Your Year-Round Home Maintenance Checklist and Schedule

If you’re like many Americans, your home is your biggest investment. It’s not only where you live but is also an important asset. In order to keep that investment working for you, you’ve got to put in some work. General home repair and maintenance are important parts of keeping your home in its best possible shape.

Generally, you should set aside 1–3% of your home’s value for maintenance each year, depending on the age of your home — so if you own an older $300,000 home, your costs could be up to $9,000. While that may seem like a lot, keep in mind that more than half of costly home repairs could likely have been avoided through regular maintenance. A home maintenance checklist can go a long way toward preventing future problems.

But home maintenance can sometimes fall to the side. So to make sure you’re staying on top of those important tasks, set aside some time to create a home maintenance schedule, then add dates to your calendar so you don’t forget. The yearly home maintenance checklist below should help you as you plan how best to protect your investment.

Spring

The sun’s coming out and you’re anxious to fling open the windows and doors and get back to outdoor living. That’s a great reminder to use this season to focus on the exterior of your home — your lawn, gutters, siding or brick, trees and so on — while also making sure winter didn’t take its toll on your home’s key systems. 

Here’s what you can do in the spring to maintain your home long term:

• “Spring clean” the yard. Rake up any leaves, clean out your landscaped beds and trim errant limbs and shrubs. Now is also the time to reseed the lawn, as needed, and think about what you might want to do in your garden — or if this is the year you start one!
• Clear out the gutters. Gutters tend to collect debris over the winter, and the accumulation can lead to problems for your home. So before the spring rains begin, you want to ensure that everything’s working well in order to avoid drainage issues.
• Carefully check over the exterior of your home. Do you spot any chipped paint or damaged siding? Are any screens loose or damaged? Spring is the time to schedule any needed repairs, whether you do it yourself or bring in an expert. It’s also a good idea to give the house a good wash, and clean the windows, the siding and doors.
• Inspect and clean your patio and deck. Look for cracks, loose nails or broken boards. Clean thoroughly, and then consider treating it with borate to prevent wood rot. You might even need to re-stain and re-seal the wood. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
• Check your foundation for cracks and your roof for damage. Winter’s extreme temperatures are hard on us and on our homes — make sure that everything is in good condition, and if repairs are needed, don’t wait.
• Make sure your HVAC is in good shape. You don’t want to wait until that first heat wave to realize that something’s off. Schedule a checkup now.

Summer

In the summer heat, you can enjoy the fruits of your spring-maintenance labor — but there’s still work to be done! You’ll likely want to stay out of the sun, so use this time to get some maintenance done indoors.

• Check plumbing for leaks. Look around toilets, faucets, dishwasher, washer and refrigerator, and make sure everything’s sealed up tightly.
• Repair weather-stripping around windows and doors. You don’t want hot air seeping in when the air conditioning is running because it will raise your electric bill. 
• Vacuum washer hose, dryer vent and refrigerator coils. A little bit of upkeep goes a long way in protecting your most expensive appliances.
• Replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Or consider upgrading to new “smart” alarms that will alert your smartphone in case of emergency. This small task can save a life.
• Clean and seal tile grout. This will increase the longevity of your tile.
• Inspect your sprinkler system. Look for and correct any clogs or leaks, and make sure nothing is blocking the sprinkler heads.
• Manage insects. Seal holes where rodents or roaches might get in and consider an annual contract with a pest control service.

Fall

As the weather begins to cool, it’s time to turn your sights back to your yard and exterior to make sure that everything’s ready for winter — and to make sure that your HVAC system is primed for peak season.

• Inspect your chimney. Your chimney should be inspected and cleaned once a year — do it now to ensure your fireplace is ready to use when the colder weather arrives and that you’ve protected yourself from unexpected debris and airflow issues.
• Check the driveway for cracks. To prevent cracks from becoming a bigger problem, you may want to seal them before the cold weather sets in.
• Winterize your sprinkler system and exterior faucets. Flush outdoor faucets, store your hoses and shut off the water supply to your sprinklers. That way, everything will work next year.
• Clear gutters — again. You want to be sure that all leaves and debris are clear before the freezing weather arrives and makes it impossible to clean efficiently. 
• Make sure your heating system will work efficiently. Make an appointment to have your furnace and ducts serviced and be sure that there’s nothing blocking the air vents. These tips will help you keep your home cozy all season.

Winter

The cold weather has arrived, and so has the extreme weather. All that cold, wind and precipitation can take a toll on your home and yard if you haven’t protected it properly. Here are some steps to make sure that you’re ready.

• Keep an eye out for ice dams and icicles. Icicles are lovely! But they can cause damage to your gutters, exterior and foundation both from their weight and their melt. They can also pose danger to humans and pets who might be standing underneath them when they fall. So, don’t let them go unchecked.
• Protect your pipes. Water expands as it freezes, which can create a huge mess for your pipes. Insulate pipes where possible and leave cabinets open and water dripping on super cold nights.
• Inspect your basement. After a thaw is a great time to check for leaks.

Protection When You Need It

Properly maintaining your home is one of the best ways to keep it protected. But accidents can happen. Make sure your home is protected with the right homeowners insurance. Contact your Farm Bureau agent to make sure you have the coverage you need.