Every January, millions of us set goals for our health, careers, and finances — why leave out our homes?
Whether you hang your hat in a busy city or at the end of a long dirt road, our homes work hard for us each year. From the roof to the HVAC, our dwellings are made up of systems that many people rarely think about unless they malfunction.
While repairs are an inevitable part of homeownership, you have more control than you may realize over preparing for, triaging, and even avoiding breakdowns. Just like running a 5K begins with getting off the couch, setting small, manageable goals and making a plan to stick with them is the first step towards becoming the homeowner you aspire to be. Kick off the new year by making a commitment to your home, and build lifelong maintenance habits with big long-term payoffs.
Home Repair Lab is in the business of helping homeowners save money by DIYing repairs, but when a system or appliance fails, labor is only part of the expense. Regardless of the age or condition of your home, if you live there long enough, something will break — and it may be something that needs urgent attention.
A home maintenance savings account can rescue you when the unexpected happens, and it’s never too soon (or too late) to start one. We recommend putting 1-4% of your home's total value into a designated maintenance fund each year (if you own an older home, aim for the higher end of this range, while new construction may require less).
Determine your savings goal, divide it across 12 months, and automate the deposit if you can. With any luck, you’ll forget the money exists until you need to make a repair.
If you want to make gains in the gym, you need a consistent training program — and if you want a functional home, you need a maintenance plan.
Home Repair Lab’s Maintenance Checklist is a great place to start, but you’ll want to create a routine specific to your home that accounts for the current condition of its fixtures, the local climate, and any unique features.
The goal is to create a habit of routinely checking components and systems. By checking, you develop an ongoing awareness of their condition and prevent minor issues from becoming major problems.
Be sure to include your home’s drainage in your maintenance plan — small, slow drips and leaks quietly lead to some of the most expensive problems a homeowner can face. Keep an eye on older pipes, and make a plan to check at least one P-trap a year to make sure nothing is blocking the flow of waste from your home.
Age is just a number, but it’s hard to plan for the upkeep of your home if you don’t know which systems are nearing the end of their useful lives.
If you aren’t already, familiarize yourself with the age of your HVAC, water heater, roof, and major appliances. This information may be contained in your initial home inspection, but (with the exception of your roof) you can also find it by checking the manufacturer date stamped near the model or serial number on each component.
Inspector Outlet’s Life Expectancy Chart provides a great general overview, but it’s important to account for environmental factors, the quality of materials, and how well components have been cared for when estimating repair intervals. Knowing when they should fail means you’re never surprised when they do fail.
If you want your home maintenance goals to stick, resolve to make them fun. Set aside one evening a month with your partner, roommate, or yourself, and spend it taking care of your home.
To-do lists tend to accumulate endlessly when you don’t intentionally create time for them. A recurring maintenance date is a great way to turn passing thoughts like we really need weather stripping and I’ve been meaning to hang those pictures into plans of action.
Tackle a task, and then reward yourself with a movie, some takeout, or a nice bottle of wine. You’ll be amazed by how motivated you become just by reframing maintenance as something you get to do rather than something you have to do.
Want to learn how to handle your own leaky faucet or running toilet? Need to master the basics of wood joinery so you can finally start living out your upcycled palette dreams?
You don’t need to be an aspiring contractor to start steadily collecting the skills that will make you a more empowered homeowner. Learn just one new thing every year, and 10 years from now you’ll be a functional expert in your home (and much, much harder to take advantage of should you need help from a professional).
If you're ready, we want to help! Try any of our Maintenance Ready classes. If you don't love it, we'll return your money — but if you do, you’re free to finish all 9 classes at your own pace.
Like so many things in life, home repair skills build on each other, so regardless of where you start, everything you master unlocks something new. Start with a small, realistic goal that steps up your maintenance skills in some way, and see where the journey takes you. Whether your ultimate plan is to DIY a renovation or just communicate better with repair pros, a well cared for home will return the favor year after year.
We get it. Let’s hop on a quick call to help you feel confident about your next step.
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