7. Maintain your lawn and landscaping 

A picture is worth a thousand words. And when it comes to the value of your home, its appearance is worth thousands of dollars. Right or wrong, how your lawn looks is a large part of how your home is looked at and valued.

Additionally, a yard that has fallen into disrepair with broken tree branches, long grass, and unruly vegetation draws out pests such as rats and possums, leading to infestations and dangerous conditions for you and your family. Keeping up with landscaping will keep these vermin at bay.

If you already have a nice yard and have invested in landscaping, it is a lot cheaper to maintain than start from scratch. Unfortunately, all it takes is a missed season of maintenance for irreparable damage to incur, forcing you into a number of projects until it gets back to where it was.

 

8. Don’t let junk linger

Keep your property free of junk and debris as much as possible. Particularly if you have no use for the items and are not concerned about their condition, it can be tempting to just leave old items out in your yard until you have enough to rent a dumpster to get rid of it all at once.

But similar to a yard in disrepair, these items are an absolute hotbed of a habitat for vermin. This will lead to pest infestations and a dangerous situation for you and your family.

Plus, it just flat out looks bad! 

 

9. Talk to All Around Maintenance today to keep your home safe and looking great 

At All Around Maintenance, we work with homeowners to keep their homes in tip-top shape. Whether you need roof repair, regular landscaping, or just a handyman to come help with something you are unsure about, we’re always just a phone call away.

Give us a ring at (503) 209-2023 or reach out today to let us know how we can help!