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A Low-Maintenance Home: What You Need to Do

A Low-Maintenance Home: What You Need to Do

A home purchase has a variety of benefits. For one, it provides stability because your monthly mortgage fees go toward owning your property. It’s also a solid investment, since properties appreciate over time. In a few decades, you could sell your home at a profit if you’ve built enough equity on it. And this means maintaining the property well.

A downside to home ownership is that you’re responsible for the upkeep of the property. If you were renting, it’ll be the landlord or property manager’s problem. But since you own the home, you have to make sure it’s clean inside and out, pest-free and that every system functions well to keep you comfortable and safe.

Do you have the time and energy to do what needs to be done? Probably not. But you can’t let your home fall in disrepair. The key to achieving that is doing all the small work now to make sure your home eventually doesn’t need looking after.

Photo by Mark McCammon from Pexels

Make Your Surfaces Easy to Clean

Apart from aesthetics, surface materials also differ when it comes to function. Rough materials like bare concrete are notoriously hard to clean, as spills and stains can seep into it. The same goes with carpets, they absorb stains quickly. Plus, dust and dirt can hide in between its fibers. If you use these surfaces in your home, hire dose industries cleaning services or replace them with ones that are durable, yet easy to clean.

Hard surfaces, like exotic wood floors, marble, and tiles are great replacements. They can easily handle decades of foot traffic, and all you’ll see are a few scratches and cracks. Just sweep off the dust from time to time. All it takes to get rid of spills and stains is a quick wipe with a mop or clean cloth and some soapy water. They’re even stronger and more resistant to stains when they’re sealed.

Synthetic materials are perfect for your exterior surfaces. Vinyl is great for siding because it can withstand extremely high and low temperatures. It also comes in a variety of colors and shades, so it can easily fit your home’s existing look. Want to achieve a natural look for your decking without dealing with headaches like rot and mold? Use composite material made out of wood and plastic. This lumber is resistant to fungus and rot. The only maintenance they need is the occasional rinsing with a high-pressure hose.

Get a Roof That Lasts a Lifetime

Shingle and clay roofs may look good, but they need a lot of maintenance. A missing shingle can leak in air and water. Clay tiles are fungus magnets. They’ll be infested with algae, mildew, and mold during humid, rainy, and snowy days. These organisms eat up the material, making it more susceptible to damage.

If you want to avoid these maintenance nightmares, upgrade to a metal roof. Metal roofs, especially ones made with galvanized sheet metal, can survive even the harshest of weather conditions. They’re fire-resistant, too. And if you’re worried about keeping the rustic aesthetic of your house, metal roofs can also have enamel finishes that imitate wood, slate and clay.

Install Window Frames That Can Brave the Elements

Tired of rotting and warped window frames after every rainy or snowy season? Get fiberglass or clad windows. Fiberglass is made entirely of synthetic material that doesn’t rot or get moldy when exposed to moisture. It doesn’t warp or shrink when the outdoor temperature changes, too. Clad frames, on the other hand, are still made with wood, but coated with plastic materials like vinyl. This is an excellent option if you want to keep the natural aesthetic of your windows while also ensuring that they’re protected from the elements.

Automate Your Irrigation

If you want to have a beautiful landscape, you need to put in work and water each plant regularly. However, not everyone has the time to tend to plants. Solve this dilemma by getting sprinklers installed. These can be programmed to water your lawn and plants at a set schedule, so you don’t have to worry about underwatering or overwatering them. You can also get a set with smart features, allowing you to control and program irrigation using your phone and other smart devices.

Home ownership is a dream, if you don’t spend too much time and energy with its upkeep. But maintenance is crucial to increasing its value. Unless you hire professionals, you have to clean and repair everything yourself. These low-maintenance improvements help keep your home in great shape, leaving you with a home that requires little to no upkeep.

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