Interested in Your Own Personally Branded Magazine? Click Here!

Want to customize this content for your business?

Learn More

Categories

  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining

  • Printables
  • Videos


General

  • About the Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers


Editorial

  • Editorial Calendar
  • Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Pitch an Idea

American Lifestyle Magazine Logo
  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining
  • Search
  • Follow
  • 0 Heart
  • |
  • Food & Recipes Categories
    • All Recipes (746)
    • Appetizers (134)
    • Breakfast (59)
    • Cooking Tips (41)
    • Desserts (213)
    • Dinner (227)
    • Drinks (59)
    • Gluten Free (9)
    • Healthy (63)
    • Quick & Easy (56)
    • Vegan (29)
    • Vegetarian (46)
All Recipes | Apr 26, 2022

Simple Spring Alfresco Dining

  • Holiday & Entertaining Categories
    • Christmas (77)
    • Easter (14)
    • Entertaining (40)
    • Father’s Day (6)
    • Halloween (29)
    • Hanukkah (14)
    • July 4th (33)
    • Mother’s Day (8)
    • New Year’s (19)
    • St. Patrick's Day (11)
    • Thanksgiving (33)
    • Valentine’s Day (5)
artistic-easter-eggs
Crafts & DIY Projects | Apr 11, 2022

Earthy Easter Eggs

  • Decor Categories
    • Crafts & DIY Projects (272)
    • Curb Appeal (5)
    • Decorate (62)
    • Interior Design (77)
Decor | May 19, 2022

Maximizing Home Style with Designer Bari J.

Urban Design Associates
Interior Design | Apr 22, 2022

Architects Of the Wild West

artistic-easter-eggs
Crafts & DIY Projects | Apr 11, 2022

Earthy Easter Eggs

  • Real Estate Categories
    • Buying & Selling (195)
    • Home Trends (20)
    • Staging (20)
    • Your First House (31)
landlord-tips
Buying & Selling | Feb 9, 2022

Beginner’s Guide to Being a Landlord

Buying & Selling | Jan 26, 2022

8 Things Not Included in a Home Inspection

virtual-home-tour
Buying & Selling | Jan 19, 2022

The Pros and Cons of a Virtual Home Tour

  • Life & Culture Categories
    • Editorial (272)
    • Family & Pets (193)
    • Finances (22)
    • Health (154)
    • Travel (231)
Canine Stars
Editorial | May 2, 2022

Pup Performances With A Purpose

Hilton Head
Travel | Apr 25, 2022

Lowcountry Life

Anita Yan Wong
Editorial | Apr 20, 2022

Brushstrokes and Progress

  • Home Categories
    • Cleaning (41)
    • Organizing (45)
    • Home Improvement (121)
    • Outdoors & Gardening (83)
Home | May 10, 2022

Prepare Your Patio with the Perfect Accessories

Home | May 4, 2022

How to Stop Bugs from Ruining Your Summer

Outdoors & Gardening | Apr 11, 2022

Never Mow Your Lawn Again

Follow us on social media today!

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

The Dangers of Deferred Maintenance

Home Improvement | By Christy Murdock Edgar | 0 Likes
SHARE
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More

We all have those little nagging items on our “honey-do” lists that we find ourselves putting off to another day. Maybe it’s a squeaky door, a loose floorboard, or some peeling paint around a window or door frame. You’ll get to it someday, right? Well, it may be time to take a tour of your property and identify your deferred maintenance items, then get serious about checking off the items on that list. That’s because a little deferred maintenance can add up to a major repair bill if it goes on too long.

man with tool belt

How does deferred maintenance impact your home’s value?

Left too long, deferred maintenance can affect your home’s value in a variety of ways, including the following:

Increased damage: A little bit of peeling paint turns into wood rot and a hefty repair bill. A little leak under the sink seeps into the subflooring and turns into a major floor replacement. When you put off the little things too long, they turn into big things that cost far more in both money and time than the original repair.

Increased operating costs: When you don’t clean the dust from under and around the refrigerator, it has to work harder to cool your groceries. When you don’t change your HVAC filter, it has to work harder to heat and cool the house. Failing to take care of your appliances on a regular basis means that they are less efficient. That costs you more in energy, repairs, and earlier replacement costs.

Lower resale value: At the same time that you are letting the little things pile up, your neighbor is taking care of his or her property, making repairs, updates, and upgrades on a regular basis, and increasing their overall property value. Deferred maintenance can mean that when it’s time to sell, your home will command a lower net sale price. First, this is because it will compare unfavorably to your neighbor’s home. Second, it’s because of all of the repairs your buyer’s home inspector will identify.

Create a home maintenance checklist

One of the best ways to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks is by creating a home maintenance checklist. You may want to organize your maintenance tasks by the month or by the season. You may want to do one or two things each week or block out one weekend each quarter to take care of everything.

However you choose to organize your maintenance, you’ll be more likely to complete it if you make it convenient for yourself. Pre-order filters so that you’ll have them on hand. Put together a basic toolkit so that you don’t have to run out to the store every time you need to make a minor repair.

