Maintaining your home - the basics you should know and do
Whether you do it when you prepare to sell or as you live in the home, maintenance is going to have to be done on the home. It’s a fact of life that can’t be avoided. Why not work on things as you live in it, so you aren’t shelling out the big bucks when getting ready to sell?
One of the certainties in homeownership is the need to maintain your home. It is inevitable that things will need to be repaired or replaced. Between regular maintenance and life’s little emergencies, it is smart to be proactive about taking care of your home and prepared for when a curveball is thrown your way. Here are the top 5 home maintenance skills that all homeowners should learn.
1- Shutting Off Water & Electricity
The first thing you should when moving into your home is to find out where your water, power, and gas shut offs are. Knowing these functions can prevent extensive damage and or danger in emergency situations such as a fire or earthquake. They also need to be shut off in other situations surrounding basic repairs like installing a new light fixture or replace a faucet.
2- Repairing and Painting Walls
Understanding how to perform basic drywall repair such as puttying holes, sanding, and repainting an area will keep your walls looking sharp as you move wall decor around. Additionally, painting is a very simple and inexpensive way to keep your home fresh and updated.
3- Caulking
Caulking is needed in showers, around window frames, where countertops meet the backsplash or wall, and along the perimeter sinks. The process of caulking can be tricky. If you use too little it won’t look finished, but if you use too much it will look a mess. The good news is that caulk itself is very cheap and can be easily removed from a surface to practice and try again. Gaining this skill will save you a lot of money instead of paying someone to do a very simple project.
4- Systems Maintenance
Maintaining your systems will save you a lot of money. These include replacing HVAC filters, cleaning lint out of the dryer vent, replacing the batteries for carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, and cleaning out gutters. All of these skills are simple to master and will keep bigger problems from arising if they are completed routinely.
5- Unclogging Drains
Clogged drains are one of the most common homeowner inconveniences. Many clogs can be fixed with some time and relatively inexpensive supplies. Many small blockages can be fixed with a chemical drain cleaner, and if that won’t do the trick, you can opt for using a drain snake. Learning this skill could save hundreds of dollars!
Where to Learn Home Maintenance Skills
At any moment you can find thousands of resources and guidance on how to complete projects or fix problems online. Look for videos on Youtube for specific problems you may be having or check out the channel HouseSmartsTV for more general guidance and advice. Another great source of information is Houzz, a social media platform that connects DIYers with Professionals.
Where to Get the Tools You Need
One of the most expensive parts of home maintenance is buying the tools needed to complete projects. You can build your toolbox over time, but if there is an expensive tool that you won’t need to use again look into renting some tools. Large home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Lowes have tool rental programs for large tools. There are also websites like FriendWithA, that can allow you to rent smaller tools in your area.