Frequent Checklists
Just as regularly changing the oil in a car can keep the engine happy and healthy, maintaining your home regularly will save you future headaches and thousands of dollars. You can perform most maintenance yourself without much experience. Google is your best friend. If you run into any difficulty please contact a professional to help you.
To maximize efficiency and get all of these tasks done, you may want to create a family maintenance calendar for yourself. You can write down a few small routine tasks every weekend without getting too busy.
We have listed tasks that are performed monthly, quarterly, and semi-annually. Do things that are effective for you and your schedule. As long as all of these things are done, your home will be in good condition for years to come.
Monthly Checklist
Air conditioning and heating
- Check air filters and clean or replace them as necessary.
- Vacuum air supply and air return register to remove dust and lint.
Fire Extinguisher
- Make sure the fire extinguisher is easily accessible (not blocked by trash cans or other objects).
- Ensure the pressure gauge shows adequate pressure.
- Ensure there are no obvious signs of wear and tear.
Interior Caulking
Check for cracks or separations in caulking around sinks, bathtubs, toilets, faucets, countertops, backsplashes, ceramic tile walls, ceramic floors, window sills, and any other areas.
Range Hood Fan
Clean the range hood filter.
Quarterly Checklist
- Test smoke/carbon dioxide alarms, your detector should have a “test” button.
- Test the garage door’s automatic reverse function.
- Flush the toilet with water in unused areas. This mainly applies to guest bathrooms or other sinks/water sources that you use infrequently. The idea is to prevent dirt or other buildups. Running a little water regularly can prevent this.
- Check the water softener and add salt if necessary.
Semi-annually Checklist
- Test the pressure release valve of the water heater.
- Thoroughly clean the house.
- Clean the refrigerator coil with a vacuum cleaner.