Your home can't take care of itself. Your monthly budget should include money for routine maintenance and repair for the house and yard. Plan to set money aside for the large, irregular expenses that occur normally as a house ages. Large expenses include interior and exterior painting, repairs or replacement of heating and air conditioning units and appliances, floor coverings, and roof surfaces.

Housing experts recommend setting aside 1 to 3 percent of the market value of your house each year to pay for maintenance and repair costs. While all of these funds may not be needed if your home is new, the accumulated amounts will help you pay for large future expenses, such as re-roofing or replacing a heating unit.

Home maintenance helps provide a healthy, safe environment as it protects your growing financial investment. It is much easier to prevent the development of unsafe, unhealthy conditions and structural damage than to pay medical or repair bills or both.

Why should you do regular home maintenance?

• To maintain the value of the property.
• A well-maintained home usually sells more readily and usually brings a higher price.
• A well-maintained house is more comfortable.
• Regular care minimizes unexpected repair work and expense.
• Regular small repairs keep costs from becoming larger.
• A lender's agreement usually requires the owner to maintain the property to protect the lender's financial interest.

My Preventative Maintenance Inspections include many of the aspects of a full-blown home inspection (structure, exterior, plumbing, roof systems, interior) with an eye towards systems/items requiring maintenance and recommendations on how to do so.