Maintaining your Florida home is important year-round to make sure that your home is in the best condition for you and your family. So we’re here to bring you a custom Florida home maintenance checklist!
Florida is known for being hot, and humid and buggy for the majority of the year, all of which can cause concerns for your home.
Here is a checklist of 5 things you should be doing regularly to keep your home looking its best and you feeling your best!
1. Keep the Inside Tidy
While this might seem like a no-brainer, it is easy to let the tidiness of your home slip when you are busy.
Keeping your home tidy is important for your health and cleanliness, however – a cluttered and unkempt home is inviting to pests and that is the real reason you should keep your home mess-free.
Appliances should be wiped down frequently, especially appliances for food! This will deter pests from coming inside your home since there is a lack of dust and food residue left on the surfaces! Make sure to clean:
- Blenders
- Coffee machines and teapots
- Microwaves
- Ovens and stovetops
- Dishwashers
- Refrigerators
- Toasters
2. Inspect the HVAC
The HVAC system in your home is an important component that should have regular maintenance. Since Florida is warm year-round, A/C units are used frequently, if not constantly.
You should change and clean HVAC filters regularly, some experts suggest that filters are changed monthly. However, this is circumstantial and depends on the condition of the filter!
If you look at it and it looks relatively unchanged from when you installed it, you can leave it until it starts to show signs of wear.
For people with pets and allergies, it is recommended that you change the filter more frequently to avoid allergens from being reintroduced into the air.
3. Check the Foundation
Checking the foundation of a home is something that a lot of people forget to do frequently, but in a rainy and humid climate like Florida, it is important to check on!
Repairing foundation defects can be expensive, so catching them early can save you a lot of money. When checking the foundation, you’ll want to look for:
- Water damage
- Cracking at or around the base
- Shifting cement
- Loose bricks
- Mold or mildew
- Cracks indoors on the walls
4. Maintain Your Pool
Many homes in Florida have backyard pools to make cooling off on the hot days convenient right at home. However, since Florida doesn’t have cold winter months like other states, winterizing the pool isn’t a necessity and many pools are utilized year-round!
This means that it is important to remember to clean and work on your pool throughout the year!
Check the water levels regularly so that it doesn’t overflow from rainwater, and that the levels don’t get too low from long hot days causing evaporation.
It is recommended to keep a cover on your pool when you are not using it. This will not only help keep the water clean but will keep debris and pests from getting in and damaging the pool’s filter. Animals like raccoons and cats can also fall into the pool, so keeping it covered will reduce the chances of animals drowning in your pool.
5. Test Safety Devices
Safety devices like smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors should be checked and tested regularly. In the event that there is an emergency, you’ll want to know that your devices will alert you in time.
Change out old batteries if they haven’t been replaced within the year. Test these devices at least every couple of months to make sure that they are working properly as well!
If you have other safety devices such as security cameras or alarms, test these as well to make sure that your home is protected!
