As a homeowner, keeping up with regular maintenance can be challenging. Home repairs, updates, and inspections take time and cost money. Some of the least exciting tasks are ones that homeowners forget to do when checking their homes. Here is a list of sometimes forgotten home maintenance jobs you don’t want to forget and should add to your to-do list.

Home Exterior Maintenance Tasks

Spring and fall are great times to take an extra lap or two around your home. As you walk around the outside of your home, look carefully and consider these home exterior tasks.

• Clear Out Your Gutters: Regularly clear debris from gutters to prevent water overflow that can cause damage to your roof or siding.
• Inspect the Roof: Check the roof from the ground, looking for damaged shingles, bubbles, leaks, or signs of wear and tear.
• Seal All Windows and Doors: Fill any gaps around your windows and doors to improve the energy efficiency of your house.
• Check Your Landscaping Drainage: Ensure proper drainage in the yard to prevent water accumulation around the foundation.
• Trim Back Trees and Shrubs: You want to keep branches away from the house to prevent damage during storms or pests from easily accessing your home.
• Check Outdoor Faucets: Inspect outdoor faucets for leaks or damage, especially after winter. Remove hoses at the end of summer to avoid water partially freezing and bursting your pipes.

Home Interior Maintenance Tasks

Once you’ve checked the exterior of your home, you’ll want to do a similar walk-through of the interior. Here are some areas where you should look for potential issues that need to be addressed.

• Clean Your Chimney: If you have a chimney, get it inspected and cleaned annually to prevent creosote buildup and reduce the risk of fires.
• Inspect the Attic and Crawlspaces: Check the attic for signs of leaks, pests, or inadequate insulation.
• Practice Proactive Pest Control: Prevent infestations with regular visits from pest inspections and treatments around your home.
• Examine Your Grout and Caulk: Look for gaps and cracks in your grout and caulk in areas with a lot of water, like your bathrooms and kitchen areas.
• Inspect the Insulation: Check the insulation in the attic and walls; add more if necessary to improve energy efficiency.

Home Systems Maintenance Tasks

You should regularly check any machines, alarms, and systems within your home. These home systems are ones that homeowners should maintain to improve home safety.

• Test Alarms and Detectors: Test your smoke detectors, monoxide alarms, sump pump alarms, and home security systems regularly to ensure they are functional. The National Fire Protection Association recommends changing the batteries of your smoke alarms twice a year in the spring and fall.
• Clean Out Dryer Vents: Lint buildup is dry and can cause fire hazards in your dryer vents.
• Flush Water Heater: Remove sediment buildup by flushing your water heater to avoid clogs and help maintain its efficiency.
• Maintain Large Appliances: Clean coils, check seals, and hoses for your refrigerator, washing machine, and dishwasher. Service your large appliances regularly to keep them working correctly.
• Clean Exhaust Fans: Clean kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to ensure proper ventilation.