Purchasing a house is an exciting and rewarding endeavor, but once you’re in the home, do you know how to maintain it? Putting off routine maintenance can have long-lasting effects on your house. Clogged gutters turn into water damage, weather can damage deck, and roof siding concrete over time. A little effort goes a long way in maintaining your house.

Having Exhaust Vent Cleaned
Remove Link and Buildup from Dryer Vents- I had owned my new home for about six years when a friend convinced me I should have my vents cleaned to prevent fire. According to the U.S. Fire Marshal, 29,000 homes a year catch fire from lint build-up. My friend was right, he pulled a full trash bag of lint from my dryer vents.

Water Stains Leaks in Roofs or Ceilings
This will cause brown water rings on drywall, but before you assemble everything you need to paint over them, try spraying a mix of 10% bleach to water on them. Wait 24 hours and more often than not, those unsightly brown spots will have disappeared.
 
Holes in drywall
 just pick up some spackle from the hardware store and scrap into the hole. Let dry, then lightly sand and paint to make any holes vanish.
 
Fix Dents in Wood
 This one is kind of easy. Pour a little water into the dent, cover it with a towel and place a hot iron over the towel and run it back and forth. This will give the wood moisture and help puff it out.
 
Change the Direction of Your Ceiling Fans
This is one item that should be done twice a year. This might be counter-intuitive but revering turning the fan to have it rotate counterclockwise will pull hot air to the ceiling. Remember heat rises and blowing hot air with your fan simply isn’t as effective.

Wash your Siding, Deck, and Sidewalk
Years if grim, dirt, and moss buildup can make the exterior of your house look unsightly. Power washing done improperly can damage your exterior.  If the pressure is too high or using the wrong nozzle stream can have devastating effects. Consumer Reports recommends a 40° angle or a low-pressure nozzle. Power washing the deck prevents a different problem. Washing isn’t enough especially if you live in a damp climate. Moss can grow back quickly if untreated. It is recommended that you use powdered oxygen bleach to prevent it. Do not make the mistake of using liquid bleach. This will not prevent moss regrowth and the bleach can damage your lawn.

Touch up Exterior Paint
Again, this adds curb appeal to your house and keeps moisture and wood rot away. Painting the entire exterior can be costly. Try painting your trim. This will save costly repairs down the road.

Clean Off Air Conditioning Unit
If you’re like me, you may have a lot of vegetation around your AC unit. Each year trim around the unit to help with proper airflow. During peak usage such as hot summer days, having proper airflow will increase your HVAC system efficiency.

Check for Signs of Critters
This is one I dread in the spring, opening my shed to see what awaits me. I have met Harry the raccoon, snakes, mice, and groundhogs over the years inspecting my shed. Inspect your property, especially your foundation where critters could sneak into your home. When it comes to detecting critters, earlier is better to minimize damage.

Change out HVAC Filters
Doing this extends the life of your A/C unit, it improves air quality and helps the unit run more efficiently.

This could have easily turned into a top 100 list. The point is these chores can add up quickly. Spreading out these tasks can lighten the load and help you enjoy your house for years to come.