Maintenance is the key to home value retention and is the most overlooked aspect of home ownership. Having a list of regular maintenance tasks makes scheduling and budgeting easier for the homeowner.

Few home owners enjoy maintenance and even relatively simple though essential tasks tend to be deferred. A spring and fall cleaning of the roof gutters, for example, is a critical must for home maintenance - and one of the most overlooked.

Regularly testing sump pumps, making sure dryer vents are lint free and changing HVAC filters are all tasks a typical homeowner can comfortably perform. If a home owner is conversant in servicing a boiler, furnace or air conditioning system, fantastic! Based on experience, a professional mechanic brings a critical eye to a regular service call and is generally worth the expense. Service contracts for mechanical equipment are invaluable to maintenance.

Regular maintenance by a trained mechanic keeps this furnace operating. The blue flame indicates complete combustion.

An OSHI Maintenance Report will distinguish between the essential and elective repairs and identify which elements or systems are in need of more regular annual or bi-annual servicing, which elements need immediate attention and which should be regularly monitored so any change can be addressed before it deteriorates beyond repair.

Maintenance which can be performed on a longer interval is also identified and recommendations are made based on the condition at the time of the inspection. The color of paint is certainly an aesthetic choice, but the reason for paint itself is functional, protecting whatever it is applied to from decay or rusting.

The real downside of deferred maintenance is that what started as a simple repair degrades the adjacent materials as well and presents a more complicated fix.

Having a maintenance plan based on a calendar of prescriptive measures can make performing the maintenance less daunting.