Your Yearly Home Maintenance Checklist: 10 Tasks to Take Better Care of Your House
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Dawna Roberts Contributing AuthorClose
Dawna Roberts Contributing AuthorDawna Roberts is a professional writer whose work has been featured on Huffington Post, Forbes Magazine, and Dwell.
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Joseph Gordon Associate EditorClose
Joseph Gordon Associate EditorJoseph Gordon is an Associate Editor with HomeLight. He has seven years of experience reporting on the commercial real estate and insurance industries. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of San Francisco.
At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. Therefore, we promote strict editorial integrity in each of our posts.
According to Jennifer Hupke, a top-selling agent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, failing to keep up with your home’s primary maintenance needs can reduce your selling price by at least $30k. Subsequently, the buyer starts thinking, “What else is wrong?”
Though everyday chores like vacuuming are easy to keep up with, it’s the big-ticket items that are often neglected…and they become a real problem.
Our maintenance guide will illustrate how making some minor investments of time and money annually will ultimately yield you a higher price when it comes to selling.
Get your furnace serviced by a professional.
Your furnace gathers a lot of dirt and debris. Have it regularly cleaned and serviced by a trusted technician to avoid costly repairs down the line,
Unfortunately, problems can occur. Dead animals may get trapped in your furnace or ductwork. These complications are best tackled sooner rather than later, and regular maintenance work can help you get in front of these headaches.
Hupke says that additionally, one of the most commonly neglected items is furnace filters.
However, it’s an easy thing to maintain, as it only takes a moment to pop one out and replace it or vacuum it clean. If you go the vacuum route, verify that the filter doesn’t rip or tear. You typically want to replace your furnace filters every 2 to 3 months, on average.
Pro tip: Hupke also suggests rubbing some essential oil on the filter to make the whole house smell nice.
Don’t forget that your furnace is a focal point of the home inspection. If you maintain yours well, it will pass with flying colors. Buyers love a house with “good bones,” which means the functional and mechanical items (like the furnace) are in good working order.
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Test your sump pump.
The home inspector will do it, and so should you. If you live in an area where floods are a regular occurrence, you must have a working sump pump. Follow the pipes in your basement to the sump pump, and test it once a year to verify that it is working.
Use this quick sump pump inspection guide from Roto-Rooter, a top plumbing service in the U.S. since 1935.
Spring for the battery backup in case of power outages. You don’t want to wake up on the morning of a showing with a flooded basement.
Clean out those gutters!
Poorly maintained gutters are the leading cause of foundation damage. If your foundation has mold or discoloration, your rain gutters may not work correctly.
Don’t forget about the downspouts when cleaning out the gutters! Without proper downspout drainage, you could have foundation problems or a wet basement.
Touch up your exterior paint.
Touch up bare spots or worn areas and scrape off any peeling paint outside. If you keep up with touch-ups every year, there is no need to shell out $1,000-$4000 to have your house painted every few years. Buyers will notice scuffed trim and peeling paint, and it’s a big turn-off.
Chipped paint can also leave your home’s siding exposed to the elements, putting it at risk for water damage. Plus, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Benefits Administration (VA) lenders require a home’s exterior paint to be in top condition.
Check your foundation for damage.
Homeowners could avoid at least 50% of all foundation problems with yearly maintenance and a quick inspection. According to Hupke, who routinely sells homes 68% faster than her peers in the area, a quick inspection now can save you $15,000-$30,000 later.
Look for mold, discoloration, or cracks and contact a professional for an estimate for repair. If you list it with foundation issues, the buyer has negotiating power. Take back control by fixing any problems before buyers notice them.
Gather your maintenance and appliance records.
No one likes paperwork, but when you upgrade an appliance or install a new water heater, keep the receipt and user’s manual.
Buyers will want to see the value you have added to the property. Once a year, ensure all your receipts and manuals are in order so you don’t have to go hunting for them when listing your property.
Clean out the garage or basement — wherever you keep your junk.
Basements and garages are usually where your junk goes to die. It lives there with the spiders until it comes time to sell; now, the spiders are in control. Don’t let them win!
Take a regular inventory and get rid of any unwanted or unused items. You can hold a garage sale to make a little cash from your castoffs or call a junk removal company, like 1-800-Got-Junk to haul it away.
Before listing your house, take a second to sweep and mop the basement, clean up any cobwebs, and dust the shelves.
Make those windows sparkle.
Cleaning windows is boring, but if you keep up with it once a year, not only will you let in more light and make your house more appealing, but it will make a good impression on buyers.
It also allows you to inspect the window sills for any water damage or stains, getting ahead of any problems before they spiral out of control.
Inspect your chimney.
If your home has a fireplace, have the chimney and brickwork inspected yearly. The National Association of Home Builders recommends hiring a CSIA-certified chimney sweep to clean out soot and debris and inspect your fireplace for imperfections.
Evaluate the roof for algae, mold, and damage.
Your roof is another oversized ticket item that you don’t want to replace to sell your home. Keep tabs on it year-round. Look for moss and remove it with a quick power washing.
You can generally rent a cheap power washer for the day, and the result can be transformative. Replace loose or broken shingles and save yourself thousands of dollars by not having to re-roof your entire property.
If you keep up with these maintenance tasks every year, you won’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get your house in sellable condition.
Header Image Source: (Alturas Homes/ Pexels)