By Evelyn Long, editor-in-chief of Renovated

Finding ways to lessen one’s impact on the environment requires diligence. Constantly replacing items due to lack of proper maintenance results in waste and excess energy usage, making it crucial to focus on property upkeep.

Repairing parts of a home and doing preventive tasks keeps a property looking better, saves money in the long run and prevents environmentally unfriendly replacements.

Why Should People Practice Home Upkeep?

People on a fixed income and young families may find it difficult to keep up with the hidden costs of owning a home. Forbes reported data showing the cost to maintain a residential property is around $1,180 per month.

The costs of products and services have risen drastically, straining some people’s budgets. From Q3 of 2022 to Q3 of 2023, the average price of home maintenance increased by $400. Still, homeowners will save more over time if they stay up on basic tasks, because the cost of replacing a furnace, roof or window may be far higher than doing small repairs every year. Keeping things in good repair also helps reduce environmental impact in numerous ways.

Essential Home Maintenance Tasks

Here are some of the tasks homeowners should add to their list of to-dos.

1. Inspect Appliances

Poorly maintained appliances may use more energy and break down more easily, requiring replacement parts. Every few months, pull out the fridge and clean off the coils and the area behind it. Dust and debris can impact efficiency.

Check and clean the fridge’s door seals at least monthly. Doors must seal tight to create the most energy-efficient appliance possible. If the unit works too hard because of dirty coils on the back or faulty seals, the fridge may need to be repaired or replaced, resulting in seeking manufactured parts. Manufacturing facilities create significant waste and use tremendous energy to produce products.

2. Inspect Doors

People should take time to inspect every door in the home. A lot of air escapes around cracks that can be easily sealed with some weatherstripping. A maintenance list should also include inspecting garage doors for damage. Check to make sure that the garage door lays evenly against the floor and that it does not make grinding or scraping sounds when opening and closing.

Simple solutions such as adding a screen door to protect the front door from the elements can reduce energy usage and pay for themselves through lower utility bills. The house will have a tighter seal, reducing the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling and decreasing the homeowner’s carbon footprint.

3. Maintain HVAC System

A home’s heating and cooling system can determine how much energy people use during particularly hot or cold seasons. One basic maintenance task that helps the unit perform optimally includes changing the furnace filter every month or so, depending on how many people and pets live in the house and the amount of potential dust.

Hire a heating and cooling specialist to check freon levels and make sure everything functions as intended once a year — usually just before cold weather hits. They can replace hoses and top off fluids to ensure the unit runs as intended and typically extend the system’s life.

Regular inspections are critical with gas furnaces, as leaks can allow carbon to seep into a home, creating a potentially deadly situation for residents.

4. Analyze Insulation

It’s easy to forget about the insulation in a home, as it only needs to be checked every 10 years or so. However, any type of insulation can settle and create spaces where cold air gets into the attic and makes the house less energy efficient.

Homeowners can climb into their attic to see if the walls are covered with insulation and what shape the material is in. Newer types include spray-in foam, which may last longer. However, homeowners with insulation rolls and blow-in solutions may want to top them up every so often to reduce heating and cooling costs.

Insulation may also become damaged during storms if the roof leaks or pests get inside. Most homeowners try to inspect their attics annually or when they notice a problem, as things can change rapidly and create bigger issues.

If the home has a crawl space or basement, pay attention to how well insulated it is. Exposed pipes should be wrapped to prevent bursting in cold weather, too.

5. Check Window Seals

Strong window seals prevent unwanted air from coming inside the home. Unfortunately, older or lower-quality windows may have deteriorating seals. Some signs of broken seals include condensation on the inside of windows or air blowing around the window edges and entering the room.

Many window manufacturers offer warranties and send replacement seal kits free of charge or for a small fee. Homeowners can also buy window weatherproofing kits that cover the entire window and seal tight with the heat from a handheld hair dryer.

