You already know all the things you should be doing to keep your home with good specs, like inspecting fire alarms, cleaning kitchen fans and running water in unused spaces to avoid bacteria build up. However, it’s not always easy to keep track of (or want to do) all of these things as regularly as they should be done.
Here are some tips to keep you motivated and on track with your maintenance tasks at home. This will keep the value of your home as strong as it can be, as well as keeping you and your family healthy and happy by living in a lovely environment.
● MAKE AN E-LIST
Lists are clearly the way to go to make sure we remember all of the things we have to do. But when they are written down, they get tidied up, put away and forgotten about. Make an online list so it’s readily available and searchable at all times.
There are plenty of apps that are good for this, I like the ubiquitous Google Keep because I can keep all of my thoughts and lists in one place and colour-coordinated! If you have an iPhone, the Notes app will probably be good enough, so don’t pay for an app if you haven’t tried out a preinstalled one first!
● SYNC YOUR LIST TO A CALENDAR
Once you’ve got your list ready, organise your tasks in your phone’s calendar app (or download a dedicated app for this, some have fun functions). You can make one event for each task and have it repeat as regularly as necessary (weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly).
Set reminders for yourself so that you don’t miss it. Make sure this calendar is available on different devices, and share it with family members so you can remind each other it’s time to wash your plastic windows with soap and water (wooden windows might need stripping, staining and re-painting), clean your gutters out or power wash the driveway!
● MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO GET IT DONE
Sometimes, the hardest part is actually doing it. Try to motivate yourself by saying “when we’ve done these jobs, we’ll do [insert activity you love to do]”. Of course, this is best done in moderation but it can help, especially in the winter when you just feel like curling up in front of a fire instead of getting things done.
Another way to motivate yourself is to think of why this should be done – whether for a more comfortable home, keeping the value you invested in your property or keeping it in good condition for your family and guests. Write the reasons down and have them close at hand to refer to when you don’t feel like cleaning the gutters, for instance.
● HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
This is a last resort if you’ve really tried lots of different ways to get yourself to do your homes’ maintenance tasks. Contact a professional handyman or home maintenance expert to come regularly and do the tasks you really don’t like doing.
This way, you can assure your home stays safe and secure. It’s an extra expense, of course, but maintaining your home well will pay dividends in the long run. Plus, you’ll avoid big expenses in case something breaks unexpectedly that you could have caught before it completely broke – this is especially true for central heating components.
One last tip – windows can sometimes be some of the trickiest bits of our house to maintain well, because these days they are pretty complicated structures. We recommend, if you’re unsure about whether or not you need new windows or not, to compare quotes from double glazed window providers. This will save you hassle and money in the long term.
Are you about to do some house maintenance? How do you normally keep yourself on track? Were these tips useful? Do you have any more tips that we can add to this list?
*Disclosure: This is a collaborative post
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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Try to get outside maintenance jobs done in the spring before it gets to warm, when you would rather be sun bathing.. Jobs like painting fence panels , garden swings, doors, windows etc. Trimming hedges re-shaping lawns round the edges.
I find decorating in the home better done in January, February when not so much going on, keeps you nice and busy.
Nice! Thank you Carol for adding your tips too! I’m sure others will find it useful too! 🙂 xx