Home Maintenance Checklist for Midwest Collin County Residents

Picture for a moment what your home would look like if you never bothered to take care of it. Perhaps your lawn might be overgrown with weeds and your siding covered in green grime. Your gutters might be overflowing with rotting leaves and your fence might be missing pickets.

While the outside of your home might look like the setting of a horror film, the inside would be no better. Your tiling would become chipped and damaged, your drywall sagging and cracked, and your cupboards most definitely would have seen better days.

Suffice it to say, the love and care you put into your home makes it look as beautiful and cozy as it is. It’s amazing how the little odd-jobs you complete everyday make a big difference in the safety and aesthetic of your home.

Yet, getting your home maintenance and improvement jobs started can be a real hassle. Life is busy, and when you have too much on your plate—or you’re faced with a task that you’re not sure how to tackle—our home maintenance professionals can help.

Our Midwest Collin County handyman team put together a home maintenance checklist to help. It’s our hope that this list will help you keep organized while you take care of your home. We’ve also noted the tasks our experts can help you out with—just in case you need a little extra support in getting things done.

Home Maintenance Checklist for Your Home’s Exterior

Your home’s exterior is often the first impression friends, family, and neighbors have of your home. Be sure to keep it looking its best by staying on top of your home maintenance tasks. Consider setting some time aside in the spring to work on the exterior of your home. You’ll take advantage of pleasant weather while ensuring the following to-dos get done every year.

1. Power Wash Your Siding

Power washing can give your exterior surfaces a new lease on life—making your faded or stained siding, deck, or patio look as good as when you first moved in. Power washing has many benefits, including: getting rid of discoloration, cleaning away years of grime on your cement walkway, and preparing your fence for staining. However, power washing is a dangerous task that should only be handled by professional home maintenance services experts.

2. Touch Up Exterior Paint

Painting your fence or stucco surfaces can do wonders for boosting your home’s curb appeal. Even if you don’t completely repaint the exterior of your home, touching up chipped or peeling paint can make your home look that much more put-together.

3. Repair Cracks in Your Stucco

Has the stucco on your home’s walls seen better days? Call the home maintenance services professionals at Mr. Handyman of Midwest Collin County. We can efficiently repair your damaged stucco. We’ll also check for any structural concerns you may not have noticed that might have caused your stucco to crack.

4. Refinish Your Deck

The elements can be hard on your deck, causing wood to weather and paint to peel. With the help of the home maintenance services professionals at Mr. Handyman of Midwest Collin County, we can refinish your deck to make it look good-as-new.

5. Clean Gutters and Downspouts

Gutters and downspouts are integral to maintaining your home’s structural integrity because they move rainwater away from your home’s foundation and prevent flooding. However, when gutters become filled with gunk, they’re not able to work properly and this may lead to costly damages. While most homeowners don’t look forward to mucking out their gutters, the pros at Mr. Handyman of Midwest Collin County are more than happy to do it for you.

Windows and Doors Home Maintenance Services

Over time, the windows and doors in your home will require a little TLC to keep them working their best. Keep these passages attractive and functional—while keeping your family safe—through regular home maintenance tasks.

1. Seal Cracks and Gaps in Windows and Doors

Sealing any gaps or cracks in your windows and doors is key to keeping the elements and insects out of your home. Applying new caulking to areas that look worn is the best way to seal any gaps in your windows and doors.

2. Install Energy Efficient Windows

Energy efficient windows can help keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This feature will benefit your energy bill and carbon footprint. Our home maintenance experts are very experienced and highly qualified when it comes to installing windows.

3. Oil Squeaky Doors

Does your door squeak every time you open or close it? Not only is the squeaking annoying, but it’s also very easy to fix. Simply remove the pin in your door’s hinge, put a little petroleum jelly on it, and put it back in place.

4. Replace Damaged Doors

Your front door is the gateway to your home. Not only does it welcome friends, family, and neighbors to your home, but it also keeps you and your loved ones safe. Whether your front door has been recently damaged or has seen better days, our home maintenance professionals can easily replace or repair your front door.

5. Tighten Door Locks

Ensuring your front door’s locks are working is key to keeping you and your loved ones safe. When your door lock becomes loose, all you have to do is tighten the screws in the door handle for a quick fix. Other times, you may have to replace the entire lock set.

Home maintenance Services for Your Walls

The walls of your home are an important part of its structural integrity. Unfortunately, when it comes to regular home maintenance, walls tend to get overlooked. If you don’t have the time or availability to complete these maintenance tasks by yourself, we invite you to reach out to one of our handyman professionals. We’re more than happy to help you out.

1. Paint Crown Molding and Trim

A fresh coat of paint on your trim can do wonders to your space. Whether you just moved into a new home and don’t like the previous homeowner’s color choice or you’re in the mood to freshen up your space, our experts can help. We’ll give your crown molding and trim a fresh coat of paint that will refresh your home’s interior.

2. Re-Grout Old Tiles

Your tiling gets a lot of wear and tear—especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Food stains, residue, and frequent use can make your once-beautiful tiling look dated and in need of help. Yet, you don’t have to completely install brand new tile to give your kitchen backsplash or bathroom tile a facelift. Rather, remove the old grout and replace it with new grout. If you need help, our technicians can easily complete this home maintenance task.

