Home Maintenance Tips and Seasonal Checklist for Homeowners

Congratulations on your new home! Whether it’s the first home you’ve owned or one of a series of homes, a new home is always exciting. Now is the perfect time to make a maintenance plan. Your first step: accept that nothing in your home was made to last forever. Every single component has a useful life. As the coming months and years go by, your home will experience wear and deterioration, and some things may even stop working. It’s all part of homeownership. Following these seasonal tips will help you stay on top of home maintenance and hopefully avoid unexpected, expensive surprises.

Prologue: The Home Inspection

Before jumping to the tips, it’s worth taking a moment to consider your home inspection. Hopefully you included a whole house inspection as part of the closing process. The inspector reviewed all the major systems in your home and provided you with a report on their condition. Their report is your map. As you consider your plan for ongoing home maintenance, start with the inspection report. You’ll find issues listed there that require immediate attention, as well as others that require attention in the years to come. For example, the inspection report may state that the water heater has an expected remaining life of approximately two years; start saving now to replace that water heater and plan to be proactive to avoid flooding or other emergencies.

With the initial inspection report as your guide, it’s now time to incorporate the following seasonal tips into your home maintenance plan.

Spring

Your house takes a beating during the winter. Cold temperatures, winter storms, ice, and snow all take a heavy toll on your home. Now’s a good time to do the following:

• Check your roof for damage. Look for missing or loose shingles as well as deteriorating fascia or trim. Schedule a professional roof inspection if you suspect damage.
• Clean your gutters.
• Repair cracked outdoor concrete on driveways and walkways.
• Maintain fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. We like doing this when daylight savings time begins, so we always remember this important safety task.
• Spruce up and repair decks and patios and get them ready for summer.

Summer

Warm, dry weather is an ideal time to take care of these essential tasks:

• Check your exterior siding and paint. Make repairs as needed.
• Recaulk windows and doors.
• Schedule a plumbing inspection if it’s been more than five years since your last one.

Fall

It’s time to prepare for winter.

• Schedule an HVAC service.
• Winterize pipes to prevent freezing.
• Test your generator.
• Hire a chimney sweep to clean and inspect flues.
• Clean your gutters again.

Winter

Cold weather brings your attention indoors.

• Schedule a residential electrical inspection in Philadelphia, PA. If it’s been more than five years since your last inspection, have a professional come and assess your electrical system to make sure it’s operating safely.
• Replace brittle or damaged electrical cords.
• Inspect your appliances. Test connections, look for leaks, and schedule maintenance as needed.

Ongoing Inspections

Don’t forget your most important home maintenance tool: the home inspection. Accurate home inspections in Philadelphia, PA, done regularly, will help you stay on top of everything your home needs. Contact Eagle Inspections to schedule a whole home inspection today.