Audrey
Whether you’re planning on moving home in the future or want to stay put for the long term, keeping a regular routine of house maintenance is good practice. It will help your house feel more like a home and less of a burden, so invest in it where you can.
Keeping on top of your house issues will not only make life easier for you but it will also increase the value of your home, something which is always good even if you don’t plan on moving, so here are some maintenance tips and what to focus on.
Prioritize A Maintenance Fund
Of course, you’ll need money, so try to keep savings aside for maintaining and improving your home. Understandably, this is easier said than done, and may take some time. But even a small amount per month is better than nothing. Doing this is especially a good idea in the case of emergency repairs.
Finding Help
Unless you’re going the DIY route, you’ll need help from professionals. It should be easy to find a trusted expert local to you by searching heating, plumbing or electrical repairs near me. From there you can check reviews, availability and get an idea of costs so you know how much you’ll need to save.
Professionals can perform repairs or entire upgrades; it all depends on what you think is best and how much you are willing to spend. In some situations, upgrades can end up being cheaper than repairs if it means saving energy and needing less maintenance in the future. You can also get assessments of your home in order to suggest what to work on first.
Improve Energy Saving Ability
Once you have some funds for making improvements, one of the first things you should focus on is upgrading anything that uses energy or affects bills. This means anything that consumes gas, heating, water or electricity.
This could range from big projects such as getting a new boiler, to smaller things such as smart devices that can turn off lights and other electrics using a timer. You could also buy newer more efficient kitchen appliances or upgrade to taps and other similar fixtures that use less water/energy.
Get Repair Work Done
As well as improving what you already have, you should make sure to repair things as soon as you can as well. Going without repair work may mean you are using more resources than usual to overcompensate.
For example, if one radiator isn’t working properly, you’ll no doubt crank up the heating for the rest of the house to make up for it. This is obviously counterproductive when trying to save energy and cut down on bills, so ignoring a repair could actually be costing you more.
You should also make it a priority goal to fix repairs as early as possible if it is an issue that can get progressively worse, such as a leak.
Left untreated, leaks can cause a lot of additional problems such as property damage. Water damage can be a serious threat to your home, causing floorboards to rot, ceilings to bow and leading to mould growth. You may end up needing to get new carpets, repaint walls, hire a plasterer or other complications. So get it fixed as quickly as possible.
Other repair work you definitely shouldn’t ignore would be anything that causes a health and safety concern, such as problems with gas or electrics.
Areas To Focus On
Alongside anything that improves your quality of life, helps to cut costs and keeps you safe from danger, there are specific rooms to focus on. These are the rooms that sell homes, handy to know if you do plan on moving.
Bathrooms and kitchens are your best bet to focus on. Whilst other rooms can be decorated easily, these require more expertise due to plumbing and other appliances needing attention.
Start Your Maintenance Plan Today
It’s definitely worth spending money and maximizing sales potential if you are moving. And if you’re staying put but you’re unhappy with your home, don’t give in to defeat. With a strong plan and careful saving, things could be turned around. Speak to a maintenance expert today to see what’s possible.
