Caring for your home and everything in it will help you preserve and increase its value. However, it can be overwhelming to tackle all your home maintenance projects in a short period of time. It’s much easier to maintain your home when you perform some upkeep each month. In a year’s time, you can tackle all the most crucial aspects of maintaining your house and everything in it. Use this guide to refer to all year long as you tackle your home’s most pressing home maintenance projects.
January
Carpets, Couches, and Chairs
After the holidays, your carpeting and furniture upholstery can become seriously soiled. While you can hire professional cleaners to visit your home and clean these features, you can also tackle them yourself relatively inexpensively.
To clean your carpeting, you can rent a rug-cleaning machine from a home improvement center, or you can clean the carpet by hand using a solution of baking soda, water, carpet shampoo, and towels.
Bathrooms
Your bathrooms get heavy use on an ordinary basis, in particular during the holidays when you have visitors, and they are in operation 24/7. January is the perfect month to give them a good clean and make sure everything is working properly, bathroom maintenance is something that is regularly neglected by homeowners.
Your shower heads are commonly overseen. However, they too need a deep clean every now and then. It will help remove any debris and stain and make them look new, there are great online guides on how to clean a showerhead properly.
Toilets are certainly a crucial aspect of your home’s plumbing system. Take time this month to ensure that each is working properly. Be sure that the water isn’t running and that there are no leaks. Toilet kits are inexpensive, so if you need to swap out old or worn parts, this is a good time to do that.
Kitchen
Set aside time this month to deep clean and organize your kitchen. Be sure to tackle such tasks as:
- Clean refrigerator coils
- Clean the garbage disposal
- Reorganize the pantry (remove expired items)
- Clean pipes beneath the sink
- Clean the oven
- Check the kitchen smoke alarm (and update the fire extinguisher)
This is an essential home maintenance project that needs to be properly carried out every year.
Pack Away Holiday Decorations
Carefully clean and pack away your holiday decorations. Stow them in a clean, dry place in your home. Ideally, use rubber totes to safeguard your decorations from dust, moisture, and pests.
February
Medicine Cabinet
Set aside time this month to carefully clean out your medicine cabinet. Remove expired medicines and repurchase must-have over-the-counter medications like fever reducers. Be sure to restock your first-aid kit.
Check Pipes and Gutters
It’s always a good idea to check your water pipes. A leak can cause immense property damage and lead to an increase in your water bill. Also, with spring just around the corner, be sure that your gutters are free of debris and that winter storms haven’t caused any damage. Your gutters need to function reliably to handle the snow and ice thaw.
Check your yearly budget
January can be a gloomy month to check your finances and draft a budget for the year, which is better to do in February after the hectic Christmas season has passed and analyze if your home maintenance budget will suffice for the year. Check the previous year’s bills and check where you can cut expenses or what needs to be requoted.
March
Clean and Check Your Home’s Siding
Winter’s severe weather can cause substantial exterior damage to homes. At the outset of spring, be sure to check your home’s siding thoroughly, especially before the spring rains. Remove mud and dirt from the siding and check for holes and breakage. Repair your siding as soon as possible.
Roof
Your home’s roof is a significant investment. It makes fiscal sense to maintain its good condition. Each March, either inspect your roof or invite a professional to inspect it. Be sure to repair any problems that lead to leaks and water damage. Check for signs of pests, and be sure to remove them if found. Pests can also cause roof damage.
Caulk Windows and Doors
Caulk wears out over time. Check the caulk around your doors and windows. If the caulk is worn, replace it. Caulking helps keep warm air inside during winter and cool air during summer.
Clean and Repair Your Deck and Outdoor Paths
March is a great time to ensure your deck and pathways are in good repair. Check your deck for signs of water damage. Replace any broken or damaged wood. It’s also a good rule of thumb to reseal the deck’s wood. Next, be sure to repair cracks in your pathways. Cracks and chips in sidewalks can pose slip and fall risks. Yearly deck maintenance can do wonders for the aesthetics and functionality of your deck and paths.
April
Declutter Closets
During the rainy days of April, set time aside to declutter your closets and reorganize them. This is also an excellent time to pack away winter clothing and replace it with your warm-weather wardrobe.
Clean the AC Condenser, Filters, and HVAC Maintenance
Get your air conditioning system prepared for the warm weather to come. Ideally, you should invite a skilled contractor to your home to perform an HVAC system tune-up. However, you may wish to change filters yourself.
Prepare Your Yard, Garden, and Landscape
Spring is the ideal time to plant seeds in your garden or orchard. Take care to plant when there is no longer a danger of frost in your region. Before planting, of course, take time to remove all debris such as fallen branches, twigs, and the last season’s leaves.
Pest Control
Pests can be a serious problem during the warm season. Spring is the ideal time to hire a pest control company to spray for pests that may be a problem in your area. Warm weather is prime time for pests such as ants, wasps, and mosquitoes.
May
Repair Fencing
If you have fencing around your home, scrutinize it this month. If you have a wood fence, you may need to repaint and seal it. Keeping your fences in good repair is essential, especially if you have kids and pets.
Wash Windows
Set aside a weekend to wash your interior and exterior windows with the weather warming. If you have upper-story windows to wash, you may wish to hire a professional so you can avoid getting up on ladders.
Ready Your Grill and Patio
With warm weather underway, ready your patio and grill for the season ahead. Air out patio cushions before putting them in place. Remove debris from your patio and power wash its surface. Scrub your outdoor furnishings so they’re company-ready. Next, outfit your barbecue with all the supplies you’ll need to cook outdoors.
