Make your home a profitable investment! Correct and timely
home maintenance is the best homeowners insurance against costly repairs.
HOME MAINTENANCE CLASSES
Home maintenance classes are available through the Birmingham
Public Schools Adult Enrichment Program, for information and
registration call: 248 203 3800
On this page:
- Preventive maintenance is the best homeowner's insurance
- A systematic approach to home maintenance
- Free home maintenance program
Preventive Maintenance Will Secure Your Home Investment
Houses need regular ongoing maintenance. Not only are they exposed to wind,
rain, snow, ice, sun, and a variety of other natural factors, they are also vulnerable
to wear and tear caused by inhabitants.
Regular home maintenance helps to minimize the cost of home ownership and maximize the benefits.
Preventive maintenance helps homeowners avoid serious emergency repairs,
and maintain a home that is safe and enjoyable. Proper home maintenance also helps
homeowners make the most of their investment, a well maintained home brings top dollar
when it becomes a house for sale.
Preventive maintenance is the least expensive approach to home ownership.
Any other strategy leads to higher cost and may also bring the need for emergency repairs.
Today's home maintenance issue will become a minor repair tomorrow,
and it soon can escalate into a major problem.
The owner who maintains the house in good condition also knows
it better, can predict what is ahead, and is always prepared.
The homeowner who ends up with emergencies and hires contractors in a hurry,
will usually pay more and get a lesser quality service.
The time required for home maintenance varies with size and complexity of the house.
Repairs and improvements require extra time and money. Preventive maintenance work
is relaxing for some homeowners, they have an advantage from the start.
Some may not be comfortable at start, it is wise to proceed slowly,
comfort will come as one keeps working, and soon, maintenance work will turn
a physical asset called a house into a true home. Those who do not like it,
better hire maintenance help instead of hiring repair contractors later, they are more expensive.
A Systematic Approach to Preventive Home Maintenance
I recommend that home owners take a systematic approach to preventive maintenance
by creating a home maintenance file, either using a computer or with actual paper and file cabinet.
Include folders for every major component of the house to keep track of important information,
instructions, concerns, expenses, and so on. Although the initial set-up work may appear time consuming,
the time and hassle saved afterwards, more then make up for the initial investment.
Here is a list of topics that I suggest for a home maintenance file.
Adapt it to your own preferences and create sub-files as needed:
- Lot and landscaping; terrain condition, grass, trees, shrubs, bushes, retaining walls, walkways, fences, and so on.
- Grading: the ground in the immediate vicinity of the foundation.
- Garage and driveway
- Swimming pool and recreational annexes
- Storage sheds, barns, and other utility annexes
- House exterior: exposed foundation, siding, gutters and downspouts, eaves, and other exterior trim
- Porch, deck, patio, and summer rooms
- Roof cover
- Foundation
- Framing
- Electrical system
- Plumbing system
- Heating and cooling system
- Doors and windows
- Kitchen and storage pantry
- Bathrooms
- Bedrooms and closets
- Other rooms
- Stairs and hallways
- Utility room
- Laundry room
- Appliances
- Environmental issues; pests, molds, radon, toxic chemicals, and so on
- Others
For every component above include 4 sections: 1) Structure, or what it consists of.
2) Function, or how does it work. 3) Instructions for maintenance.
4) Dated maintenance and repair records. If you employed contractors,
file the contracts and receipts in the appropriate file. If well used,
this file system will serve as your best source of information.
After you've created your home maintenance file, make yourself a
home maintenance schedule showing what you need to do preventive maintenance
on by season. You can further break down the schedule by month, if you wish.
Because a house is a very complicated structure, it's unwise to leave things to memory.
It's easy to forget something important and end up with a repair emergency.
Preventive maintenance does take time, planning, and some money, but,
it is the least expensive way to take care of a house.
It also brings the greatest rewards when selling a house.
Our Free Home Maintenance Program
We designed this home maintenance program to provide clients of
Michigan Home Inspections Company with reliable answers to their home maintenance questions.
In order to benefit from the program, a home owner must have used our
home inspection or consulting service for that house
Our clients will receive email or telephone* assistance in dealing with
day-to-day home maintenance or repair issues. Simply, use the
e-mail address from your inspection report describing the situation of concern and we will advise you accordingly.
In your email please include the following:
- Your full name and address
- Your telephone number (in case we need more clarification to answer your question)
- The type of service we provided and when
- Next, ask your question or state your concern,
taking the space you need to adequately describe the situation
You will receive an answer within 48 hours.
This service is free of charge for as long as you own the home for which you have used our services.
* Please note that telephone support is available for emergencies only!
