Summary

• A University of Connecticut and Syracuse University study suggests that constant home maintenance raises the value of a home by about 1% each year.
• On the flipside, not doing regular maintenance can in your home can lose about 10% of its resale value.
• Routinely maintaining your Houston home can be tedious, but as tiny problems often lead to bigger, more difficult ones, this will be good for your property in the long run.
• We listed down the top 10 indoor maintenance tips that you can do.
• These home maintenance tips may seem basic, but if you go through this list, you can be productive AND increase the value of your Houston home at the same time.

More Resources

• Quick and Easy Renovation Tips: How To Add Value To Your Houston Home
• The Ultimate Home Improvement Investment Guide
• Top Nine Home Selling Mistakes To Avoid
• Houston’s Best Property Marketing Program
• Pandemic and Oil Price War Impact On Housing Market
• Our “Best Houston Realtor” Experience

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Table of Contents

1. Home Maintenance On General Areas
2. Fixing The Kitchen
3. Upgrading The Bathroom
4. Laundry Room Upkeep
5. BONUS TIPS: Utility Conservation

Home Maintenance On General Areas

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Inspect Your Window and Door Seals

Check if there are air leaks around your doors and windows around once or twice a year. These air leaks can let the draft in and create cold spots in your Houston home during cold weather, possibly overworking your heating system.

You can hire a professional energy auditor to do this for you, but online you can find a couple of ways to “DIY” it.

Change The Rotation Of Your Ceiling Fans

Changing the direction your ceiling fans turn can change the temperature of a room. This can help conserve energy and put less strain on your cooling and heating systems.

Counterclockwise rotation pushes cool air down and creates a nice breeze which good for the summer, while clockwise rotation can distribute heat evenly, which is ideal for the winter.

You can change the rotation direction of your ceiling fan through remote control or simply by using the switch on the motor.

Fixing The Kitchen

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Clean Out Refrigerator Coils

Deep cleaning your home is one of the best home improvement tips you can do for free.

After vacuuming your rugs, carpets, and the like, add your refrigerator’s coils to the list.

Clumped up dirt, dust, and hair around the coils cause the compressor to work harder in releasing heat and shorten the lifespan of your fridge.

Located at the back, you can simply remove the cover and vacuum, or use tools for an even deeper clean.

Unclog Your Disposal

A garbage disposal unit is something we use on a regular basis. Naturally, constant use can cause it to clog up and smell.

Cleaning it out is something you should do on a monthly basis. Bored at home with time to kill? There are different methods you can try out until you find what works best for your unit.

Upgrading The Bathroom

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Clear Your Drains

This is another regular Maintenance tip. Hair (for shower drains) and food particles (for kitchen drains) can build up, and you’ll end up with drains that don’t really do their jobs.

You can “snake” the drain using a wire hanger, or use a combination of baking soda and vinegar.

Clean Out Exhaust Fans

Like everything else, if the exhaust fans in your home aren’t clean, they won’t work properly. If they don’t work properly, moisture can develop and mold might grow, which is a bigger headache.

Take the time to clean out your exhaust fans to maintain their hardware. There are step-by-step guides for the ones in the bathroom and in the kitchen.

Laundry Room Upkeep

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Remove Lint From Dryer Vents

A clean dryer vent is a good indicator of a well-cared-for property if you ever decide to sell your Houston home.

If that doesn’t convince you to give it a thorough clean, lint buildup in a dryer vent also causes more than 20,000 house fires every year.

Regular maintenance helps it run smoothly and efficiently, ultimately avoiding accidents.

Wash Your Washing Machine

Is your washing machine starting to give off a funny smell? Do you see small signs of mold or mildew when you use it? These are all clear signs that it needs a good washing.

Get the gunk and funk out of your washing machine with a step-by-step guide. There are different methods depending on what kind you have.

BONUS TIPS: Utility Conservation

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Monitor Your Water Bill

If you have a habit of keeping old bills for documentation, you can also use your time at home to monitor your water consumption.

If numbers are higher than the previous months, you can know to watch out for potential water leaks that add unnecessary expenses and cause potential damage to your Houston home.

Do A Home Energy Audit

According to energy.gov, an average of $200-400 of your energy bill could be wasted on drafts and air leaks. While maintenance of proper door and window sealing is a good start to prevent this, consider doing a home energy audit for a more comprehensive understanding of what you’re paying for.