Our home is the center of our family – we eat, sleep, play and sometimes even work there; but are we overlooking the much needed care that it takes to keep a house safe? All homeowners should perform scheduled maintenance inside and outside their home to keep it running in tip top shape.
Walking through someone’s home for the first time really gives you a sense of who they are. Different colors on the walls, special amenities, the bathroom, bedrooms and kitchen – they all say something about its owners. It is the one place where a person can find safety, security, relaxation and companionship; so why are so many allowing their home to slowly fall apart around them?
That’s not to say that your house will cave in at any moment; but a home is not only a home – it’s an investment. And all investments require maintenance in order to keep it at market price or better.
Think about it in this context – if your house was a car, it would need regular oil changes every 3,000-7,000 miles, tune ups, brake replacements, tires and other failing equipment when the old ones wear out and a good cleaning every once in a while. Keeping with the scheduled maintenance allows your car to run even longer than imagined. You can say the same thing about your home. Disregard maintenance, and you may be paying a large price on new appliances, roofs or other big ticket items.
Another to look at it would be treating your home like a friend. Friends provide you assurance, companionship, honesty and fun times; but you have to nurture the friendship. We do this by investing time in our special relationships, which, in turn, maintains the friendship. And just like a friend, your house needs a little time from you too.