June
Garage
Choose a cool weekend in June to clean out your garage and reorganize it. This is a great time to remove unused items and pull out your summer gardening tools. As you’re reorganizing your garage, be sure to check the garage door opener and lubricate it with some motor oil if needed.
Garage door maintenance
Your garage door is typically the largest entrance into your home and gets heavy daily use. Routine cleaning and maintenance are necessary to ensure the longevity of your garage doors while maintaining proper functionality all year long. See how easy maintaining and cleaning garage doors can be.
Sprinklers / Irrigation System
If you own a sprinkler system, be sure to inspect each sprinkler head to ensure nothing is damaged. Test your system and make sure it’s functioning correctly. If not, replace broken items. You should also check that your outdoor faucets are working properly.
Exterior Painting
If your exterior home or features like shutters, railings, and window boxes need new paint, set aside some time early in the month when the weather is clear to tackle this project. You’ll want to perform this task before the weather becomes too humid.
July
Water Conservation
If rain barrels are permitted in your municipality, consider adding one to your landscape so you can use conserved water to hydrate your plants and landscape.
Inspect Your Home Security System
Test your home security system to ensure that it’s working properly. Check each of its features, including the camera, alarm, and lights. Also, check all of your home’s door and window locks to ensure none are broken. If you’re having second thoughts about the safety of your locks, consider switching to a smart lock that has top-of-the-line security software.
August
Garden and Trees
Although August tends to be one of the hottest months, consider heading outdoors to inspect your landscape and lawn. You may need to provide your lawn with extra watering if the weather has been dry. Remove spent flower heads and prune shrubs and trees as needed.
Electrical Safety Check
Give your home a comprehensive electrical system inspection. Invite a certified electrician over to perform this work. If there are any problems, be sure to have them fixed right away.
Inspect for Moisture and Mold Problems
Mold is insidious and unhealthy. Even a tiny leak can lead to a significant mold problem. Inspect your home for signs of mold. Musty smells or discolored spots on walls can signify a mold problem. If you uncover mold, remove it or have professionals remove it and find out the source of the moisture problem so you can repair it.
September
Heating System Inspection
Have your HVAC provider service your home’s heating system. In addition to a filter change and inspection, have your unit tuned up to ensure it’s ready to heat your home during the cold season ahead.
Clean and Inspect Your Fireplace
If your home has a fireplace, be sure to clean it this month and get it ready for use. Chop or purchase a supply of firewood so you’ll have plenty on hand when the weather gets cool. Don’t forget to have your chimney cleaned and inspected too.
Fire Safety
Check all of your home’s smoke alarms to ensure they work and replace their batteries. Additionally, check fire extinguishers too.
October
Clean Gutters
Fall requires more gutter cleaning as leaves fall in great heaps. Leaves and twigs can clog your gutters, so be sure to remove them so that your gutters freely drain rainwater.
Winterize Outdoor Items
October is the best time to winterize your outdoor features, like your sprinkler system. Pack up your patio or deck furniture and stow them for the winter. You should also remove or protect garden items like birdbaths to avoid damage during winter storms.
November
Exhaust Ducts
Take time to inspect and repair your home’s exhaust ducts. Your home will be closed up for the winter, so you want to do what you can to protect your indoor air quality.
Insulate Pipes
Frozen pipes can lead to burst pipes, a homeowner’s nightmare. To guard against this occurrence, insulate your exposed pipes.
Clean and Store Your Lawn Mower
Now that grass is dormant and snow is likely to fall at any time, it’s the right time to clean your lawnmower and store it for the winter.
December
Attic and Basement
Clean and declutter your attic and basement this month. Since you may be removing holiday decorations, you’ll be able to clean these spaces more efficiently.
Bathroom Checkup
Before your holiday company comes over, inspect your bathrooms to ensure they’re functioning as they should be. Inspect ventilation and pipes. Remove mineral buildup from faucet aerators and check for any moisture damage.
Dust and Prepare for the Holidays
Give your home a thorough dusting before decorating for the holidays. Sharpen your knives so they’re ready for the holiday feasts ahead. You may also want to pull out all your heavy quilts and comforters to get prepared for the cold weather and blizzards to come.
Home Insurance and Annual Maintenance
Yearly maintenance projects play a vital role in safeguarding the value of your home and ensuring its longevity. Beyond the obvious benefits of keeping your living space comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, these tasks also have a profound impact on the functionality of your property. What’s often overlooked is the strong tie between these maintenance efforts and your home insurance coverage. By proactively addressing maintenance tasks, you can potentially reduce the risk of costly damage that could trigger insurance claims.
Consider the scenario where neglected gutters and downspouts lead to water damage in your basement. If left unattended, this damage might not only disrupt your daily life but also result in the need for extensive repairs, which could potentially be covered by your home insurance policy. However, insurers may deny claims if the damage is attributed to negligence or lack of maintenance on the homeowner’s part.
As you tackle yearly maintenance projects, take the opportunity to review your home insurance policy. As the value of your home changes over time, it’s important to ensure that your coverage aligns with your property’s current value and your belongings. Reevaluating your coverage during your yearly maintenance routine can help you make necessary adjustments and avoid being underinsured.
Use this guide to help you tackle household tasks and maintenance throughout the year, you can also find great home maintenance checklists that can help you take care of your home efficiently. It can keep your home maintenance on track and help you keep your home looking and functioning at its best.
