When you’re a homeowner, you’re responsible for all the required maintenance and the consequences if your maintenance efforts aren’t enough. You have a choice between trying to do everything yourself or hiring professional technicians to take care of regular maintenance. A lot of people think they can save money if they try to stay on top of all their maintenance needs on their own, and they’re usually right if they actually handle everything correctly.
In today’s hectic world, though, it’s easy for things to slip your mind. When all your systems seem to be working properly, it’s easy to forget your maintenance plan and fail to perform regular inspections. This is especially true if you’re one of many people working from home due to the pandemic, and you have too many other responsibilities at home. Some homeowners decide that a great way to deal with it is to simply have annual maintenance plans where a technician performs preventive maintenance. Naturally, peace of mind is a great benefit to these plans. Here are some of the most common maintenance plans and why they’re worth the money.
HVAC System
Whether you’re in the high heat seasons or the winter, you need to make sure your HVAC system runs reliably. Your air conditioner going out during a heatwave or your heating system dying during the winter are both nightmares that can quickly send you out of our home. Prevent this with annual maintenance checks to clean your HVAC system.
While you can easily do small tasks like change air filters when needed and keep vents free of debris to prevent clogs, having a professional HVAC contractor take care of your system is the best way to ensure its functionality and to keep your air quality high. With a comprehensive air conditioner, heat pump, and furnace services, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing your HVAC system is in good hands. Services include inspecting compressors, cleaning coils, checking airflow, cleaning ducts, and more.
Pest Control
It’s never pleasant to think about, but any home is constantly at risk for an infestation. This can include rodents or any number of common household pests such as roaches, ants, and fruit flies. You’ll especially be in trouble if you get an infestation of particularly destructive pests, such as termites. Signs of termites include discolored drywall, pinpoint holes in wood, buckling floorboards, and hollow-sounding wood.
Pests can easily cause thousands of dollars in damage, so you don’t want to rely on just setting up a few traps. An annual inspection to control and prevent pests is the best way to handle them in order to prevent severe damage that can lower your home’s value or even render it uninhabitable.
Exterior and Roof
It’s usually easy to notice problems inside your house, but you need to take care of the outside problems as well if you want them to stay out there. You may be able to check the roof for loose shingles yourself, but professional roof inspections can uncover serious problems like leaks and water damage, mildew and mold, ventilation issues, broken or stopped gutters, and more.
While you’re at it, you might as well get pros to check the rest of your exterior too. Houses can shift, and the signs are typically more obvious from the outside. Cracks in your foundation, for example, are serious problems that need to be fixed before they put your entire structural integrity at risk. If your siding becomes loose, cracked, or wavy, it will need to be replaced as well to better protect your home from the elements.
Annual maintenance plans ensure your home gets regular maintenance and that any discovered problems can be solved by experts. If the interruption is too much to deal with at home, consider taking your spouse out for some sober activities for couples. These sober date ideas may include things like comedy shows, discovering new hobbies, game night with some popcorn, or simply enjoying the fresh air until your home is ready for you again.
