Homes are critical for wealth-building. But, of course, they also require a lot of maintenance. Even when you’ve paid for your property in full, you still have to spend quite a bit on it to keep it up to the proper standard.
Unfortunately, many homeowners never really think about what they need to do to their properties to keep them in good condition. Instead, they adopt a haphazard approach, doing bits here and there when needed, but not having an overall strategy.
That’s where this guide can help. It provides a detailed layout for how to organize your home’s maintenance using a calendar. With one of these, you can see exactly what you need to do and when.
Here’s what to do:
- List Tasks By Frequency
Most home maintenance tasks are recurring, meaning you have to do them again and again. However, the frequency can vary. For example, some tasks require monthly maintenance, while others are okay annually or biannually.
Here’s an example of what this looks like:
- Monthly
- Smoke detectors
- HVAC filters
- Shower drain unclogging
- Every three months
- Plumbing leak check
- Attic insulation check
- Garage door check
- Seasonally
- Gutters during the fall
- Driveways and roof during the winter
- Every year
- Oven cleaning
- Chimney inspections
- Septic tank cleaning
Obviously, your list will be more comprehensive than this, but this is just to give you a sample of what it might look like for you. Make sure you go through each of the tasks one by one. Ask yourself how frequently you need to perform them, based on manufacturing instructions.
- Identify Your Home’s Specific Requirements
Next, you’ll want to think about your home’s specific needs. For example, you might consider the age of your home’s systems and whether that might impact the rate at which you should perform maintenance.
For example, let’s say that you have an old HVAC system. Consequently, you might need to get an air conditioning service every six months instead of the industry standard (which is usually once per year). Likewise, if you have an old pool in your backyard, that might need extra love and care compared to, say, a brand new one where everything still works perfectly (including the filtration systems).
Wood-burning fireplaces can be particularly difficult. These require regular chimney cleaning to remove creosote and other debris to reduce fire risk and prevent smoke from backing up into your living spaces.
- Choose Your Format
When creating your maintenance calendar, be sure to pick a format that works for you. You want something that appeals to your sensibilities and how you like to work.
For example, you could choose Google Calendar or Outlook if you want something that you can just look at on a screen. Alternatively, you could literally print out a checklist and put it up on the walls in your kitchen. Many outlets provide free templates you can use for these, so all you really need is a printer (and to spend some time editing them).
Finally, you could use a binder or a planner. Adding dividers and notes can be helpful, especially if you want something you can physically carry around with you (say in the garden, or the shed).
- Schedule Your Tasks
Another pro tip is to schedule your tasks by the season. When it comes to maintaining a property, it is easier to do things at some time of the year than it is at others.
For example, you might repair winter damage in the spring and test your air conditioning so that you’re not having to deal with these issues when it’s hot outside. Likewise, the summer is a great time to check all the hardscaping in the garden, while the fall is for cleaning out gutters and servicing anything you rely on in the winter to keep you warm.
- Give People Responsibilities
Looking after a household by yourself takes a lot of work, energy, and effort. As such, it’s a good idea to share the load and give people responsibilities.
How you do this is up to you, but most parents give teens simple tasks to perform and then reserve the more complicated ones for themselves.
You can also outsource quite a lot of work if you know who to go to. Professional services often wind up cheaper overall in terms of your time because they don’t ask as much from you.
- Track What You Do
Finally, you want to ensure that you track what you do so you know you’ve done it. Keeping these records can help you enormously when looking back over your work and prioritizing your next job.
