House and lot maintenance is something that we should be ready for especially when we are planning to buy our own house and lot. Owning a home means having more responsibilities. Unlike in renting, there will be no landlord to come and take over when something breaks or when things go wrong. You are now completely responsible of paying your financial obligations such as monthly dues, utility bills, and building maintenance.
First time homebuyers may find house and lot maintenance difficult and stressing, especially if they are not used of doing it. Google and YouTube may tell us the step by step procedures but, still, there are things that we cannot do by ourselves. So to make our life easier and more convenient, we often rely on on-call maintenance, but this cost more money vary depending on the property type. In which house maintenance with bigger space cost generally higher than those with smaller space like condo complexes or condo units. To help you lessen your maintenance fees, here are some basic property maintenance tips that might help and guide you in keeping your own house safe and clean.
1. Make a house and lot maintenance checklist
To help you make sure that everything is checked and cleaned, prepare a checklist before doing all your work. List down all the things that you want to do. As they always say, trust the gravity. Cleaning from the topmost area is a good start. Check it from your roof, ceiling, walls and down to the floor. This will help you clean every part of your home.
2. Start from the roof
The roof serves as your shield and protection from the sun and from other falling objects. Remove all the leaves, stems, or any debris that has fallen on it. Check if there are holes or cracks, and apply some sealant if needed. Also inspect if your roof and nails are already rusty, so you can change or repair it as soon as possible.
3. Clear your gutters and trim down trees
Climb on a ladder and free your gutter from debris. Use a water hose to flush the leaves or stems from downspouts to avoid water backup that can rot wood gutters and rust those made of metal sheets.
Shrubs and trees provide homes for birds, bees, and other small creatures that are beneficial to your garden. Although it can offer shade that can keep your home cooler, long stems and excessive leaf fallout may harm your roof and gutter. Cut all the stems that may harm your home in the future.
4. Inspect your ceiling when doing house and lot maintenance
When there is a leak from the roof, the water coming from it may make your ceiling moldy and crisp. The moisture from the water may also attract algae or other insects that may harm it. Take a look if there are any insect infestations like termites or ants. Apply pesticides, if there are any, to prevent further damages.
5. Clean your walls
As time passes by, your walls may eventually fade and stains may start to build up. Leaks in roofs or ceilings may also cause brown water rings on your wall. Try brushing it with water and some disinfectant to give your home a brighter look and fresher ambiance.
For those who are using wallpapers, check whether they are still intact or already peeling. Make it seamless. Try to re-attach the peeling parts or change it if it is totally damaged.
Walls also get holes from nails or screws where we hang our frames and mirrors. To cover this up, use some spackle from the hardware store and scrap into the wall. Let it dry then lightly sand and paint after for a seamless look.
6. Fix your squeaky doors
No one wants a wobbly doorknob or hearing a squeaky door. When door hinges start to squeal, you can spray some lubricant like WD-40 into the middle of the hinge to quiet them.
For screen doors, take time to patch all torn parts to prevent insects from entering your home.
7. Repair your windows when doing house and lot maintenance
Over time, your windows may already have accumulated thick layer of dust and dirt. Clean them and seal holes if needed. Also, old windows sometimes tend to resist when you try to open it. Do not force it. Instead, put some lubricant smoothly open it.
8. Fix leaky and clogged faucets
Check if there are leaky hoses or lose faucets on your garage and toilet. Immediately replace them with a new one to prevent water spilling in your house and also to save money.
Faucet heads will start to show a reduced flow eventually and may even begin to release water in an uneven manner. Just make sure to remove the build-up of tiny grains of sand or other mineral deposits that may block the filter at the tip of the faucet.
9. Unclog drainages
To secure that all water waste are properly disposed out of your home, do not forget to unclog your drains. Starting from your kitchen, check if your kitchen sink is free from food debris and is properly draining.
In your bathroom, check for possible hair clogs on the floor drain and also do not forget to pay attention on the toilet bowl. In addition, make your tubs and faucets look like a brand-new one by removing stains around it.
10. Secure your outlets and wirings when doing house and lot maintenance
Take time to check the outlets and wirings in your house. Switch off your circuit breaker and carefully inspect if there are lose sockets and switches, or if there are faulty wiring connections.
Avoid octopus wiring. Untangle all messy cables of your appliances as it may cause fire or accidents in the future.
11. Make the floor shine
Floor cleaning is an overwhelming task since the floor catches all the dirt of the house. For cement finish flooring, you may use a floor wax to restore its shine and luster. For a tiled flooring, make sure to also clean the grout as it is where the dirt hides. Remember that it is important to identify your floor type to know what cleaning materials you will use.
Like they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – especially when it comes in maintaining and taking good care of your home. A regular cleaning schedule will get you away from irritating problems and will keep your home at its best condition. Having a regular home maintenance check is also a lot easier than waiting until everything gets worse and you need a major repair.
To those young professionals or first time buyers looking for an affordable, and high quality units, Bria Homes one of the leading real estate developers in the Philippines is here for you. Bria Homes offers house and lot with wide indoor and outdoor space perfect for large families. Bria communities is also in prime locations.
BRIA Homes is a subsidiary of GOLDEN MV Holdings, Inc., .one of the largest real estate companies in the country. BRIA Homes is primed to bring quality and affordable house and lot packages and condominium units closer to ordinary Filipino families. This is the goal that drives every single employee in the company, for which the ultimate fulfillment is seeing a client happily moving into BRIA’s homes.
To know more, visit their website at www.bria.com.ph, like and follow “Bria Homes, Inc.” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Spotify, Viber Community, Telegram Channel, Kakao Talk, LINE and WhatsApp, or call 0939-887-9637.
Written by Yenoh Estrella
