Home Maintenance Tips for the Retired

If you still have a home to maintain, here are a few tips to keep it in tip-top shape. It is recommended that you perform these basic checks twice a year:

  • Have your ducts cleaned yearly. Dirty air ducts can make you sick!
  • Do an annual check-up on your furnace and blower. Look for signs of corrosion. Change the air filter and if you have a belt that drives the blower, we recommend you change it once a year.
  • Once a year, drain your hot water tank and remove the build up of sediment.
  • Clean out the debris from your gutters.
  • Have an expert check for leaks in your fireplace and roof.
  • Check foundation walls and basement walls for any damp areas. Fix immediately if any area is found damp.
  • Always clean your fireplace after a winter's use. Install a protective screen on the chimney to keep out birds and other critters. Bird nests have been known to clog a chimney and start a fire.
  • Fall is the best time for planting many things. Seed your lawn and put one last fertilizer down with a winterizing mix to prepare your lawn for spring.
  • Trim any branches that hang over your house that could break in a storm and cause damage.
  • Clean the dehumidifier in the spring and humidifiers in the fall. This will help keep the proper moister in the air.
  • Clean refrigerator coils twice a year and check to make sure it is sealing properly.

If you do not have the time or energy to keep up your home, ask your friends and neighbors for the name of a reliable handy man that charges a reasonable price for these services. If you can’t do these chores yourself and can’t afford to hire help, it is probably time to sell the home before it deteriorates and find a more manageable living situation. Like it or not, frequent maintenance is one of the necessities of home ownership, especially if you are looking for the property to hold its value.

This is just a brief list of basic maintenance tasks to consider. By no means have we tried to cover every conceivable thing a homeowner should fix or repair. There are great do-it-yourself books, websites to guide you through the tasks and you can always corner the experts at your favorite hardware store or home center for help. Don’t let home maintenance get away from you. If you wait too long the cost to make repairs can multiply.

 

 

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