It feels good to live in a home that’s sturdy, convenient and elegantly made. Unfortunately, if not regularly maintained, things might start to fall apart. This doesn’t only apply to appliances or furniture at home that are used on a daily basis. Even the sturdiest stone walls and concrete floors erode if not given the proper attention it deserves. This is why maintenance is important for houses and lots.
While it seems that regular maintenance costs a lot, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Prevention is better (and cheaper) than cure after all and it’s certainly easier to have a wall reinforced than to totally build a new one
So in order to preserve that feeling of safety and comfort for your home and to not spend too much on repairs, here’s Greenfield’s Guide to maintaining your house and lot in Laguna.
Make A List
First and foremost, it’s important to know what items need to be maintained, how frequently they need to be maintained and what requires more than the usual effort in maintaining. Open up a Google Spreadsheet, list down these items and mark them according to their frequency and urgency.
As for the items however, you can start out with these: Utility (where electricity and water fall under), Roofing, Walls, Flooring, Furniture, Appliances (where you list individual items) and Others (where pest control and other items come into play).
Here’s a sample maintenance spreadsheet.
| ITEMS | FREQUENCY OF MAINTENANCE | NOTES |
| UTILITY | ||
| Electric cables | Annual | No need for replacement. |
| Breakers | Annual | No need for replacement. |
| Electric Sockets | Annual | Socket in bedroom malfunctioning. Ask admin for help. |
| Light Bulbs | Bi-Annually |
|
| APPLIANCES | ||
| Water Heater | Bi-Annually | N/A |
| Vacuum Cleaner | Weekly | N/A |
| Stove | Monthly | Cable needs replacement. |
| FURNITURE | ||
| Tables | Daily | Need to get alternative cleaning solution |
| Chairs | Daily | Need to get alternative cleaning solution |
| Cabinets | Daily | Need to get alternative cleaning solution |
Create A Schedule
After coming up with a list, create a new sheet that contains your scheduled maintenance. For walls, floors and roofs, it might make sense to schedule maintenance at least twice per year. Considering how the Philippines is a country that’s very much affected by typhoons, it’s advisable to have those maintained on a more regular basis than usual.
Furniture, appliances and everything in the interior need to be maintained on a more regular basis as these are used more often. For doors, shelf or cabinet covers or drawers, having their gears lubricated can help them stay in tip top shape.
Paint, wallpaper and other items that beautify the home and don’t necessarily contribute to the structural integrity of your home can be maintained less frequently than the others.
Audit Everything
After putting up a list and a schedule, audit everything. It’s important to keep track of how your home items look in terms of numbers. For instance, in terms of electrical consumption, how much of it goes to which appliance? Is there a way to minimize or make energy distribution more efficient?
Another example would be light bulbs and how often they need to be changed. How many light bulbs does the house have? Do you subscribe to a particular brand? How about pipes? Which ones need replacing? How often do they need to be replaced?
Associating a number to these items helps you keep track of your efforts in maintaining your home. After all, you can’t improve or optimize something that you can’t measure.
Coordinate With Your Property Manager
For items that require more specialized attention, you might want to coordinate with your property manager. As an example, for pest control, your property manager might have favored suppliers who can help you get rid of pests and other similar concerns.
Check to see if some items that require maintenance need a clearance from your property managers too. Other than the fact that you can get referrals for services that specialize in a particular kind of maintenance, you can also be sure that you’re not potentially breaking anything.
That about wraps it up for this guide to maintaining your house and lot in Laguna. If you have any questions about maintenance or would like to inquire about houses and lots, visit Greenfield’s website at https://greenfield.com.ph/. You may also contact +63917 534 7336 for more details.