Experts estimate that, on average, homeowners spend 1-4% of their home’s value on maintenance annually. Home maintenance is a trendy and crucial thing to observe to keep your home in good shape. A home kept in good condition is unlikely to develop problems that eat into your savings or make the home unsafe. A study in 2019 shows that the average American spends about $4,958 on home maintenance yearly. Although there may be minor maintenance concerns addressed during the year as they arise, some should be done annually. Here are four such activities that you must include in your annual home maintenance checklist:
- Checking drainage
Household drainage problems are widespread, especially where roofing is concerned. As the roof begins to leak, water seeps into the house through crevices in the wall, and water damage can potentially occur as a result of such a situation. The annual costs of payments to insurance companies due to water damage and mold is around $2.5 billion! Household drainage issues become such a big problem because people often neglect the little signs until they grow into something more challenging to handle. Research reveals that water leaks from U.S. homes can surpass one trillion gallons annually.
It would be best to avoid this problem by checking your roofs and pipes for leakage at least once a year. You should not ignore exterior maintenance also. Maintain your drainage by cleaning your gutters to remove debris and allow water to flow freely to avoid future drainage issues.
- Do an electrical safety check
A U.S. Fire Administration study revealed that electrical fires were responsible for 6.3% of all residential fires. The study also highlighted the leading causes of these residential electrical fires as electrical failure, malfunction, and defective insulation. You should therefore find time at least once a year to check for frayed wiring and loose plugs around the house and ensure circuit breakers and electrical appliances are in good condition to prevent any disaster.
- Clean your water heater
Call your plumber at least once a year to check on your boiler. It is vital to empty your tank and fill it with fresh water to figure out how well your water heater is doing. Flushing your tank will clean out sediments, improve heating speed, and reduce energy costs. Although this sounds like a daunting task, doing it once a year can make this maintenance stress-free. Insist on having your radiators and thermostats checked as well to ensure that everything is in order.
- Pest control
A shocking 600,000 homes are damaged by termites alone annually. An even more shocking $5 billion goes into repairing termite damage every year! A pest infestation can be a very worrying thing to encounter for homeowners because pests pose a wide range of problems, ranging from potentially giving you diseases to destroying your home. In light of this, it would be best if you consulted a professional pest control team at least once a year to rid you of roaches, rodents, bedbugs, termites, ants, and any other pesky pests that could pose a danger to you.
Home maintenance is very important in keeping your house in top shape, and hopefully with these tips you can pay more attention to the little ways by which you can keep your home looking its best.
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