Test Your Home Maintenance Knowledge

The absolute best way to avoid major problems that require costly repairs is to stay consistent with upkeep. Do this by creating a checklist of tasks for each season, such as window washing every spring and gutter cleaning at the start and end of every fall. Another method: Peg some tasks to a specific holiday or annual event, like changing the batteries in your smoke detector when you set your clocks back in the fall.  

Some tasks are best left to professionals, especially when they involve a complicated piece of equipment like a furnace. Having yours serviced once every year not only ensures the filters are clean for optimum airflow, but also allows for the early detection of any problems. This can help save on maintenance fees down the line.

Learning how to DIY basic upkeep in your house and around your property is a smart move that can save you money and prevent problems from developing. Local hardware stores and online videos from reliable sources offer easy-to-follow guidelines for many simple jobs. Call in the experts, however, when it’s time to properly clean your chimney. Blocked chimneys can trap carbon monoxide. During cleaning, professionals will also inspect your chimney to ensure it's structurally sound.

If you haven’t done so already, December is a good time to prep your house and property for winter. Dry fall weather is perfect for thoroughly evaluating weather stripping around windows and door frames or repairing leaks. Also, most home service professionals are back at work after their summer vacation, making it easier to schedule appointments.

Dedicating a weekend to resealing your own deck, cleaning gutters, or scheduling annual maintenance visits to service your HVAC unit can seem like a big investment of time and money, especially if nothing needs immediate fixing. However, keeping a maintenance schedule will help prevent small hassles from turning into catastrophic problems that require costly replacements and repairs. 

A home warranty, like the ones offered by American Home Shield^®, helps protect the items you rely on each day from normal wear and tear, like your appliances, plumbing, HVAC and more. When a covered item breaks, a qualified, independent professional will diagnose and fix the issue. 

Home warranty plans can’t offer coverage for municipal systems, like sewers or power lines, but they can help with parts of systems and appliances inside your home. The American Home Shield ShieldSilver^TM plan offers coverage for parts of 14 major home systems, including air conditioners, garage door openers, and electrical exhaust fans. The AHS ShieldGold^TM plan covers parts of 23 appliances and home systems, including refrigerators, plumbing, and water heaters. AHS ShieldPlatinum^TM plan provides peace of mind by covering parts of 23 major home systems, plus roof leak repair coverage and more. As a benefit to select plans, AHS members can video chat with live repair Experts to help assess or fix issues over the phone.