As a homeowner, you know there are tasks you should take care of in your home on a regular, yearly basis. If you’ve not done them in previous years, perhaps making a homeowner resolutions list will help you stay on track in the future. Then when each new year begins, you will already have a checklist ready to go to keep your home in good condition. Here are a few resolutions and tasks you'll want to complete each year to keep your home functioning at its best. 

Change Your Air Filters

This is one of the quickest homeowner resolutions you can take care of. While we all know that we should change our air filters about every 90 days (more often if you have pets), it can be easy to forget. Clean air filters reduce dust in the home and keep the air you breathe cleaner. Dirty filters cause unnecessary strain on your HVAC system, which could lead to more frequent repairs or higher utility bills. Use the new year as an opportunity to take care of this task, then add ongoing reminders to your calendar or download one of the many apps available to help you stay on schedule. 

Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Smoke alarms expire after ten years. If you don’t know how old yours are, pull a few down and check the expiration date and replace as needed. Also, remember to change the batteries twice a year. A good way to remember to do it is to add a reminder for yourself to take care of this on New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July.

Get a Roof Inspection

Your roof is one of the most expensive parts of your home to replace. Keeping it in good repair will help it last throughout the duration of its expected life. Many roofing contractors recommend a roof inspection annually to look for roof leaks, loose shingles, failing flashing, and other issues. Proactive maintenance, like a roofing inspection, costs a lot less than reactive repair.

Check Your Hurricane Emergency Kit

We hope we never need to use the items in a hurricane emergency kit; however, hurricanes are an inevitability in our location, and it is important to keep supplies on-hand. Having a well-stocked emergency kit will help you manage should your home lose electricity. Emergency kits are also easy to pick up and put in the car if you need to evacuate. Here is a link to FEMA’s recommendations for building your hurricane emergency kit.

Also, remember to take a photo or video of your home and the belongings inside at least once a year. In the event you need to make an insurance claim, photo or video proof of the home and its contents can be invaluable.

The team at Future Home Realty wishes you and yours a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year. If you are hoping to buy or sell a home in the greater Tampa area, we would love to be of service. Call Jason Duraj at (813) 992-7771 for your free consultation.