Our homes are a significant investment, so we must ensure they are in tiptop conditions by performing general maintenance tasks. If you’re buying a house for the first time, protecting its value is crucial to obtain a good amount of money when you decide to put it on sale.  
However, most homeowners forget about this and don’t maintain their homes by overlooking routine maintenance, decreasing their overall value. After all, being a homeowner isn’t just about having a roof over your head.  
It is also about doing your due diligence and maintaining your home the correct way. It takes a lot of time, money, know-how and effort, which at times can be challenging.  
Timely maintenance on your house allows you to reduce higher maintenance costs and keep your wallet intact. With that in mind, whether you’re buying a home for the first time or the tenth, you have to consider a few maintenance tasks that need immediate attention.  
So, without further ado, let us look at a few home maintenance tasks that you shouldn’t ignore as a homeowner.  
Inspect your water pipelines.  
There is a chance that your home’s water pipes are worn out, especially if you live in a house built around the 1980s. Rust and dirt might have attacked your home’s water pipes and caused them to disintegrate and leak.  
However, if you don’t get to these leaks on time, it results in water damage which can be detrimental to your home’s structural health. For example, water can make its way through the floor, walls, or ceiling and damage your home’s structural integrity.  
So, whether your water pipes need new spiral wound gaskets or a complete replacement job, get to it as quickly as possible to avoid higher repair costs in the long run.  
Check your refrigerator.  
Your refrigerator is probably one of the most used appliances inside your home throughout the day. So, it will be worthwhile to check on it now and then to ensure that it keeps running like brand new. That said, it is easy; all you need to do is unplug it and clean the coils on the backside.  
Also, it would be wise to check its hinges and seals so that the door can easily open and close without letting out cold air. Lastly, ensure that your refrigerator’s interior temperature remains 37 or 40 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if it doesn’t, chances are the heater element is busted and requires replacement.  
Check your smoke detector’s batteries. 
Smoke detectors are a vital part of your home’s safety and security features. Its sole job is to inform you of an impending fire. However, dead batteries inside a smoke alarm or detector can cause it to malfunction or not operate properly, leading to fire hazards in the future.  
So, it is vital to check it once and then to ensure that it is operational and the batteries are fully charged. After all, you wouldn’t want to have a busted or dead smoke alarm while you’re sleeping, and a fire suddenly ravaged your home, would you?  
So, whether your smoke detectors need new batteries or replacement, consider doing it as soon as possible.  
Fix or fill grouts.  
Cracked grouts are something that you should never ignore. However, if you fail to get to them on time, they will get worse. Therefore, when you notice grout cracks inside your floor or walls, you should fix them ASAP as delaying will typically result in moisture getting trapped inside the cracks, leading to mildew and mold. And such issues will cost you a pretty penny to fix. 
Hence, when you notice gaps or cracks, consider filling them out by doing it yourself if you have the proper knowledge, materials, and tools. However, if you don’t, consider hiring a professional to repair these grout cracks and gaps to protect your home integrity.  
Spruce up your yard.  
Home maintenance shouldn’t be limited to your home’s interior. But, in the end, its exterior also deserves the same love and attention. Now is the right time to tend to your home’s yard, including foliage, trees, and bushes that are too close to overhead powerlines.  Moreover, if you live in hurricane or tornado-prone areas and you don’t trim them regularly, chances are a hurricane or tornado will damage your house, injure someone or lead to a power outage.  
A perfect tip here is to pick a pleasant day, grab your sheers and get to work. However, if you don’t have the tools necessary to do the job, hire a professional gardener to take care of the trimming and cutting for you.  
Clean your carpets.  
Between harsh winter storms and the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us prefer staying inside our homes. However, all that indoor stay is makes our carpets dirty. So, performing a deep clean on your home’s carpets is a task that might be more common these days than others.  
After all, our homes have been doubling as recreational rooms, offices, and classrooms, which will surely bring tons of dust inside.  
That said, anybody can clean a few stains and spots. But, in this case, you need to give your carpet a deep clean to get the most life out of them. Purchasing and using chemical-based cleaning products will ruin your carpet, so the best option is to hire a professional carpet cleaning service to take care of the deep cleaning for you.  
Give your water heater a flush.  
We take hot showers for granted, primarily when our water heater works overtime during the winter season. However, if you haven’t been flushing your water heater once every six months or after the winter season ends, the liner inside its water tank will contract or expand, leading to leakages.  
Moreover, gunk buildup can lead to dirty water entering your water pipes and clogging them up. So, get to your water heater as soon as possible if you have the equipment and the knowledge. Sure it will cost more money if you hire a professional, but it’s worth it. 
Conclusion. 
You might have already created a maintenance checklist but tucked it away somewhere. However, now is the time to take it out and do whatever you can to ensure that your house is a safe and comfortable living space for you and your family.  
Consider the home maintenance tasks mentioned above, grab your tools, and get to work today.