Triangle Area Real Estate News & Information

Indoor home maintenance: Outsource or DIY?

Homeowners face a multitude of decisions as they manage their households. Whether it is regularly needed maintenance or special situations, homeowners will inevitably make decisions to either outsource or DIY the work themselves. New homeowners especially may be especially keen to save money at every opportunity.  Not all DIY maintenance work is created equal. The more experience with DIY will inevitably show you that, some jobs are better left to the professionals. In this blog, we will look at some common indoor home maintenance tasks that will make homeowners ask, “Should I outsource this home maintenance job or do it myself?”

Inside the Home

Some homeowners keep a regular schedule of tasks to maintain the inside of their home. We highly recommend making it a habit to keep a seasonal or monthly to-do list for things like checking smoke and carbon dioxide detectors. Picking up these good habits can save lives and they only take a few seconds to perform. Developing a list of “things to do” around the house may result in a very long list. Depending on who you ask, homeowners have different priorities. Here is our list of indoor home maintenance tasks that identifies what may be best to outsource or DIY.

Housekeeping

One of the more challenging maintenance tasks to keep up with is housekeeping. Homeowners consistently express feeling buried by the many tasks that make up keeping up with the home. You can get lost on Pinterest for years browsing through ways to manage your housekeeping needs. Here's a basic calendar that we like. 

One method we consistently see is breaking apart your housekeeping tasks by month and then seasonally. This method brings back some sanity as the tasks become more manageable and are spread across the entire year.

Good housekeeping practices improve the aesthetic quality of the home. If we allow dirt and grime accumulate over time, the degradation rate can increase. To mitigate the degradation, it is best to adhere to a regular cleaning schedule. We have shared an example of a popular cleaning calendar to help.

As the burden lessens, you will feel less pressure to outsource the work. According to HomeAdvisor.com, Americans spend between $116 and $235 per house cleaning service. Over the course of a year, this adds to up to tremendous savings for homeowners.

Cosmetic Touch Ups

 The surface cosmetics of the house require occasional   touch ups, particularly the paint in your home. Hiring a   painter can save you time, but if you have that to spare,   it is one task that can save you a lot of money if you   chose to DIY. Hammer and Mop has recommends a   schedule for how often you should paint your home and   it varies by room:

•  Hallways and corridors: 2-3 years
•  Bedrooms: 2-3 years
•  Living and dining rooms: 5-7 years
•  Kitchen and bathrooms: 3-4 years

 There are more cosmetic touch ups that you can DIY around the home over the course of months and years. Upgrades to fixtures are a great example that can improve the overall look of the home, and you can save a lot of money by replacing them yourself. Tasks that may be better to outsource are skilled jobs such as replacing hardwoods and tiles.

Appliances

Good appliance maintenance can keep them running smoothly and extend the life of the appliance. Failing to perform certain tasks can become a safety concern, such as cleaning the dryer’s exhaust. Most of us are not handy enough to fix broken appliances, and those tasks are left better to the professionals.

To avoid some of those major fixes, check out Huffington Post’s list of DIY Appliance Maintenance Tips and fixes to keep them running like new. Some examples include:

• Clean stove-top drip areas
• Clean refrigerator coils
• Inspect washing machine hoses
• Clean AC unit filters
• Check the oven seal to ensure it is tight

Plumbing and Electrical Tune Ups

One of the best home maintenance tips for plumbing and electricity is knowledge. There are some home maintenance tasks that we can DIY, but when it comes to emergencies, it is strongly advised to outsource plumbing and especially electricity jobs.

DIY plumbing and electricity jobs are the most common disaster stories that we come across. Homeowners trying to save money in this area often find themselves in a deeper financial hole because they do not have the expertise to do the job safely or correctly. Here are a few plumbing and electrical home maintenance tasks that you can safely DIY:

• Check and fix leaking faucets and showerheads
• Unclog slow drains
• Check exposed water lines and appliances for leaks
• Check that plugs and outlets fit snugly and do not make any buzzing or popping sounds
• Test your GFCIs every few months
• Label your electrical panel and make note of any areas that may trip more than normal

Make sure you have a good base of electrical safety knowledge and memorize the location of your main water shutoff to avoid catastrophic emergencies.

When in Doubt Seek Professional Advice

Every homeowner has a different budget, skill set, and comfort level when dealing with home maintenance. We work with many professionals in the Triangle area that can help you with any number of your projects. We know our contacts would be happy to answer any questions and pass along any advice they may have for your particular situation. At My NC Homes we love to help our friends and clients connect with each other to get the job done safely and effectively. If you need help or have questions, please give us a call, we are happy to recommend community specialists and services.

Co-authored by 3 Bossy Bees