There’s so much that goes into owning, caring for, and preserving a home. I know I don’t have to tell you. When it comes to maintenance, the list is seemingly endless and there’s literally not enough hours in the day or funds in the bank to accomplish it all. But, I recently caught up on a bunch of maintenance to-dos and feeling satisfied with projects marked off the list (for now), I celebrated in my mind for a moment. Then, I started thinking of all those other things — forgotten, put on the back burner, de-prioritized, and l was brought back to reality. The truth is, I don’t get it all done as often as I should. I actually don’t get much done as often as I “should” — and by “should”, I mean what is universally recommended by professionals. Some things, I’ve never done, haha. When you’re doing all the things, repairing all the things, cleaning all the things, replacing all the things, I don’t know how there would be any time or money left to live and appreciate all the things. So, we do what we can. We prioritize. And sometimes, like I did recently, you get on a roll and realize you’re so behind on things, you choose a chunk of them and knock them out at once 😉 Today, in reflecting on what we’ve done recently — along with items still on that neverending to-do list — I’m sharing a list of regular home maintenance checklist items that require attention from time to time.
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This list isn’t meant to overwhelm you or make anyone feel guilty. Like I mentioned — and I want to be emphatically clear on this — while I can recite many of these items and acknowledge most of their importance, they aren’t getting done according to their “recommended” timeframe in our house, either 😉 As a matter of fact, if you’re on a mission to simplify your home and aspects of your life, this list can almost come across as counterproductive and distressing because no matter how many systems and routines you implement, there’s always things that don’t seem to get done/tended to like you may like. That’s just life.
But, there may be things that have truly slipped your mind. Or maybe you didn’t know. Or hadn’t considered for a while. And getting ahead of some of these maintenance items may not only help prevent future (possibly expensive) problems, but may ignite a series of productivity around the house.
Where Do I Start When Tackling Home Maintenance Checklist Items?
Whatever gets you started, do that. The answer is vague because I don’t think there is a “right” answer. There’s different approaches and only you can find out what motivates you and makes you feel best. A lot of people prefer to do the biggest/hardest thing first so the things that follow seem easier. I typically start with the easiest and quickest items first though since I get motivated by the more things that have been accomplished and successfully completed. Both of these schools of thought are described in approaches to personal finance, too, and I share the same method of productivity as I do with money.
Another way to determine what gets done when is to determine any efforts that have significant expense to them, and trying to spread them out across an annual timeline. Again, do what makes sense to you, your home, your schedule, your finances, and your priorities.
While spring is best known for “cleaning” and the first of the year is marked for new beginnings, I think fall is an amazing time to work through home maintenance checklist items because the kids are back in school and we’re resuming normal schedules, and it’s a great time to get the business taken care of. Before the holidays kick in 😉
What Are Some of the Home Maintenance Projects I’ve Recently Marked Off My List
Not all these are regular, but sometimes, the items that end up encroaching on our list of upkeep to-dos are one-offs. They still have to be handled. Here are recent completions that felt amazing to mark off my ongoing list…
- Kitchen drawers readjusted — Since we finished the kitchen (see the reveal HERE), we had several issues with seamless cabinet functionality. We finally got the cabinet guys back over (after almost a year) and the drawers properly tweaked.
- Windows washed — Inside and outside, along with the jambs. Honestly, we’ve never done a thorough job because it seemed like a big task with tall windows (and a lot of ’em). This made such a big difference, I didn’t even realize how dirty our windows were until they were clean.
- Dead tree removal — We had a tree die in the front yard last year and we’d hoped it was just hibernating early for winter. When summer rolled back around, it was apparent that it hadn’t been sleeping and was, in fact, dead. We had a tree company remove the tree, grind the stump, and re-plant a 12′ maple.
- Gutters cleaned — It’s been on my list for a long time and fortunately, our gutters are fairy high above most surrounding trees so we don’t get a lot of leaves and debris on the roof, but I don’t know if we’ve ever had our gutters cleaned? It took them no time at all to get us all set.
- Home exterior painted — In late spring, partially motivated by our new pool (see that HERE), we pulled the trigger and had our entire house painted. It made a huge impact and we are thrilled with the result. See the before and after HERE.
- Deck re-stained — I despise staining our deck and would love to have Trex decking. But, we don’t. And we have to have the wood re-stained every couple of years. It looks so much better when it’s freshly done and I’m glad we were able to tack it onto our full exterior paint project.
- Bathtub acrylic repaired — when I was ambitiously (in my mind) cleaning heavy urns on the upstairs porch this spring, I accidentally gouged a hole in our new bathtub! I was devastated and thought we’d have to replace the whole thing. Dave was able to find someone through someone who was able to repair the acrylic and you can’t even see where the accident happened! SO relieved to have this done!
Home Maintenance Checklist
All of our lists will look different, but below, I’m sharing a list of fairly universal maintenance tasks. Also — there’s somewhat of a blurry line when distinguishing the difference between cleaning and physical maintenance… and a lot of time, the maintenance is the cleaning. I’ll try to not get too weeded down by specific personal cleaning chores as that is a list that could truly go on and on 😉
- Wash windows (inside & jambs)– 2x/year
- Wash windows (outside & screens) — 1x/year
- Clean gutters — 1-2x/year depending on the type of foliage you have around you
- Re-stain deck — every 2-3 years depending on how much the color is fading
- Re-paint home exterior — every 10 years, give or take a few years, depending on material
- Re-paint home interior — every 5-7 years, give or take a few years, depending on family and living habits
- Pest control — termite service 1x/year; regular bugs & pests 4x/year
- Power wash driveway — 1x/year (more if an outdoor project has created excess dirt)
- Soft wash house — 1x/year
- Clean and inspect chimney — 1x/year
- Change smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detecter batteries — every six months. A good time to change is when the time changes. But, we have 10-year built in smoke alarms, which eliminates the need to change batteries every six months. (We are a Nest fam with our cameras, doorbell, and thermostat all being Nest. We eventually want to upgrade to THESE smoke & carbon monoxide detectors).
