Hi lovelies,

Home maintenance should consume between 1 and 3 percent of your property’s total value every year. If you spend less than that, you’re more likely to run into issues and your home could even lose value when you come to sell it. 

In this post, we take a look at some telltale signs your home needs maintenance. Here’s what you need to know. 

You Have A Leak
Water leaks can cause tremendous damage to your home. Once it gets inside your property, it can lead to mold and even structural damage. 

Most leaks occur in the roof. Therefore, you should regularly inspect your attic for dampness. 

If you can’t see any dampness, don’t assume it’s not there. Smell for any mustiness and call a professional to conduct additional checks. 

You may also have a slow leak in one of the water pipes leading to your home. In this situation, leaks usually show up as discolored patches on the wall. You’ll need to take the damaged section of pipe out and replace it with a fresh one. 

Your Air Quality Is Poor

Poor indoor air quality is usually the result of dirty filters or ducting. Sometimes, breathing in smells heavy, almost foggy – nothing like mountain air. 

The solution is to change your filters and clean out your ducting. Small improvements can improve indoor air quality dramatically. 

Your Air Conditioning Can’t Maintain A Constant Temperature
Air conditioning systems work beautifully when first installed. They deliver a stream of cool, refreshing air to your body, day and night, keeping you remarkably comfortable.

Unfortunately, they also have a lot of moving parts. And that means you can wind up with a broken system if you don’t maintain them regularly. 

If your thermostat is all over the place, it’s a sure sign there’s something wrong with your HVAC unit. Usually, it means there’s a problem with the thermostat unit itself, or it could be that the equipment in your home can no longer regulate the temperature. 

The solution is usually pretty simple: find the best HVAC company in your area and get them to install a new one. That will solve the problem 90 percent of the time. 

Other problems include variations in room temperature (some are hot, others are cold), and changes in the way your home smells.

Your Floorboards Creak
Creaky floorboards aren’t always something you need to worry about. However, if the creaking gets worse over time, it could indicate you have a termite problem. These insects feed on compounds in wood and can chew right through it over time. If holes start developing in your flooring under your carpets, call in the professionals. 

Your Energy Bills Are Rising
Inflation is causing everyone’s energy bills to rise at the moment. But if yours are going up more than average because you’re using more energy, it could indicate an issue with your home’s insulation. 

Check your cavity wall and attic insulation is still dry. Then look around the edges of your window frames for gaps. They may be letting cold air into the home.