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Houses are akin to living, breathing objects that need to be regularly maintained. Everything from typical wear-and-tear to weather to natural disasters can cause roofs to leak, basements to flood, and dollars to drain from your bank account.
Even if you're handy or have a relative who is a contractor, house maintenance and upkeep can be costly. How costly depends on whether you maintain your home along the way or wait until a small problem becomes a big problem.
You should know your home inside and out. Start by learning the major systems. Set up a maintenance schedule based on warranties and the life of the systems or appliances. For example, a toilet mechanism lasts about 5 to 10 years, a refrigerator 10 to 18 years, a central air condenser 10 to 15 years.
Maintenance entails regular effort, but it will prove easier than having to deal with emergencies. Plus, knowing what to do and what it entails will help you plan a more accurate budget. Here are a half a dozen things to do regularly to keep your home in tip-top shape:
- Change your air filters at the beginning of every season.
- Clean your furnace at the end of the season or during the summer.
- Clean your gutters after the last leaves have fallen. If you have tall trees on your property, consider cleaning gutters again in the spring, if these trees flower. Leaves and debris can pile up, clog the drainpipe, and cause leaks.
- Ovens should be cleaned very regularly for maximum efficiency and to prevent a grease fire.
- Cracks or stains on the ceiling may indicate a leak.
- Droppings near the refrigerator or in the basement could indicate mice or rats.
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Even if you don't consider yourself handy, you can learn the basics by taking some preventive steps to keep maintenance problems and costs to a minimum:
 Keep warranties and system and appliance pamphlets together in one file. Record your key trades people such as an electrician or plumber. You don't want to search through the Yellow Pages late at night.
Learn the basics. Know the location of your main shut-off valves and switches; location of the fuse box or circuit breaker box; how to turn off the water either inside or outside; and how to unclog a drain or toilet. Invest in some home how-to books, or take a course at a community college.
Supply a toolbox with essentials such as a flashlight with extra batteries, hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, plungers, putty knife, caulk, an assortment of screws and nails, and a tape measure.
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