3. Hang Up Pictures

Picture hanging seems like a simple task. However, 50 holes in your wall later, it might become a little more challenging than it initially seemed. Our technicians are well-practiced at fixing your frames at the correct height, keeping them straight, and saving your walls from being hammered with multiple holes.

4. Mount Your TV

Are you excited to finally use your brand-new TV? We would be! However, a new TV is no use to you if it’s collecting dust in its box. It can be intimidating to mount your TV on the wall, especially as you don’t want to damage the wall or drop your TV. Worry not, our home maintenance experts can efficiently and safely hang your TV.

5. Fix Damaged Drywall

Did you know that cracks, sagging, and staining in your drywall are not just an eyesore but can also indicate a structural problem? When you notice problems with your drywall, be sure to call our home maintenance professionals right away. Not only will we fix the damage, but we’ll also check for any structural concerns that you should know about.

6. Dust Floorboards

You probably already regularly dust your shelves, pictures, mantels, and decorative items. But when was the last time you dusted your floor boards? Often overlooked, you’d be surprised at how dusty your floor boards have become over time!

Clean Your Appliances

Your appliances go the distance for you every day. Every so often, give them a little love back. Cleaning your appliances will not only boost their longevity, but also ensures normal and safe functionality.

1. Vacuum Refrigerator and Freezer Coils

Vacuum out the coils at the back of your fridge a couple of times a year. These coils push hot air out of your fridge. Help your refrigerator and freezer work more efficiently—increasing longevity and benefiting your energy bill—by keeping them clean.

2. Vacuum Dryer Vents

Did you know that lint is very flammable? All the same, it’s no secret that lint loves to accumulate within your dryer vents. It’s very important to vacuum out your dryer vents every so often to prevent the lint catching fire. However, it can be difficult to reach your dryer vents and fully eliminate this household risk. Feel free to contact our home maintenance experts to clean your dryer vents for you.

3. Clean Your Dishwasher

Occasionally cleaning your dishwasher will help eliminate food residue and grease that may have built-up inside the washing unit. In turn, your dishes will be cleaner, your dishwasher will smell better, and you’ll prevent it from flooding.

4. Clean Out Your Microwave

Microwaves have a way of becoming grimy very quickly. A quick wipe on a weekly basis will help keep your microwave clean and fresh.

5. Clean Out Your Oven

It’s amazing the difference a clean oven can make! Not only will your oven work more efficiently when it’s clean, but you’ll also be able to keep a better eye on baking cookies without having to peer through blackened build-up.

Safety and Electrical Check

The safety features in your home often get overlooked when it comes to home maintenance. That is of course until you need them. Take a moment once a month to complete a safety check in your home. This will help you catch problems before they escalate and keep all your safety features working properly.

1. Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are very important for your family’s safety. At least once a month, check to make sure both detectors are working properly. Replace these alarms if needed.

2. Replace Batteries in Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

While you check that your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors are working, keep track of how often you swap out the batteries. The batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be changed one to two times a year.

3. Inspect Electrical Cords for Damage

Exposed wires can be very dangerous for your home, possibly causing electric shock or a fire. Take a moment at least once a year to go through your home and look for exposed cords, frayed wires, and damaged phone cords.

4. Inspect Your Fire Extinguishers

Inspect your fire extinguishers at least three times a year. Make sure:

• All your family members know where they are

• They’re visible and easy to access

• The locking pin is intact and the taper seal is unbroken

• There’s no physical damage, leaking, or corrosion

5. Replace Dead Light bulbs

When your light bulbs start to go out, it can turn a pleasant and cozy space into a gloomy home. Replace your light bulbs promptly to keep your home looking warm and inviting. If your light bulbs are hard to get to, our skilled technicians can replace them for you.

Other Home Maintenance Services

Continue reading our guide on completing those often missed or miscellaneous home maintenance tasks on your to-do list.

1. Assemble New Furniture

Between the confusing instructions and fussy parts, furniture assembly can be a time-consuming and frustrating process. Let the home maintenance professionals at Mr. Handyman of Midwest Collin County take care of it for you. We will assemble your new furniture efficiently and carefully.

2. Give Your House a Deep Clean

You already do a great job of staying on-top of day-to-day tasks and chores. However, when was the last time you deeply cleaned your home? At least once or twice a year, get the whole family together to complete a deep clean of your home. It will be so satisfying to refresh your home by cleaning out those often forgotten or tough to reach places!

3. Inspect Your Basement and Attic

You likely spend less time in your basement or attic than the other areas of your home. Thus, you’re more likely not to notice any issues in these areas of your house. Every couple of months, go through your basement and attic to look for any leaks, issues with your insulation, or cracks in your drywall.

4. Install Handrails

Handrails can make your home more accessible for aging families and improve the safety of your home. Whether for your garage, basement, or in your bathtub, our home maintenance services professionals can help. Ask about our handrail installation services to learn more.

Schedule Our Home Maintenance Services Today!

Has this to-do list inspired you to get started on your home maintenance tasks? Or, do you prefer to call in our Midwest Collin County handyman professionals because of your busy schedule? If so, we invite you to give our friendly team a call at 214-387-3474 or request a service online to get started today.