Maintenance On Your Home Should Be As Important As Having Breakfast!

But hey!! Reality bites.
How many people these days eat breakfast. I know for one that I skip it – are you like me.
But more seriously maintenance on your home should be as important as your car. If you do not do maintenance on your car it will break leaving you stranded usually in the most inconvenient place imaginable. Just for example when my BMW decided to loose a pipe holding all the transmission oil in the middle of the Kaikoura ranges where there was no cell reception. I am sure most of us can feel this pain. Now I am sure a house wont do this to you. But the point I am trying to make here is that if you dont look after your house and the upkeep. One thing that recently happened to me at our house is a classic example. Very very strong Canterbury nor west winds + a rotten window sill = window falling out = grumpy Deon.
All this could have been avoided if I just opened my eyes and actually took note of the house. This is something we all fall short on, we take our house for granted. Possibly because it doesn’t move and we think that it wont degrade. But the fact it the weather and moisture and just us using the home will cause it to slowly deteriorate. So from now on take note of your home. In the long run it will pay off. It is of course a very expensive asset.
What I have below is a list of some of the more cosmetic things that you should be doing at this time of year. Remember winter is coming. These things are not just for the WOF of your home but also to make sure it looks good for the season ahead.
Things you should have done in March.
1. Inspect the weather-stripping around your exterior doors and windows; replace as needed. – this is what i needed to do!
2. Inspect the caulking around exterior windows and doors to keep out drafts; repair as needed.
3. Inspect exterior roof vents and clean and/or repair as needed.
4. Inspect roofing and chimney caps for damage; repair and/or replace as needed.
5. Get your chimney and your fireplace professionally cleaned to avoid chimney fires and blockages. If your in Canterbury you probably don’t have a fine place any more… how sad!
6. Make sure your heating is working well and efficiently.
7. Inspect the entire outside of your house for cracks, holes, and other openings in the siding. Depending on the exterior material of your home, a Painter, Plasterer or Carpenter may be able to help with repairs you may need.
8. Check to see if your insulation is up to scratch.
9. Inspect the roof space and the under side of your house for signs of pests such as birds or rats and seal cracks and holes if there are any.
10. Pressure wash the outside of your house and garage. Use your own water-blaster, or ask a House-Washing company for a quote to pressure wash your house on an annual basis so that you will have one less thing to worry about.
11. Check that your smoke alarms batteries are fully charged; recharge or replace if needed – this is the classic daylight savings thing to do.
12. Sink/Tub Stoppers and Drain Holes: Clean out debris.
13. Garbage Disposal: Flush with hot water and baking soda.
Before the cold winter hits us this is what you should be doing in April and May
1. Clean leaves, branches, and other debris from roofs because of the Autum Fall.
2. Clean out gutters and downspouts and inspect for leaks and damage; repair as needed.
3. Remove window and door screens and clean. Inspect the screens for tears and holes and repair as needed.
4. Clean out de-humidifiers that you use in the winter and replace the filters – or look at buying an HRV.
5. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and drain your hot water cylinder.
6. Trim tree branches around your house that are touching or are near your roof. This can be dangerous!7
7. Range Hood: Clean grease filter.
8. Tub Drain Assembly: Clean out debris; inspect rubber seal and replace if needed.
9. Floor and Outdoor Drain Grates: Clean out debris.
10. Nuckle down for the Winter and Enjoy the ski season.
This is a fairly generic list of things you should do. But at least its a minimum. You need to look after your home. There are plenty more thing you could and should be doing but please use your common sense with what you want to do to your own home. Remember you have to be comfortable inside it.