Saving Money At Home: 6 DIY Maintenance & Prevention Projects
If you’re a handy homeowner who wants to save a little money, there are plenty of DIY maintenance and prevention projects you can do around the house. Here are six projects you can tackle yourself!
Saving money is a top priority for many families. One way to do this is by doing home repairs and maintenance projects yourself. You don’t always have to hire a professional to do everything for you. If you’re a handy homeowner who wants to save a little money, there are plenty of DIY maintenance and prevention projects you can do around the house.
Here are six projects you can tackle yourself!
1. Check For Leaks In Your Plumbing Fixtures
Leaks in your plumbing fixtures can waste a lot of water and increase your water bill. Inspect all of your faucets, toilets, showers, and pipes regularly for leaks. If you do find leaks, repair them as soon as possible. You don’t want to find yourself dealing with a plumbing emergency. You may be able to fix small leaks with some basic plumbers’ putty or epoxy as well as common plumbing problems such as:
- A dripping faucet: This is usually caused by a worn washer. You can replace the washer yourself with just a few tools.
- A leaking toilet: Toilet leaks can be fixed by replacing the wax ring seal around the base of the toilet.
- Leaking pipes: You may be able to fix small leaks in your pipes with some pipe-repair tape. However, if the leak is larger, you’ll need to call a professional.
- Clogged drains: Clogged drains can usually be fixed with a plunger or a plumber’s snake.
- Clogged sinks: Clogged sinks can often be fixed by removing the trap and clearing the blockage.
If you can’t fix the leak yourself, or if you’re not sure how to fix it, call a professional.
2. Regularly Clean Your Gutters And Downspouts
Your gutters and downspouts are designed to protect your home from potential water damage. They channel rainwater and other dirt away from your home’s roof and foundation. They can’t do their job properly if they become clogged with leaves, twigs, and other debris. This can lead to water damage to your roof, walls, and foundation.
To prevent this, you should clean your gutters and downspouts at least twice a year. You can do this yourself with a ladder and some gloves and save the cost of hiring a professional. However, if you’re uncomfortable doing this yourself, hire professional gutter cleaning services.
3. Do Regular Whole-House Cleaning
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A clean home is a happy home. Regular cleaning can help prevent the growth of mold and mildew in different areas of your house. It can also extend the life of your appliances, furniture, and floors. You don’t necessarily have to do a deep clean every week. But you should do a whole-house cleaning at least once a month. This will ensure that dust, dirt, and grime don’t build up and cause problems.
Get a good quality household cleaner that works for all surfaces, including hardwood floors, tile, and carpet. You should also have a good vacuum cleaner that can reach all the nooks and crannies in your home. Here are some regular cleaning tasks you should do around the house:
- Vacuum and clean all carpets and upholstery
- Dust all surfaces, including ceiling fans and light fixtures
- Wash all windows, inside and out
- Clean all bathrooms, including toilets, sinks, showers, and tubs
- Wash all bedding and towels
- Mop all hard floors
4. Inspect Your Home’s Exterior, Roof, And Foundation
It’s important to regularly inspect your home’s exterior, take care of your roof, and check your foundation for any damage. This is definitely true if you live in an area that experiences extreme weather conditions. Here’s what you look for:
- For your foundation: cracks, settling, or water damage
- For your roof: loose shingles, missing shingles, or leaks
- For your exterior: cracks in the brickwork or siding, peeling paint, or rotting wood
Some simple work like repainting or caulking can often fix these problems. You can also replace damaged shingles or siding yourself. However, if the damage is more severe, you will probably have to call a professional.
5. Create And Maintain A Preventative Home Maintenance Schedule
One of the best ways to save money on home repairs is to prevent problems before they start. The best way to do this is to create a preventative home maintenance schedule using available tools like Rocketbook planner, which you can use to schedule and track all your home maintenance tasks in one place.
Your home maintenance schedule should also include seasonal tasks that ensure every system in your home is running smoothly. Here are the most important:
- Inspecting and replacing damaged or missing shingles to extend the life of your roof.
- Checking for drafts around doors and windows and applying caulking and weatherstripping to help stop heat from escaping in winter and cool air from escaping in summer, saving you money on your energy bills.
- Testing your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors monthly and replacing batteries as needed to ensure that they’re working properly in case of an emergency.
- Flushing your water heater regularly to remove sediment build-up to improve the efficiency of your water heater and extend its lifespan.
- Cleaning your dryer vent hose annually to help prevent fires and improve the efficiency of your dryer.
- Regularly vacuuming coils on your refrigerator and AC unit to prolong its life and save you money on your energy bills.
- Regularly changing AC filters to ensure that your AC unit is running efficiently.
6. Check For Pest Infestations And Use DIY Pest Control Solutions
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Pests can cause a lot of damage to your home. They can also spread diseases and contaminate food in your kitchen. That’s why it’s important to regularly check for pest infestations and use DIY pest control solutions to keep them under control. You can also use traps or bait to catch or kill pests.
Here are some common pests you should look out for:
- Cockroaches: Look for them in dark, damp places like under the sink or in the back of cupboards
- Ants: You’ll find them near food sources, like in the kitchen or pantry.
- Mice: Mice are attracted to food sources and will often build nests in attics or basements.
- Termites: Termites can cause a lot of damage to your home if left unchecked. They’re attracted to wood, so they’ll often build their nests in trees or in the foundation of your home.
Using the right pest control solution matters, especially if you have kids and pets in your home. For instance, when eliminating cockroaches, you’ll want cockroach control products that are safe for use around children and pets. DIY pest control is easy, saves you money, and is often just as effective as hiring a professional.
Save Time & Money
Saving money on home repairs and maintenance is possible with a little effort and planning. By following these tips, you can keep your home in tip-top shape while saving yourself the time, effort, and money needed for costly repairs down the road.