Building a custom home is a lot of work, but that work doesn’t stop once it’s complete. Keeping a house running takes routine maintenance. You just worked so hard designing and building your custom home, make sure it stays just as beautiful by following these simple maintenance tips.
Monthly Maintenance
- HVAC Filters: Depending on your family, where you live, and your HVAC system you might have to change out your filter every month or every few months. When you install the system ask how often they recommend changing them out. For the first few months of living in your home inspect the filters every month. If they don’t look dirty then don’t worry about changing them out yet but check back in a month.
- Sink Disposal: Having a sink garbage disposal makes things so much easier. Hopefully, you installed on in your new custom home kitchen. To make sure it stays working, it stays fresh, and the blades stay sharp, freeze some vinegar into ice cubes and put them down. Alternatively, you can put lemon slices down there.
- Range Hood Filters: People often forget about cleaning out their stove hand hood filters. Home builders say it’s something people overlook a lot- far more often than they should. Luckily they’re easy to clean. Just soak them in some degreaser and warm water. The gunk should come right off.
Quarterly
- Smoke/Carbon Dioxide Detectors: Most detectors have a test button on them to make sure they’re working. Having a functioning smoke and carbon dioxide detectors are vital to protecting your family. Pressing a button a few times a year is worth it if it means saving your family and your new home.
- Test Water: Not every space gets used regularly. Maybe you build a guest sweet down in your new basement, or you have a guest bathroom that hardly ever gets used. To prevent grime and build up, make sure to run a little water through the taps (sink faucets and showers) as well as flushing the toilets a few times a year.
Biannually
- Deep Clean: Most people do basic cleaning every day or week. But there are some tasks that get neglected. Twice a year, do a deep cleaning on your house. Everything, appliances, windows, dusting, etc., from top to bottom should be inspected and cleaned. It sounds like a hassle but it’s a lot less work if it’s done every 6 months rather than letting it build up and trying to clean it later.
- Refrigerator Coils: Out of all of the appliances in your custom home, even if they are energy efficient ones, the fridge will use up the most energy. By simply vacuuming the refrigerator coils a few times a year, you can make sure it runs more efficiently. It will also help your fridge last longer and result in fewer repairs.
Annually
Spring
- Exterior Drainage: You might think, this is a new home the drainage should be perfect! It should, but a house settles over time. You never quite know how something like drainage is going to work out, no matter how much you prepare. Do a simple walk around to see if water is moving away from your foundation.
- Gutters: Cleaning out your gutters is more important than people think. Leaves and sediment will collect there over fall and winter. If you ignore this it can lead to problems for the roof of your new custom home.
- Exterior Inspection: Do a quick walk around of your home. Is there paint chipping or siding damage from winter? Check the foundation and windows for cracks. If it’s still early after construction your home builder should fix these things for you.
- Landscaping: Clear out any dead plants from your landscaping. These are not only unappealing but they won’t help your other plants either. Check off any damaged branches too that could fall on your property.
- Roofing: Winters are hard on roofs. The snow can build up and cause leaks, even on a new roof. Do a simple inspection to make sure your new custom home is protected from above.
Summer
- Grout: Cleaning and repairing the group between the tiles in your home will help it looked beautiful and clean. You might not need to do this the first year of living in your new home but as time passes don’t neglect this.
- Plumbing: Small leaks can happen in any house. Check for water pressure and small leaks on your faucets and toilets.
- Insects: No one wants bugs in their home, especially not in their beautiful new luxury custom home. Unfortunately, bugs don’t discriminate when it comes to houses. Make sure you spray for bugs and check screens for holes to keep them out.
- Deck: If you have a deck, patio, terrace or balcony summer is the perfect time to clean it. Most of the time spraying it down with water will do the trick.
Fall
- Heating and Cooling: Make sure your heating and cooling system is ready for winter. The last thing you want is for your heat to go out in the middle of a freezing Toronto winter.
- Chimney: People debate on when is the right time to get your chimney cleaned but home builders say as long as it’s done once a year that’s all that matters.
- Winter Gear: Make sure your new custom home is equipped to deal with the harsh Toronto winters. Sidewalk salt and shovels should be at the ready to handle the ice and snow.
Winter
- Ice: Icicles might look pretty but they’re actually bad for your home. Not only are they dangerous if they fall but they can be heavy and cause damage to your new custom home. Remove them as soon as possible to avoid damage.
- Caulking: Winter is the perfect time to do all those interior maintenance things that you neglect over the year. Make sure you check and repair caulking in showers and bathtubs. This will help prevent mold from getting in there.
- Basement: The basement is often the most neglected part of the house. If you have one in your custom home make sure to clean it during the winter. It’s also a good idea to look for leaks during this time that the snow might be causing.
The list of home maintenance is long and can be intimidating. Most of these items only take a few minutes at most though. Ask your home builder about the warranty on your new custom home in case some problems arise as you’re going through this list. Print out this list, check off the items or put reminders on your phone for the important stuff so that you can stay on top of it all. If you have any more questions about how to maintain your new luxury custom home contact us.
