Tips For Approaching Home Upkeep Like A Pro

Whether you’re a new homeowner or are looking for a project to improve the value of your forever home, home upkeep is an essential feature of homeownership. Keep a tidy, maintained home and tackle reasonable home improvement projects to take charge and add value to your investment. Grab the best construction tools for your next project and find out how to approach it like a pro.

Invest in Preventative Maintenance

Maintenance is far more affordable than emergency repairs. When it comes to home upkeep, it pays to follow the recommended maintenance schedules provided by manufacturers and industry professionals. It can be daunting to keep track of all the areas you need to maintain, so keep a schedule so you don’t lose track of any area of maintenance.

Here are a few items that should be included in every preventative maintenance inspection list. While not exhaustive, this list is a good starting point for maintaining your home and preventing major damage:

• Check air filters in your HVAC system.
• Inspect your water and septic lines for signs of water damage.
• Look for siding or shingle damage around your home.
• Check your windows and doors for air leaks.

These issues can be affecting your utility bills and slowly damaging your home. Leaking water can encourage mold growth that damages your drywall, insulation and framing. Air leaks increase the cost of your heating and air conditioning bills.

If you’ve never had an inspection of your home, consider investing in this service. A local inspector can go through your home and highlight any areas that may need routine maintenance or emergency repairs. This service can give you an in-depth, personalized plan for keeping your home safe and well maintained.

Create a Cleaning Schedule

Cleaning is a major component of home upkeep. As part of preventative maintenance, cleaning allows you to inspect areas of your home and also protects them from debris buildup, mold and other issues. Cleaning can help you avoid replacing siding, gutters, flooring and drywall. These materials are damaged by accumulated dirt, debris and moisture.

Set an entire home cleaning schedule, but don’t feel like you have to tackle everything at once. Some cleaning routines, such as yard work and gutter cleaning, happen infrequently while others, like vacuuming floors and wiping down kitchen surfaces, should happen much more frequently.

Plan Ahead for Home Improvements

Spring is a great time to start a home improvement project, which means it’s a bad time to start planning for one. Hit the ground running in your project by starting your planning in the fall or winter. Planning early helps you prepare for a productive spring and allows you to handle a project with less stress.

If you’re planning a major addition, contractors are often booked or charging extra costs for last-minute scheduling in the spring. Planning ahead could ensure your new deck, kitchen remodel or landscaping project is finished by your deadline and on budget.

DIY home improvement projects require even more planning. Be sure you have a detailed game plan and all the construction tools and supplies you need to tackle the project on your own. Whether you’re installing laminate flooring, painting your bedroom or refreshing your flower beds, it’s important to schedule enough time to finish your project in time to enjoy the summer sun.

Start Small

A DIY home improvement or maintenance project can be a big commitment. Before you plan to build your own garden shed or completely remodel your kitchen, start small to avoid damaging your home or injuring yourself. Choose a tiled bathroom floor to regrout, a dishwasher to replace or an accent wall to paint to try your hand at upkeep projects.

Be sure to carefully measure and plan your project before starting. Don’t get in over your head in terms of cost or time commitment. A great way to prevent this is with professional measuring tools that allow you to accurately estimate the amount of materials you need. Whether it’s floorboards, paint, caulk or framing lumber, ordering the right amount saves you an additional trip to the store and overspending on a project.

Know Your Limits

When in doubt, hire a professional to assist you in home upkeep projects. Once you’ve identified a maintenance, repair or upgrade your home needs, there’s no shame in working with a professional. Electrical, plumbing, roofing and structural issues are best tackled by licensed and insured contractors. Save your DIY time and energy for cleaning, inspection and minor repairs.

Add Value to Your Home

Don’t just focus on preventative maintenance, but find out how you can improve your home’s value with easy upkeep projects. A fresh paint job, touched-up grout or manicured lawn can add value to your home and improve your chance of selling or getting a second mortgage.

Look for areas where your paint is outdated, faded or scuffed. High-traffic areas, like hallways, kids’ bedrooms and living rooms are great places to start. Consider painting an end table or kitchen cabinets to update a room and cover any stains.

Grout around tiles and caulking around windows, doors and countertops are all areas that can break down over time. Inspect these areas annually to see if you need to create a new seal. Replace damaged areas to prevent water damage or air leaks throughout your home.

Finally, your lawn is a great place to add value. Start with your front lawn to improve your curb appeal. Minor maintenance can include weeding and adding flower pots near your front door, while major options for adding value include seeding your lawn, installing a deck or adding a patio and outdoor kitchen area. Measure your lawn to dream up possible designs for your outdoor living space.

Use Professional Tools for Professional Results

From simple maintenance to major renovations, choose reliable construction tools for reliable performance. Work like a pro and save money by shopping for tools and safety equipment at Engineer Supply. Enjoy affordable options on all the measuring, cutting, installation and safety tools and equipment you need to take on routine home upkeep or a brand-new home improvement project.