Addressing Home Maintenance Besides Cleaning

Whether you live in your home full time, half of the year, or own a vacation rental, there are home maintenance tasks that need to be periodically done to keep things running smoothly and to keep your home beautiful and safe. Sometimes these things get overlooked. Some of the reasons might be that you’re not at the home full time or that the time just slips away. Another reason might be difficulty reaching the high stuff.  Many of us are not as agile as we used to be and just don’t want to climb on roofs and get on tall ladders. Let’s think about some of these tasks that need to be done.

The outside of your home is where you will be spending much of your time as the weather continues to warm up. Landscaping, clearing of weeds and excess plants, trimming of trees, and clearing out any junk piled up and collected during the year will improve your home’s curb appeal. It will also be safer, as we are in fire season.

Clear the gutters and downspouts of debris and leaves that have collected throughout the year. Clogged gutters can cause a back up and the water running over the facia can cause rot in the wood.

Windows! How else to enjoy the outdoors while inside than to have beautiful, sparkling-clean windows?  Make sure that the window cleaning includes cleaning out the tracks and cleaning the screens. Screens deteriorate over time and often need to be re-screened, but at least a good cleaning will make them look nice and let clean fresh air come into the home. Check all the seals and make sure that they are in good condition.

Look up high. Other interior maintenance tasks would include cleaning those high, out-of-reach fans, light fixtures and pot shelves. How about those air filters? Sometimes they are easily accessible and sometimes they are in the ceilings. Many of the homes here have very high ceilings and a regular six or even eight-foot ladder just doesn’t work. This makes these tasks difficult for many.

It’s very important to test all your emergency systems including fire and smoke alarms, as well as carbon monoxide detectors. Replace batteries and make sure all systems are clean, charged and in working order. Fire, carbon monoxide and gas detection alarms should be tested often and new batteries installed each year. They are easy to forget, but essential for your family’s safety.

Hire professionals who are bonded and insured and businesses that are locally owned. They can make sure the jobs are done correctly, safely and with the right equipment, saving you from getting up on those roofs and high ladders.

Prescott Maid to Order would like to announce our new sister company Prescott Property Maintenance to assist you in the tasks in this article. We wish you all a happy, safe and healthy summer! QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Property Maintenance LLC and Prescott Maid to Order LLC.