Proper home maintenance goes beyond taking pride in your home. It’s about
keeping your investment, belongings, and family safe from harm. Protect your investment with this home maintenance checklist.
Monthly
- Replace your HVAC filters – (This can go quarterly if you don’t have a large house or family.)
Replacing the filter ensures your HVAC can work properly and provides cleaner air for you and
your family.
- Perform a plumbing check – Flush all of your toilets and run all your sinks and showers. Check for
any leaks, paying special attention to any faucets that are not routinely used.
Check your circuit breakers – Click each one on and off and make sure that they’re functioning
properly.
- Clean your disposal – Freeze vinegar in an ice cube tray and drop them down the drain with your
disposal on. Not only will they clean, deodorize, and disinfect your disposal, but the cubes sharpen
the blades, too!
- Test your GFCI outlets – Press the “test” button and you’ll hear a small click. Any appliances
plugged into the outlet should stop working at this time. Then press “reset” and the outlet should
be functioning normally again. If your GFCI fails to cut or restore power, call an electrician.
- Look into hiring a lawn Service - Due to the humidity, Florida’s landscape can grow very rapidly.
- Look into hiring a pest control company - Florida is a very buggy state, keep the bugs where they
belong, outside!
- Flush your AC drain with vinegar - By pouring a 1⁄4 cup of vinegar into your AC's drain line, you will
kill any mold, algae, mildew, and other forms of bacteria or fungi, preventing it from forming a
buildup and causing a clog. Repeat this monthly for the best results.
Quarterly
- Check for leaks – Checking for leaks is an important quarterly assessment that everyone should
do. Make sure you’re able to get up under your sinks to check the pipes (and for water damage)
and check around your toilets as well. The back of the toilet can be hard to see so make sure you
bring your flashlight.
- Test your smoke detectors – Push the “test” button to make sure all smoke detectors (and carbon
monoxide monitors) are working. Replace the batteries if they aren’t functioning properly.
- Survey your ceilings – This can be the first place that water leaks show up, so keep an eye above
you. A good rule of thumb is to take photos of your ceilings, that way you can spot any changes
before they become a major problem.
- Lubricate your garage hinges – Lubricating them ensures a quiet closure and also extends the life
of your garage door.
- Clear your gutters – Clearing your gutters can keep water flowing away from your roof and help to
avoid standing water. Standing water attracts mosquitoes so make sure those gutters are clean!
- Check your irrigation system for any broken sprinkler heads - Keep your lawn looking fresh!
Annually
- Drain your hot water heater – Over time, hot water heaters can accumulate a layer of sediment
(especially in Florida where we tend to have hard water), leading to clogs and malfunctions. We
know it’s hot in Florida but we doubt anyone wants a cold shower!
- Replace smoke alarm batteries – Regardless of how your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide
detectors perform in their quarterly tests, you should stick a set of fresh batteries in every year.
- Clean your dryer vent – Dryer vents that are not maintained or that get clogged can cause a house
fire. Kits like this provide easy means to sweep out all that vent dust or you can hire a professional
company.
- Seal up any cracks – Over time, caulking tends to dry up, dissolve, or pull away from their
surrounding areas. A caulking gun is a quick, affordable, easy way of weatherproofing your home.
- Seal windows and doors – It’s important that they are both sealed properly to keep the bugs and
water out and keep your expensive A/C inside.
- Deep clean your home – While you probably clean your home on a regular basis, an annual deep
clean can really help maintain your home. For one, a clean home can ward off bugs. Bugs alone
can cause irreversible damage to a dwelling. For a deep clean, make sure you wash your walls,
and window sills, scrub under the cupboards, and clean the baseboards. It might take a while but it
will be worth it in the end.
- Have your A/C serviced – People up north might be able to get away with servicing their HVAC
system less frequently than Floridians, but that’s because they don’t need it as much. In the
summer, with the humidity and heat, homes can reach degrees of 90+. You don’t want to be stuck
inside a home that is hotter than outside. A/C companies can come out and inspect your system,
warn you of potential issues, and make recommendations. Alternatively, you can go over our DIY
HVAC maintenance checklist to get your system up to par.
- Check your hurricane supplies – In Florida, it is always best to be prepared. If you have a generator,
make sure it’s working and that you have a good gas supply for it. Check for batteries, flashlights, a
weather radio, water jugs, and canned food. If you like to use plywood for windows, make sure
they fit properly. Checking for these supplies (and refilling them if needed) is just as important as
the other things you would do to maintain your home.
