Whip your home into shape

“Maintenance” is a word that gets a lot of play in homeowner circles. Most of us long for things that are low maintenance, even no maintenance. We avoid things that are high maintenance.

Opinions vary, of course, but maintenance shouldn’t be considered a dirty word. And the expression “no maintenance” is a bit of a myth, unless you own a condominium, and even then it’s only the outside that is no maintenance to you.

It’s a privilege to own a home, and taking care of your home will prevent costly repairs in the long run. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone, addressing a maintenance task is something you won’t regret.

Even if you can’t get to something right away, prioritize your list and then work down it as you can.

Following are tips you should keep in mind:

•Clean your gutters. Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro, this job needs to be done.

•Inspect your roof. “I encourage the roof inspection every year,” says Jim Peatman, president of Classic Handyman, a Nashville, Tenn., service that handles a variety of home maintenance and repair projects. “Think about the roof over your head; it’s protecting everything in your home.”

Peatman says his employees make a point to do a no-cost check of the condition of a roof when they’re cleaning or repairing gutters.

•Keep your landscape neat. Trim shrubs so they’re not blocking windows; remove overgrown shrubs; freshen the mulch in front of your home.

• Keep exterior doorframes and trim freshly painted. You might need to simply clean your door and trim, or you might need to get the paintbrush out of the garage and do touch-up work.

•Divert water from your house. Go outside your home when it rains and pay attention to the water leaving your gutters.

It should be going several feet away from your foundation.