Maintaining a house in a tip-top shape requires a lot of time, money, and energy. Even if you love tinkering around, there will be days when you’re simply fed up with everything. To make matters worse, small maintenance mistakes, resetting the thermostat from Honeywell and negligence can prove to be costly in the long run.

“A minor leak can waste up to 10,000 gallons of water during a 10 to 12-month span,” warns Apple Plumbing AZ, a reputable plumber in Scottsdale AZ. No matter the case, you need to be very careful when handling the stuff around the house. Although most of us learn our lessons after a few years of being a homeowner, things can be rough at first.

In this article, we will go through 5 biggest blunders you can make when fixing your house and how to avoid them.

Create a schedule

Creating a schedule and sticking to it is crucial. Most of these fixes and maintenance should be done once or twice a year, so by simply being proactive and addressing issues as they appear, you can increase the longevity of various parts of the house.

We tend to become complacent when we buy a new house or when we replace an old roof or windows. However, even if something is a great shape, you have to consider that it can be damaged by weather conditions. For example, you might have a roof leak, but you haven’t noticed it because the water is dripping onto the attic.

Pay attention to the roof

Speaking of the roof, you need to check it once or twice every year. Ideally, you should perform scheduled maintenance after the winter season and prior to the rain or snow season.

Roof replacement can hit hard. It is the largest part of your house, and a complete replacement of shingles or tiles will cost you thousands and thousands of dollars. Furthermore, it is one of the first things that people will notice when passing by your home. So, keeping your roof in good shape also provides an esthetic benefit and, as such, can be crucial if you wish to sell the property.

Another thing worth noting is that the roof keeps your entire house safe. Like windows, it provides insulation. Holes in your roof can lead to enormous heating bills, which is why it makes financial sense to address the issue as soon as possible.

Winterization for the pipes

Whether we’re talking about pipes or other water-reliant systems, a homeowner needs to secure them through winterization. Ice is especially disastrous for pipes, sprinklers, and the pool. In some cases, the damage can affect the other unrelated systems.

The problem with these things is that they can go unnoticed. This is especially true of the sprinklers. We might not even notice the damage to the system until the spring. Whatever the case, make sure to perform the necessary steps to increase their protection.

Foundation can also cause problems

Foundation is literally the last thing we think of when it comes to house maintenance. This is simply because foundation issues are rare, and we cannot see them. However, if you built a house in a region where there is a lot of draught of rain, or if your foundation is at an angle, you might encounter issues sooner than later.

As you well know, water can completely demolish your base, causing massive cracks within it. Similar can be said for when the ground is too dry. In most cases, homeowners will notice the issue due to cracks in the walls. The foundation damage can also result in water pools, sloping floors, or you might struggle closing doors and windows.

Ideally, you shouldn’t settle on risky ground. If your house is already compromised, you should administer prevention measures that would protect the foundation.

Septic system can cause a mess

There are still a lot of houses in the US that are not attached to public sewage. They rely on septic tanks for all their needs, and with that, they have a specific set of challenges. You need to consider these tanks as a specific type of processing plant; they are meant to separate solids from fats.

If your toilet can’t flush or you start sensing a strong odor, there is a good chance your septic system is not working as intended. Given that a new septic tank can cost tens of thousands of dollars, it is much better to perform regular inspection and maintenance to prolong the life expectancy of the current one.