5 Common Home Maintenance Mistakes

Your home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make, which means it is important to take good care of it. Unfortunately, we all make mistakes once in a while. Here are 5 common home maintenance mistakes to avoid:

Skimping on Materials

Home maintenance supplies can get expensive, which might make it tempting to cut corners once in a while. But when you consider how much wear and tear things in your home take and how long you need them to last, you might want to splurge instead of skimp. Sometimes, homeowners skimp by actually skipping essentials like paint primer; at other times, they settle for the cheapest carpet they can find and are upset when it is destroyed in a year or two. Saving money is great, but when it comes to your home, spend enough to ensure you get high quality materials.

Ignoring the Gutters

The gutters may not be the most exciting part of your home, but overlooking them is a big mistake. Check your gutters a few times a year to make sure they are clear of debris. Blocked gutters can prevent water from draining off of your roof and cause ice dams. When water doesn’t drain properly, it seeps in underneath your shingles and leaks through your roof. It is a lot easier to check your gutters than it is to repair a leak in the roof. If you aren’t comfortable climbing up on your roof, check your gutters with binoculars and use a leaf blower or a garden hose to remove most normal debris.

Careless Storage

Maybe you are a bit of a book hoarder or you have enough holiday decorations to cover your entire neighborhood. There is nothing wrong with keeping some stuff stored, but you need to be smart so nothing gets ruined. It may be tempting to stack boxes right up against the walls, but this can actually damage your home and the items you are storing. Especially if you live in a place where it gets pretty cold like Toronto, storage right next to the wall can trap moisture in your home, which will damage your walls.

Storing items without carefully labeling them can also give you a lot of trouble in the future. Improper labeling makes it hard to find things you need, but it could also get you hurt. You don’t want to throw your back out because you thought you were picking up a box of fluffy stuffed animals and you actually grabbed a box of your old college textbooks.

Measuring Incorrectly

This is a simple mistake, but it can cost you a lot of money and time if you are careless while measuring. One inch here or there might not seem like a big deal at the time, but you will think differently when your new carpet doesn’t cover the whole bedroom or your new door doesn’t fit in the door frame. Measure everything at least twice, and then actually write it down. Don’t just hope you will remember how tall your window is while you are at the hardware store grabbing supplies.

Procrastinating Easy Fixes

We all procrastinate from time to time, but putting off easy fixes around your home can leave you in for a lot more work down the road. Take the time to do the little things around your house like fixing leaky faucets and replacing HVAC filters. Fixing small problems before they get big will make life a lot easier in the future.

Avoid these common mistakes when maintaining your house to protect your investment, and make taking care of your house easier.