February Home Maintenance Tips

Owning a home is one of the largest investments most people will ever make in their lives. This means, of course, taking care of your home through regular and proper maintenance is not just a good idea for appearances, but also for your bottom line. Not only does regular maintenance increase the home's expected lifetime, but it ensures safety, prevents simple fixes from turning into giant catastrophes, and can even increase energy efficiency.

Having a home that is well-maintained increases the resale value and gives the homeowners a certain peace of mind -- knowing you're doing all you can to prevent problems is as peaceful as a mind can get! Here are a few ideas to make sure the last stretch of winter treats you well.

1. Replace all filters in your HVAC system and humidifiers. It is considered wise to replace filters every month but definitely frowned upon to go more than 3 months. After a couple months, filters tend to get clogged up with hair, pollen, pet dander-- you name it. Keeping them fresh means keeping your home's air fresh.

2. Along the lines of #1 above, make sure you keep your heat vents clean. Most of the time a vacuum will do the trick, but sometimes they may require being unscrewed and completely removed and washed down with soap and water.

3. Test all your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. It is recommended that batteries be replaced for these every year at least, so if you can't remember the last time you changed the batteries, do it now.

4. Keep your fire extinguishers in working order. They need to be properly charged and placed somewhere near the kitchen, garage, furnace room, and any other heat-producing areas like fireplaces.

5. Check and test GFCI outlets to make sure they are working properly. These are those outlets with the black and red buttons on them - hit the test button and see if it resets your circuit.

6. Finally, do something nice for yourself, just to feel good and reinvigorated about your home. De-clutter and rearrange your office room or your wife's craft studio - it will make the room feel fresh and new, despite the seasonal angst most of us get from being cooped up in the colder months.

Hopefully, those tips keep you busy and productive for February. Check back often for more helpful tips and ideas!