Your family home is the most important thing you own. For most of us, it is also the most expensive thing we own. If you want your home to serve you and your family well, you need to do what you can to maintain it.

Maintenance protects the money you invested in buying your home. It can also help you ensure a safe home for your family. Following the right maintenance strategies can also save money when it comes to repairing and replacing things around the house.

Frequent Home Cleaning

Proper home cleaning is the most basic component of maintaining your home. To start, a clean home is a healthy home. Beyond that, keeping a clean house can make it easier to stay on track with home maintenance. When your home is messy, it is easy to miss small maintenance issues or let them slide for a little while longer.

Try to do all the small jobs that keep your home clean every day. Put things away after using them. Develop a weekly cleaning schedule for things you do once a week. Consider tasks like cleaning floors, dusting, and cleaning the bathrooms. You should also consider tasks for monthly and annual deep cleaning.

Get the Basic Tools

You won’t be able to do much home maintenance if you don’t have the basic tools. To start, every home should have a hammer and a set of screwdrivers. A set of wrenches and an adjustable wrench will also come in handy. You should also have pliers, a utility knife and a flashlight. Depending on how much home maintenance you plan to do yourself, you might want to get some power tools. A cordless drill can do a lot to expand your capabilities for home maintenance.

Remember Fire Safety

Homeowners need to consider more than just the basic maintenance. Keeping your home safe from fires should be a top priority. Most importantly, fire safety is vital for protecting you and your family in the event of a fire. Along with that, it can also protect the home and limit damage if a fire occurs.

The simplest but most important tip is remembering to check your smoke detectors. You should test the alarms every month. You should also check the batteries regularly and change them as needed. You should also keep a fire extinguisher in the home.

Change the Furnace Filter

You want to maintain a comfortable house for you and your family. You should also protect your HVAC system to prevent repairs. One of the simplest steps to do that is to check and change the filter on your furnace. A clogged filter can restrict airflow and make the system work harder. You should check to see if it needs changing about once a month. However, the frequency with which it needs to be changed will depend on usage.

Yard Maintenance

The work outside the house is also important for maintenance. With a little work, you can have a yard that looks nicer. Along with that, adequate yard maintenance can protect the home and property. That means homeowners should create a yard maintenance plan and stick to it.

The most basic step is cutting the grass once a week. You might even want to consider fertilizing and aerating your lawn for healthier grass. You should also trim bushes and hedges to keep them from getting overgrown. Pruning tree branches can also prevent them from falling during windy or stormy weather.

Watch Out for Pest Infestations

Pests can be a significant home maintenance concern. Some can make the home less healthy. Others can cause damage to the home. Termites can be particularly destructive. Many infestations can also get worse and harder to remove the longer they are in the home. Keep your eyes open for signs of pest infestation. If you see any signs, you may need to contact a pest control service.

Consider a Home Warranty

Most homeowners will have a hard time keeping up with all of their home maintenance. Beyond that, there is the worry of the costs that come with major repairs or replacing things like appliances. One way to mitigate these issues is by paying for a home warranty. With a small monthly fee, you can get protection for much of your home.

When asking one of the home warranty companies in Raleigh, NC, they said, “A home warranty can be a good way to simplify home maintenance. The policy can cover repair and replacement for various home appliances and systems. Some warranties also come with maintenance services to keep the covered items in good condition.”

As a final tip, remember to have a checklist for annual maintenance. There is a lot of stuff you only need to do once a year. These are things like cleaning the gutters, inspecting the roof, checking the foundation and cleaning your air conditioner. You could even set reminders on your phone for when these tasks need to be done.