Keeping your family home in good condition can sometimes prove to be challenging. For example, you may feel as though any cleaning efforts are undone the moment your children enter a room. However, while your home does not have to look as though it was lifted from the pages of an interior design magazine, there are certain steps you can take to make home maintenance as easy (and stress-free) as possible! With that in mind, here are four home maintenance tips you’ll wish you’d heard sooner!
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Get Organized (And Stay Organized).
The easiest way to stay on top of home maintenance is to remain as organized as possible. For example, you should try to get into the habit of putting things away as soon as you have finished using them. This can help to prevent the build-up of clutter within your home and also sets a great example for your children. To support this, you may need to invest in additional storage space, such as shelving units.
Another way in which you can get organized in regards to home maintenance is by putting together a maintenance and cleaning schedule. For example, you could write down a list of tasks that you’ll need to do each day. This can include tasks like washing dishes and wiping down surfaces. You can write these alongside those that can be completed at less regular intervals.
Having a visual reminder of the work you need to do around your home helps you to stay on track and also holds you accountable for getting the job done. You could also encourage other members of the family to get involved in this task. Such as by asking your children to take responsibility for specific chores. For example, depending on their age, you may put them in charge of making their bed, feeding your pets, or loading the dishwasher.
Take Preventative Action.
While you may think that home maintenance is only necessary when you encounter a problem, such as clogged gutters and pipes, this is not the case. Good home maintenance is about taking active steps to prevent these scenarios from occurring, saving you money and frustration while doing so. For example, if your gutters are often clogged with leaves and debris, you could Find a LeafFilter near you and look into gutter guard installation. This way, you’re taking an active step to keep your home in good condition!
You CAN do it yourself (Most Of The Time).
When it comes to minor repairs around the home, such as fixing a leaking tap, switching out a lightbulb, or sealing cracks in floorboards, it’s important to note that this is something you can handle yourself, no matter how much doubt you have in your DIY-abilities.
Taking a DIY approach to this kind of issue can save you a considerable amount of money. Given that 40% of homeowners admit to being stressed out regarding just how expensive home repairs are, this is welcome news. Of course, it wouldn’t harm to brush up on your DIY skills ahead of time. Read a few guides, watch some tutorials, or call that DIY-savvy friend for some tips and tricks.
However, it’s also important that you’re aware of the times when DIY won’t come to the rescue. For example, certain tasks, such as anything involving plumbing or electrical work, are best left to the experts. After all, you could actually cause more damage when trying to repair them or put your health and safety at risk. Working with local contractors, asking for referrals and shopping around for the best deal can help you save a considerable amount of money while still gaining access to the support services you need.
Small Problems = Easy Fixes.
According to a recent study, roughly 60% of homeowners will put off home repairs this year. There are many potential reasons for this delayed action, from financial worries to simply underestimating the scale or scope of the problem. However, in either regard, putting off essential home maintenance tasks will not make the situation any better. In fact, it will only give them the opportunity to get considerably worse.
For example, say you notice that one of your roof tiles is slightly dislodged or missing altogether. What, at a glance, may seem to be a purely aesthetic issue can quickly lead to a wide range of issues. For example, even the smallest of holes in your roof can serve as an entryway for both pests and water. If you’re experiencing high levels of rain or bad weather, this could lead to flooding and structural damage.
As such, it is important to remember that small problems = easy fixes. Not only will this give you much greater peace of mind, but it also cuts down on the costs associated with maintenance tasks, as resolving them is much more straightforward.
Final Thoughts.
In short, there are many different steps you can take to keep your home in top condition, even as a busy parent with 101 different tasks on your to-do list. By taking preventive action, sharing the responsibility with others, and being quick to respond when an issue arises, you can ensure that your home looks good as new in no time.
However, it’s important to remember that home maintenance is not something that you do every few years. It should be something that you dedicate a small portion of your time and energy into each month in order to get the best results. Ideally, you should carry out a quick inspection of your home (both interior and exterior spaces) at least once a month so that you’re able to respond as quickly as possible to any issues that arise.
It is also beneficial to set up a rainy day fund or a separate savings account that you can dedicate to any essential home maintenance tasks. This way, you arne’t left scrambling to put the money together at the last minute should an issue arise, reducing your stress and frustration quite considerably during this time. If you aren’t sure how much to save, studies suggest that you should expect to spend 1% of your home’s value on maintenance each year.
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