Now is the perfect time for these do-it-yourself maintenance projects that can potentially save you thousands of dollars. Home maintenance is like housework, flossing, and exercise. Work it into your routine, because the penalty for not doing it is worse than the job itself.
Following are some cheap and easy home projects that make your home feel new:
- Paint – Fresh paint doesn’t just make your home look great — it’s also a protective skin against damaging UV light and moisture.
- Mulch – Laying a 1- to 3-inch layer of mulch on garden beds will quickly spruce up the area around your home’s exterior. Mulch has other benefits. It spares you from having to do a lot of weeding since mulch smothers weeds by depriving them of oxygen and light. It also holds moisture in the soil, saving water and giving plants a consistent source of moisture.
- Clean gutters – You may be able to do this job yourself and at little or no cost. Rent or borrow a solid ladder tall enough to do the job safely. Enlist someone to stand on the ground and steady it while you work.
- Caulk – Caulking around windows helps cut heating and cooling bills by keeping indoor air in and drafts out.
- Inspect and clean the dryer vent. Do this job for fire prevention. Although you probably clean your dryer’s lint trap after each load, lint still builds up inside the machine and duct. Remove the lint filter and use a long-handled vent brush to clean as much of the cavity as you can. Carefully clean behind the machine without disturbing the vent attachment or gas line.
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