Follow This Annual Home Maintenance Checklist Now to Avoid Big Bills Later

No one likes spending money on home maintenance — it's why people always joke about the joys of homeownership. But dedicating dollars to home maintenance tasks is one of the smartest homeowner money moves you can make.

These sometimes tedious projects aren't as fun as wallpapering a bathroom or getting new light fixtures, but they're exactly what will save you money so you can spend on exciting projects later.

From recaulking your bathtub to cleaning your refrigerator coils, this simple month-by-month checklist will help you stay organized. It will help you remember which appointments to schedule and which DIY maintenance to tackle.

Kick the new year off by jump-starting your annual home maintenance with a look at your pipes. This is the time of year for frozen pipes, so you want to make sure yours are insulated correctly and in tip-top shape.

Look for any damage to pipes and then check your water heater. Flush it to prevent sediment from building up.

This is also a great time to start your quarterly maintenance, like changing HVAC filters.

You should check drains in your bathrooms for clogs monthly, but February is when you can do a deeper dive into the plumbing.

Flush your garbage disposal in the kitchen. Clear mineral deposits from showerheads and faucets in the bathrooms.

If you live in a snowy or rainy area, this is a good time of year to pay attention to the yard. Make sure you don't have pooling or flooding after the snow melts.

As winter begins to release its grip, it's a good time to do a top-to-bottom check of any damage that may have happened throughout the coldest months.

Look for missing shingles, damaged outdoor faucets, and issues with shutters and other outdoor elements. Assess where you'll need to make improvements in the yard in the upcoming months.

Daylight savings is also a good reminder to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Before it gets too hot, schedule an annual HVAC tune-up. The last thing you'll want is to realize your air conditioning isn't working when you've already reached that first hot day in May.

This is also a good time of year to check on window screens and make any necessary repairs to outdoor living spaces like decks, patios, and pools.

May brings sunny days when you want to be outside, so it's a great time to turn to those outdoor items on your annual maintenance list.

This is when you should touch up the siding as necessary, check the sprinkler system, and clean the gutters.

Nobody wants ants marching through their summer salad, so use June as the month to tackle pest maintenance. 

That means scheduling everyone from the pest service that takes care of common household insects to bringing in someone for an annual inspection for termites.

You can also spray for mosquitos and take action to prevent furry rodents from showing up for the summer.

June is also a good time to look at outdoor items like driveway maintenance and getting ahead of damage and cracks before they become a real issue.

Summer can bring extreme weather, so it's a great time to look at the weather stripping on your windows and doors.

This is also when you'll want to reverse the direction of your fans and change AC filters monthly rather than quarterly since the system is being run more often.

Use this time of year to tackle indoor maintenance projects like repairing bathroom grout and recaulking around the toilet and tub.

September still feels like a fresh new year start, long after you've been out of school. Use that feeling to get ahead on deep cleaning your home in August.

Make this the month you get the rugs and carpets cleaned, the exterior of your home power washed, and do a deep clean of all your kitchen appliances, including the fridge and its coils.

This is the second time in the year that getting the HVAC tuned up is critical, except this time, it's ahead of using the heat.

September is also a good time to have someone inspect the chimney and make sure it's in working order before you light it on that first crisp night.

Throughout the fall, it's important to keep leaves at bay so the gutters don't become clogged.

October is also when sprinkler systems should be drained and turned off so they don't become a freezing hazard throughout the winter months.

With the clock falling back, it's another reminder to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. 

November is also a good time to ensure that your oven is in working order ahead of the holiday season and that your furnace is ready for the coldest winter nights.

December is one of the twinkliest seasons, so it's a good time to check your light fixtures and confirm that each is functioning properly.

Then, prepare your home for frigid temperatures by resealing your windows and ensuring the insulation can withstand freezing winds.

Check that your attic is properly insulated and insulation hasn't been knocked out of place throughout the year. Additionally, bring in a pest service to guarantee that mice won't try to make your home their winter home.

Investing in maintenance is the best way to keep home maintenance costs down. The best way to avoid wasting money is to proactively address an issue rather than waiting for it to bubble up and need immediate remediation.

However, the amount of maintenance required can seem overwhelming. That's why sticking to a month-by-month schedule can help you stay on track and prevent homeowner problems before they become problems.