After living in the same property for a decade, you might think you’re an expert at taking care of your home by now. And you’d probably be quite right!
You know your home better than anyone else, meaning you know when a new crack has appeared, or something isn’t behaving the way it should. Things like funny smells and flickering lights are annoying issues from time to time, but overall, your home is in pretty good condition thanks to your efforts!
But now that 10 years have passed since you first moved in, there’s every chance your home could be in need of some pretty strenuous upkeep. Day to day maintenance takes the edge off, and you haven’t run into any major trouble thus far, and we want to keep it that way.
As such, here are the maintenance checks every homeowner should do once a decade has passed in their home. Some big jobs could be on the horizon, and getting round to them ASAP will ensure you have the budget, time, and energy to complete them properly.
Remember, the better you take care of a property, the longer you’ll be able to live in it! Plus, well maintained properties retain their value at a much higher level, and you could want to sell one day.
Double Check The Plumbing Pipes
How is the plumbing holding up? After 10 years, the pipes in your home could look a lot different to the way they did when you first moved in. This is especially true for any home that’s had plumbing repair work done in the past; if something has had to be fixed before now, make sure this is the first task on your decade list.
However, before you give anything the once over, be sure to turn the main water valve off! You don’t want to unscrew and fiddle around with things while the flow is still on. A big jet of water might just explode in your face!
Go inside and outside for this one. Start with the bathroom and see if anything is out of shape, discolored, or has been sounding a bit ‘rattly’ in recent weeks. Move down to the kitchen and see if the sink’s u-bend pipe is clear, and if there’s any build up on the inside.
While you’re here, make sure the appliances connected to your water are in good condition too. Limescale can very easily coat the dishwasher and washing machine when you’re not on the lookout for it.
When you head outside, check that your external drains are in good shape. There’s a lot that can clog up and ruin drains when they’re exposed to the elements, and you don’t want that becoming an even bigger problem in a year’s time.
Survey The Roof
If it’s been a decade since you moved in, the roof on your house could be in need of some desperate care right about now. There’s a very good chance it’ll still be in good condition, especially if your home was brand new when you bought it, but it’s always better to be sure.
To survey the roof, make sure you’ve got the right ladder to use, as you don’t want anything slipping or not securing properly. Once you’re sure it’s affixed in place, and you don’t mind taking a look yourself, check for things like rips, holes, tears, and anything that looks like it’s missing.
You could also cut out the guesswork here and go straight to a residential roofing contractor. Not only can you hire someone like this to actually fix, maintain, and replace a roof, but they’ll know the signs of damage to look for as well.
If you’re concerned you’re not going to spot everything that could mean trouble in the near future, this is the way to go. Otherwise, if your roof still looks good and there’s nothing obvious going on, head back down the ladder and then give it the once over from the inside.
You can do this by heading up into your attic and scanning the ceiling. Once again, you need to be on the lookout for holes and tears, but you can also take the time to look for signs of water damage, rot, and even pest infestations too.
See If Your Guttering Is Holding Up
The guttering that keeps rain water from flooding your home is a crucial part of the overall structure. When anything from the sky comes down and hits the roof, the gutters are what carry it all away down the drain. And remember, it’s not just water that tends to be unleashed on the top of our home!
Hail, grit, salt, leaves, and literally anything the wind can pick up and blow your way can end up in the gutter. If the debris in question is too big, it’ll just get stuck, but if the gutters can’t drain enough with enough force, things can pile up and become a problem over time too.
You might not even know there’s a problem with your external drainage until the water starts overflowing, and that might start to come through the walls of your home. Damp patches may appear, the smell of mold might fill the air, and your guttering system may appear bent and broken from the outside too.
So, make sure you check the gutters as part of your 10 year maintenance plan too. See if the gutters are properly connected, nothing has come loose, and there are no blockages to get rid of.
Refit Windows And Doors
You won’t need to tear your windows and doors out completely, but by now they may have become a bit loose. All that opening and closing, often being slammed shut (especially if the wind has caught an open window a few times before!), will have left its mark over the years.
And that mark often takes the most toll on how well the frames still hang. There could be splinters in the wood, the screws may have come loose or even bent over time, and every time you shut the door/window, you have to wiggle it into place. Not only that, but when you want to open them again, there’s a stiffness you have to combat too.
Check if this issue is present in your windows and doors, and then take them down, refit the frames by tightening them up, replace any screws or hinges, and then pop them back into place. You can also use this as an opportunity to see if exterior doors and windows are properly sealed, and you can buy a sealant gun with a nozzle to fix any issues here.
Repaint The Exterior
Exterior paint can quite easily come away, even when you’re using a high quality paint that’s made for being exposed to the elements. The walls may become scratched up over time, especially if you live in a hard soil area, and when you go round the house, you may be able to spot plenty of flecks of paint missing from the spackling and/or siding.
If that’s the case, make sure you clear a couple of days to repaint the outside of your home. You may also wish to lay new wall coatings; if your home is over the age of 50, this is a good thing to do every once in a while anyway.
All in all, repainting the exterior will give the house a a new lease of life, and you certainly won’t feel any shame in your overall curb appeal.
Do A Very Deep Clean
Even when we clean the house day by day, grime can build up. As can grease and dust, the latter of which is the main offender we’re talking about here.
Dust can collect anywhere, and without taking a moment to wipe a cloth over the top of the bookshelf and underneath the washing machine every single day, these buildups simply cannot be helped!
Because of that, feel free to do a very deep clean at this stage. It’s been a decade since you moved in – why not celebrate by cleaning up just like you did on your first day?
Maintenance Checks After A Decade: Get Round To These Jobs ASAP
Get them out of the way and you’ll have another stress free 10 years ahead of you! Properties can really take a hammering when they’re permanent residences, and even though you take good care of your home in the meantime, some damage just can’t be avoided.
Take your time doing the checks we’ve listed above, and if need be, feel free to hire a professional to come out and take care of the problem for you. Sometimes DIY skills are not enough, and when it comes to an area like your roof, it probably isn’t safe to do the work yourself.
After all that, feel free to relax! Your home has everything it needs to stand the test of time from here on out.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.