The essential guide to home maintenance

Owning a home can be a great source of pride and joy. For most people, owning their own home can be described as accomplishing a goal or even living a dream. With that said, the upkeep of a home is important, as it is one of the measures that complement a comprehensive home insurance policy. How so? While home insurance protects you financially in case of an unforeseen event like a fire or a break-in, home maintenance takes care of the general wear and tear around your home and can save you money later, should you need to claim.

The upkeep and general maintenance of your home complements your home insurance package by potentially minimising excess costs for repairs in the future.

With that said, here is the essential guide to home maintenance, starting with the most important home maintenance tasks that you are most likely neglecting to do:

Make cleaning your gutters an annual thing and hire a professional if you must. The maintenance of your gutters will save you costly repairs and damages.

Regularly unclogging your drain and removing hair and food will keep your drainage system running smoothly. Treating your drainage system as and when the need arises will save you from the unwanted stress of flooding due to blocked drains, resulting in costly excess fees for damages and repairs. Make sure to check for hidden leakages and repair those immediately as well.

Spring clean your home as the new season dawns. Pack out and get rid of clutter. Clean out cupboards and wipe down hard-to-reach places that don’t generally get much attention during your routine tidy-up sessions.

Be sure to check electrical wires and cables for signs of wear and tear and replace them accordingly. Not only will this help prevent nasty accidents, but it will go a long way in preventing an electrical short circuit in your home.

Make sure that your alarm system is in full working condition at all times. Check that all the cameras installed on your property work and make sure that the motion sensors are fully functional – as this may affect you when it is time to claim.

Now that we’ve covered the slightly overlooked general home maintenance chores, here is a list of every-day maintenance that makes up another part of the essential guide to home maintenance:

• Dust the countertops and sweep and mop floors regularly.
• Wash dishes daily.
• Clean tap faucets, showerheads, and toilets daily.
• Wipe down surface areas that are frequently used to avoid grime build-up.
• Clean the stove and oven after every use.
• Wash laundry twice a week to save on water and to avoid laundry pile-ups.

While maintaining a home may seem like a tiresome task, putting a routine in place for various home maintenance tasks will make the job easier and more enjoyable to do without the added rush of having to get everything else done on the same day.

• Repair cracks in the driveway as and when they appear.
• Mow your lawn regularly.
• Repair your roof in the event of missing or damaged roof tiles and shingles.
• Check the garage door and gate motor for general repairs.
• Oil manual garage door hinges as and when needed to avoid rust build-up.

This homeowner’s maintenance guide will help you keep your home in the best possible condition, inside and outside your home. Maintaining your home regularly has its perks.

1. Regular upkeep and maintenance of the home enhances the quality of life for those living there.
2. Maintaining your home automatically adds to the current market value of your home.
3. Regular home maintenance saves you money in excess and overall general repairs.
4. Regular maintenance helps to extend the lifespan of appliances in the home.
5. Regular home maintenance increases the safety of your home by ensuring that security systems are in good working order.

These are only a few of the perks associated with regular home maintenance but provides a clear understanding of why the upkeep of your home is not only important, but good for your family.

• Prepare a monthly safety and home maintenance checklist and follow it.
• Group tasks together according to priority.
• Commit to scheduling times for home maintenance tasks and follow through with them.
• Involve the family by delegating certain home maintenance tasks to each family member.
• Draw up an inventory of everything – from household appliances to door hinges that may need to be replaced and commit to replacing or repairing one item per month.

Owning your home comes with as much responsibility as it does joy. Comprehensive home insurance coupled with regular home maintenance is one of the ways you can live your way without worrying too much about the financial burden in the event of an unforeseen circumstance.

And on that note, proud homeowners, to be both financially and emotionally secure, why not compare online home insurance quotes from Miway. We go out of our way, so that you can live life your way!