Why does it often seem, when someone decides to sell his home, it is often necessary, to perform a considerable amount of maintenance, repair, and take steps to address the curb appeal? Wouldn’t it be easier, enhance the enjoyment of the home – experience, and far less stressful, to maintain one’s home, on a regular, scheduled, organized basis? This should include paying attention to both the interior aspects, as well as the exterior and grounds. In this article, we will review the basis checklist, for maintaining the interior of a house, in an organized, efficient and effective way.

1. Painting: Look around any house. Since certain areas are used more, or more aggressively, some locations may require more frequent attention, than others. Generally, kitchen and dining areas, and family room spaces, as well as certain bedrooms and bathrooms, undergo more abuse. One need not wait, and undergo the costly, often disruptive, whole house painting, but rather, schedule, in advance, painting the affected walls and ceilings, when they might be most available, etc. Look at your kitchen, and it will generally look needier than your more rarely used, Formal Living Room!

2. Floors; stairs: What types of flooring does the house have? Is it carpeting, wood floors, laminates, linoleum, tile, etc? Wood floors might need sanding and sealing, and the maintenance period is often dictated by the areas, amount used, etc. Carpeting might become worn, especially if, on stairs, or certain heavily used areas of the house. Linoleum generally hold up fairly well, but care must be taken, because this material often is considered somewhat dated, and/ or, out – of – fashion. One washes and waxes this flooring. Use only the correct cleaning materials on laminates, or you will ruin them!

3. Windows; doors; kitchen cabinets: Are your windows doing their job? Is your house somewhat air – tight, avoiding costly, uncomfortable drafts? Are the doors clean, painted, neat, and hung properly, so as to assure they reduce drafts, and offer optimum safety? Inspect your kitchen cabinets. If you feel they need help, your options include re – facing (resurfacing), new cabinets in same layout, or a complete kitchen overhaul!

4. Heating and air – conditioning (HVAC): Be certain you have a Preventive Maintenance performed on an annual basis, where burners are vacuumed, cleaned, inspected and maintained, and all filters cleaned and/ or replaced, etc. An ounce of prevention will save lots of money and inconvenience!

5. Appliances (kitchen and laundry): Have all kitchen and laundry appliances inspected, maintained, etc, on a regular basis. This includes: refrigerator; oven; dishwasher; washer; dryer; etc. It is often wise to have these covered under some sort of warranty.

6. Cleaning and preventive maintenance: Don’t become lazy, and put off regular cleaning and preventive maintenance. Appliances, systems, repairs and maintenance, invariably, cost far less in the long run, when you take the right precautions!

Thia basic checklist should be obvious, yet is often ignored. Don’t become one of those, who ends up regretting actions, they should have taken!

Article originally published at Source by Richard Brody