Routine maintenance will prevent major repairs at a later stage. Basically implementing beautiful wall colors, hanging exquisite draperies, collecting chic furniture and appliances, and haute flooring’s may make your home attractive.
Just like regular oil changes for your car keep your engine healthy and running well, keeping up with regular home maintenance tasks will keep you from spending a large amount at one go in future. Home maintenance plays a crucial role in overcoming hassles which otherwise would have an adverse impact on the home.
You should budget to spend about 2% of the property’s value on maintenance each year. This may sound like a lot, but it’s cheaper to make running repairs and keep your property in good condition than letting it fall into disrepair and then having to bring it back up to scratch.
Regular checks
Every structure, whether old or new, needs to be checked out for problems. In most cases, the solutions may be quite simple. Pre ventive maintenance is the key to protecting your investment and making your home a healthy place to live in. Inspect and fix your house periodically. Procrastinating only deteriorates the property, eventually compounding the cost of repairs.So plan a regular maintenance schedule either seasonal or semi-annually.Homes maintained in good condition have good resale value too. Do not allow minor repairs to evolve into major renovation projects.
Maintain a calendar
In order to maximise your efficiency, maintain a home calendar jot down small and regular tasks need to be done monthly, quarterly and biannually . Check walls for dampness, swellings, and cracks.Deteriorating brick and mortar calls for attention. Painting is an integral part of upkeep of the house. After that you can simply fill the cracks with primer putty and repaint the walls and watch them stay that way. If redecorating the entire home is not possible, consider doing up only one room a year.
Usually after the monsoon, damp patches appear on the walls, due to seepage. Wait till the dry months before patching up damp spots, filling cracks and repainting walls. Ensure that you paint your indoor walls and your building every five years.
Care for upholstery
While we spend time and money on home decor, maintenance is also essential especially take care of the upholstery . Dusting upholstered furniture and vacuuming them at least twice a week will keep them spick and span.This will also prevent wear and tear of upholstery.
It is advisable to change the sides of the cushion every week so that the uniformity is maintained. While cleaning the cushion covers or sofa backs, do not scrub the fabric rigorously as they are delicate and there are chances that it might wear off.
Deep clean
Give your house a deep clean at least once in three months. Not letting dirt build up over the years will help keep your home in good shape for a long time. After a period of time due to regular usage, it is normal that the washers in the taps may get worn out, leading to leaky taps. You can solve this problem by replac ing the washers by yourself.
Kitchen care
If cracks develop in the kitchen sink or joints of glazed tiles, leading to seepage, immediately fill the same with any other cementing material. Do not use strong acids to clean bathrooms and toilets, as this will cause leakage and damage to the floor.
The kitchen sink disposal should be cleaned regularly the best way is through vinegar ice cubes. Put some vinegar in an ice tray and let it freeze, then run the ice cubes through the disposal. This freshens it up and the ice sharpens the blades.
The ceramic tilevitrifiedgranite flooring should be cleaned periodically with diluted liquid detergent. Do not use acids.
Care for doors
After a period of time, you may find that the doors in your house do not shut properly and the latches no longer seem to work perfectly. You can wait until the season changes and watch things fall back into place, or if required, you can call a carpenter, who will rectify the problem. As a precautionary measure, door hinges should be oiled regularly, at least once in three months.
Termites are a big threat to most homes. By the time one gets to know about the termites, extensive damage might have already occurred to the building. Hence, it is advisable to have anti-termite treatment (pest control) done to your furniture every year.
Here are the following tips on how to keep your home in good condition:
If you have an air conditioner, use it only when necessary, and close the windows when it is on.
Otherwise, you are just paying to cool the outdoors.
Always turn on the fan in the bathroom when you are taking a bath or shower, and turn on the stove exhaust fan in the kitchen whenever you are cooking. This will help remove unwanted moisture and keep smells to a minimum.
Never hang wet laundry to dry inside your home, unless you open a window nearby. If you find the air inside your home is dry in the winter, you can use a humidifier or put out an open bowl of water. In the summer, if you live in a basement apartment, you may need to use a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air.
Don’t use a fireplace unless you know how to operate it. If you aren’t sure how the fireplace works, ask your landlord or superintendent to show you how to use it.
Don’t give copies of your keys to anyone who doesn’t live with you. If you give keys to a friend to look after your place when you are away, make sure to get them back after you come home.
Always use a shower curtain, unless your shower has a glass enclosure. Shower curtains hang inside the bathtub, to stop water from getting on the floor.
Make sure your apartment has at least one smoke detector, and be sure to replace the batteries before they run out. Most smoke detectors will make a beeping sound to let you know when the batteries need to be changed.
Never leave open food or garbage sitting out, because this can attract insects, mice and other pests. Also, get rid of any clutter you don’t really need, and clean your home well on a regular basis.
If you have a space heater, ask your landlord or superintendent to show you how to use it. Space heaters use a lot of electricity, so they can be expensive to operate. Space heaters can also be dangerous, especially if you have small children.
With systematic clutter control, you may not have to worry about your house when guests appear in short notice. Clutter busting is the foremost virtue in good housekeeping. Apply the above tips for a clean and cozy home year-around.