Another option is adding insulated window coverings to keep some of the elements out and retain heating and cooling in the room. Replacing faulty windows can be quite expensive. MarketWatch estimates a window replacement is between $300 and $500 per window. Replacing the windows as a DIY project runs about $100 per window and offers a more budget-friendly solution.

6. Consider Landscaping

Keeping the outside of a home well-maintained and adding plants makes it look appealing and also improves energy usage. Shade trees can reduce the impact of the hot sun and minimize cooling costs in the summer.

In addition to using shade to reduce energy consumption, landscaping can work with the natural flow of water to prevent homeowners from using too much H2O for watering the lawn and plants.

People who love the Earth and want to protect it can take things a step further by adding wildflowers for pollinators and birds and using only natural products that won’t leach into the soil or streams. For example, they can buy mulch made of recycled materials.

7. Clean and Inspect Roof and Gutters

As mentioned above, a leaky roof can impact a home’s insulation. It can cause damage that leads to expensive repairs or results in mold growth if left untreated. Before winter and again before rainy days hit in the spring, people should take time to clean out gutters and make sure they function properly. Homeowners should also inspect the roof for missing tiles.

Go inside the home and look for spots on the ceiling indicating leaks. Most gutter repairs can be done by the homeowner, but calling in a professional is necessary for bigger jobs, like fixing the roof. Repairs and regular maintenance are far less expensive than replacing a full roof. Most roof tiles will last 20 to 30 years if taken care of properly.

Those who have invested in solar panels may need a bit more maintenance to make the most of the alternative energy source. The company that installed the system should provide details on when it should be inspected and what to do if there are any problems.

When it’s time to replace a roof, one can expect to pay $10,000 or more, depending upon the square footage and roof pitch. Many homeowners consider adding solar panels at this time, as the project already has high expenses, and they may receive tax rebates for using green energy.

8. Prevent and Fix Leaks

Add checking pipes to the annual maintenance list. Leaks will run up a water bill and cost homeowners more money, and excessive water consumption can negatively impact local resources, especially in areas prone to drought.

Little leaks are easier to fix when they first start, but if left unchecked, they can turn into larger and more expensive repairs. The environmental impact of a little pipe thread sealant is minuscule compared to completely replacing PVC pipes.

For homes with a sump pump, checking that it works properly is crucial to prevent flooding or other issues that can lead to costly repairs in the future.

9. Look at Water Heater Function

Water heaters require significant energy to heat water and are employed often, as people use them when they fix dinner, do laundry and shower daily. Turning the water heater temperature down by a few degrees can prevent scalds and also saves on consumption.

Some local utilities offer rebates for heaters using geothermal energy. They might offer a discount for installing a timer that only heats the water at peak usage times for the household and shuts it off when the family is out of the home for the day or sleeping overnight.

10. Clean out the Pantry

Cleaning out the pantry might sound like a minor thing. How can it reduce waste? When combined with smart products and using items less detrimental to the environment, a regular spring cleaning of the kitchen and laundry areas can make an impact.

Replace plastic containers with glass ones. Rather than buying some items in small plastic packages, buy in bulk and store rice, beans and cereal in food-grade plastic buckets.

Replace laundry detergent containing chemicals with more natural options or detergent sheets that have less impact on the environment. Recycle any cardboard boxes or plastic. If everyone would participate in a pantry clean out and cleanup, Mother Earth would be healthier for all.

Check Off a List of Tasks

The best way to stay up on home maintenance and reduce waste and energy usage is to keep a list of items to check off each year. Time has a way of slipping past, particularly for busy people. A checklist kept in a location where the homeowner will see it, or a digital calendar on a smartphone, reminds a person to do the basic tasks that keep a home functioning the way it should. Then, repair and replacement costs can go down, along with the residents’ carbon footprints.

About the Author

Evelyn Long is a writer and the editor-in-chief of Renovated. Her work has been published by NCCER, Build Magazine and other online publications.