Not very handy? Consider booking a reliable handyman to come in on a regular basis or to show you how to do some basic tasks. In addition, the internet is full of tutorials for every possible home repair and improvement.

What follows are some ideas for basic maintenance that you might want to complete on a weekly, monthly, seasonal, and yearly basis. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is enough to get you started.

leaky faucet

Weekly

Each week you’ll want to give your home a basic cleaning and a visual once-over. Dust, clean floors, and tidy up the bathrooms and kitchen each week. Pull weeds and stay ahead of needed lawn care as well.

During this basic weekly check-in, make note of anything that seems potentially problematic. Is there some leaking around the kitchen faucet? Go ahead and get that repaired. Is the caulk dried out and cracking around the bathroom sink, shower, or tub? That’s a quick repair that you can do yourself. Did you notice a dead branch on a tree outside? It may be time to get someone out to look at it while the problem is still isolated.

Monthly

Check your furnace filter and see if it needs to be replaced. If you have pets or if there are several people in your home, your filter may get dirty faster. At a minimum, it should be replaced every two or three months.

Check smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to ensure that they are functioning properly. Deep clean your garbage disposal, dishwasher, and washing machine. Get out the hose and rinse off outdoor spaces. This is also the time to check for outdoor damage, peeling paint, or necessary landscaping like hedge trimming or overgrowth.

paintbrush with white paint on white wall

Seasonally

Each quarter, replace batteries in smoke detectors and ensure they are functioning properly. Deep clean your home, clean the refrigerator coils, and clean the dryer lint outtake. Go into your attic and basement and check for water leaks or wind damage.

Each season comes with its own focus, so do the following:

  • Spring: Clean gutters to prepare for those April showers. Pressure-wash hardscapes. Check window screens and frames as well as door frames, and repaint trim as needed. Walk the property on a rainy day looking for standing water or other drainage issues and repair or remediate. Have your AC serviced before you need it.
  • Summer: Now that spring showers have ended, make repairs to decks and hardscapes as needed. Clean windows and check siding for needed repairs. Look for insect nests and have a pest inspection and treatment as needed. Clean out the garage and reorganize storage areas.
  • Fall: Have the chimney cleaned and heating system inspected. Check hardscapes for cracks or damage. Flush outdoor faucets and irrigation systems, and turn off water in order to avoid cracked pipes and lines. Check insulation and replace as needed. Test the sump pump and repair as needed. Buy shovels, snow melt, and heated mats before you need them.
  • Winter: Check for ice on surfaces and clear as needed. Check the attic and basement, especially during times of heavy snow. Go through the home, checking door locks, window locks, flooring, stairs, and other surfaces to determine if there are needed repairs. Check light fixtures, faucets, and appliances and determine if replacements or updates are needed.

Home maintenance doesn’t need to be a burden, and deferred maintenance never needs to become a problem. With a little organization and preparation, you can ensure that your home is always in tip-top condition.

6973 Views

This article is tagged in:

FinanceFinancial AdviceHome AdviceHome BuyingHome ImprovementHome LoanMaintenanceReal EstateReal Estate AgentRefinancingRepair

Related Posts

Home | Apr 4, 2022

How to Shield Your Home from April Showers

landlord-tips
Real Estate | Feb 9, 2022

Beginner’s Guide to Being a Landlord

Real Estate | Jan 26, 2022

8 Things Not Included in a Home Inspection

virtual-home-tour
Real Estate | Jan 19, 2022

The Pros and Cons of a Virtual Home Tour

location-location-location
Real Estate | Jan 9, 2022

Plant Your Roots: Picking Your Home Location

Popular Posts

can-planters-card
Staying Home | Mar 25, 2020

Make Your Own Can Planters

Plan Your Home Projects | Jul 8, 2021

Tips for Redesigning Your Patio Space

12-Direct | Feb 17, 2020

Trash vs. Recycle: Do You Know When to Trash it?

Real Estate | Dec 14, 2017

House Selling Checklist

home office with white furniture
Life & Culture | Mar 30, 2020

Everyone Is Working From Home—Here’s How to Do It Effectively

You may also like:

can-planters-card
Crafts & DIY Projects | Mar 25, 2020

Make Your Own Can Planters

Outdoors & Gardening | Jul 8, 2021

Tips for Redesigning Your Patio Space

Health | Feb 17, 2020

Trash vs. Recycle: Do You Know When to Trash it?

Buying & Selling | Dec 14, 2017

House Selling Checklist

home office with white furniture
Health | Mar 30, 2020

Everyone Is Working From Home—Here’s How to Do It Effectively

spring-cleaning-countdown
Cleaning | Mar 23, 2021

Spring Cleaning Countdown

decorating-basics
Interior Design | Jun 9, 2020

These Tips Are Your North Star For Home Decorating

Share on Social Media

Our mission is to deliver entertainment that inspires and motivates our readers, encouraging them to follow their passions as they explore new horizons.

© 2022 American Lifestyle Magazine

General
  • About the Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers
Editorial
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Pitch an Idea
Categories
  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining
Follow Us
Facebook Pinterest Instagram Youtube

Customize this content for your business!

Learn More

,