- Aerate & over-seed lawn — 1x/year
- Pre-Emergent, Fertilize, Weed Control & General Lawn Application Care — 8x/year (this is by the schedule of the company we use — check with your own local provider to see what they recommend)
- Prune, hedge, refresh ground cover, seasonal planting — 2x/year (We typically refresh our groundcover (mulch / pinestraw twice each year and make sure everything is looking neat and tidy outdoors.)
- Change ice maker filter on refrigerator — 1x every six months (We switched to THESE fridge water and air filters and have been SO pleased. We used to order way more expensive filters from the manufacturer but THESE are SO much cheaper and the lifespan of the filters is just as good!)
- Change air filter on refrigerator — 1x every six months (We use the air filters that come with the water filters HERE)
- Change furnace filters — 1x every three months. May require a more frequent change out at the beginning of the heating or cooling seasons and when you have an inside renovation project that creates extra dust.
- Winterize/insulate outdoor water faucets — annually each (early) winter (We use THIS style and they work great!)
- Clean carpeting — We typically do this annually, sometimes the higher trafficked areas 2x/year. The stairs are the worst!
- HVAC systems inspected/cleaned/serviced — 1x/year
- Condition/stain front door — 1x/year (if it receives a lot of sun)
The following go beyond typical chore cleaning but aren’t as involved as most typical home maintenance checklist items. They’re more like home cleaning maintenance tasks, but I thought they’d also be helpful to include…
- Clean inside refrigerator — As needed. I like to check on trash days and also do a “deeper” clean prior to going out of town for several days.
- Clean oven — As needed
- Defrost chest freezer — Needs to be done if ice build up is 1/4″ thick
- Check pantry for expired items and discard — I like to do this every six months
- Check spice cabinet for expired items and discard — I typically do this annually
- Clean sink drains — I do as needed and like to grind leftover citrus peels in the kitchen sink garbage disposal. THIS flexisnake Weasel drain cleaner recently came in handy to remove a hair/soap scum clog in the bathroom sink.
- Clean bath tub/shower drains — THIS flexisnake Weasel drain cleaner recently came in handy to remove a hair/soap scum clog in the tub/shower drains.
- Clean shower heads — It depends on the hardness of the water in your area.
- Clean dishwasher filter — Depending on how often you run your dishwasher, the frequency to clean can be from once a month to annually.
- Clean washing machine filter — It’s recommended that you do this at least four times a year.
- Deep clean dryer lint trap — I clean my dryer lint trap after each dryer load. Since our dryer vent outlet is on the roof, we’ve only had the deep clean done once and it did not yield a lot of lint.
- Polish bathroom fixtures — As needed. This may not apply to everyone but with a polished nickel finish which is less forgiving than chrome, the shiny nickel tarnishes. It requires a little time and elbow grease but THESE metal polishing cloths are awesome and have done the trick!
- Wash sofa covers — I recently discovered I could wash my Pottery Barn Crypton sofa covers and they came out beautifully!
- Remove wall scuffs — as needed with Magic Erasers and/or leftover paint
- Replace weather stripping on doors — As needed
- Clean coffee maker — 1x/month or every 2 months. For our Keurig, I use THESE charcoal filter pods. I also use THIS descaling solution which works great and is a fraction of the price as the manufacturer’s solution.
10″ Lazy Susan | Reversible Beverage Mat | Handle Bin | Lidded Egg Crate | Salad Spinner | Stackable Wine Holder | Narrow Bins
Vanity | Sconce (polished nickel | Silver Bamboo Picture Frame | Tub | Tub Filler | Fluted Side Table | Frames Over Tub | Bottom Oak Tree Art Print Sketch | Top Tree Art Print Sketch | Shower Door Handle (polished nickel) | Shower Head | Shower Arm | Hand Shower | Hand Shower Holder | Lever | Hand Shower Hose | Bath Mat | Floor Tile (12 x 24″) | Shower Wall Tile (2.5 x 8″)| Niche and Shower Floor Tile | Outside Shower Curb Tile (12″x24″ – cut) | Hand Towel | Bath Towel | Mirror (31 x 48″ brushed brass finish) | Faucet (polished nickel) | Marble Tray | Soap Dispenser | Soap Dispenser Labels
Owning a house is a lot. A lot to keep up with, a lot of responsibility, a lot to maintain, and a lot of $$$. But, the more routine you get and the more comfortable you get with your schedule and knowing your own house, the easier it becomes. We’re all just doing the best we can 😉 What about you? Did I forget any? If there’s anything on your regular home maintenance checklist that I left off, be sure to leave that in the comments below!
Thank you for bringing up the importance of chimney inspection. Additionally, it’s important to inspect your ductwork for any leaks, damage, or blockages, and ensure that the insulation is in good condition. The ductwork in your HVAC system plays a crucial role in distributing heated or cooled air throughout your home.
Thank you for taking the time to visit! I agree that fall is the perfect time to take care of all of the home maintenance projects, large and small.
Kelley, I also joined you in being more minimal in some areas. Thank you for sharing your home and ideas. Merry Christmas.
Hi Karen, Yay for you and doesn’t it feel great! I found that it was much easier for me this year to decorate for Christmas and definitely stuck to my guns. I know it will also make things so much easier when it is time to turn the page and put things away. I hope it’s the same for you and wish you a very Merry Christmas!