Staying on top of home maintenance can be a real challenge for homeowners all around Portland. It can feel like there is always something that needs to be improved or maintained. Here at ClogBusters LLC, we completely understand this problem and hope to help you stay on top of your home maintenance with these five simple steps you can take in 2017.
1. Make a list of maintenance actions to be done around the house
Instead of having home maintenance issues pop up throughout the year, make a list of actions that need to be done and put them on a schedule that you – and your wallet – can handle. Here are several common home maintenance steps homeowners should take throughout the year:
- Clean your drains, chimney, ducts, and gutters.
- Take a look at warranty dates on your roofing, water heater, and kitchen appliances.
- Test/replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Test/repair sump pump.
- Flush toilets/run water in rarely used areas.
- Inspect your water meter for plumbing leaks.
- Clear dead plants/shrubs from your landscaping.
- Get your septic tank serviced.
- Give your home a once-over every 6 months or so to make sure all still looks good. You may want to add getting new siding, repainting, replacing windows, roof repairs, and more to the list.
You may have larger “honey do” projects that require immediate repair. Be sure that these are first on your list. Often, when home maintenance is left undone, the problem becomes worse and more costly to fix later on.
2. Put all of your maintenance needs on a schedule
With calendars that move with us from phone to phone, it’s easy to set up home maintenance reminders well in advance. For example, if your water heater is going to turn ten years old in 2019, you can set a calendar reminder now to keep an eye on it in two years. Additionally, if you have specific maintenance tasks that you’d like to get done by specific dates, simply put them on the calendar now. Modern technology makes it much easier for everyone to “set and forget” tasks that may otherwise sit in the back of your mind, nagging you until they are done.
3. Budget ahead
Since you already know what maintenance tasks need to be done this year, start setting aside money for it now. Not only does having a home maintenance fund make sense for usual, annual tasks, it can help you tackle an unforeseen issue that may have broken the bank in previous years.
4. Do your research
Go through your list of tasks and think about the handymen, roofers, plumbers, electricians and more that you may need to hire to get the list done. Once you know the type of people needed, you can go about finding the right professional. Here are two points to consider when searching for a home maintenance professional:
- Check their Construction Contractor’s Board (CCB) number. You can search for them on the CCB website and check to see if they have had any major complaints brought against them.
- Look for reviews from multiple sources. You can find reviews online at Yelp!, Angie’s List, Google, Facebook, and more. It’s also an excellent idea to ask friends and family for their recommendations.
Once you have found a professional you trust, add them to your list of tasks or calendar item for reference when you are ready to perform your home maintenance.
5. Don’t beat yourself up.
Every home has a million and one things that, if done, could make it better. This goes for new and historic homes. So, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get to everything on your list or if something throws your plans out of whack.
Do you need a great resource for drain cleaning or sewer services in Portland or a surrounding city? You’ve found it with ClogBusters LLC! Contact us today for a free estimate or to schedule your service.