12 Simple Ways to Maintain Your Dream Home

Whether you’re new to homeownership or a seasoned pro looking to sharpen your skills, these home maintenance tasks will keep your dream home in top shape. We’ll show you how to improve your home’s air quality, keep up with seasonal to-dos, and keep every room in your home sparkling clean. Plus, we’re also sharing cost-saving tasks and projects that can lower your bills and increase your home value.

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To illustrate how you can make your home better today, we surveyed real estate agents across the country on which home improvements add value, then partnered with a team of designers who breathed life into the stats. Tour our virtual home to see their work, then walk the gardens and experience an unexpected way to plant your landscape.

Keep your home in stellar shape by staying on top of seasonal maintenance tasks. Home improvement projects like cleaning out gutters, servicing the air conditioner, and refreshing exterior paint and stain are all smart to tackle during the spring months.

To keep your home clean and smelling fresh, you’ll want to change the furnace filter on a regular basis. Depending on the type of filter you have, it should be changed anywhere between every 30 days to every six months. We’ll walk you through the types of filters, how to change them, and other considerations that will keep your air clean.

When you own a home, repairs are inevitable—but they don’t always have to be costly or stressful. Instead of calling in the pros for a simple fix, we’ll teach you how to solve some of the most common home maintenance problems. Learn how to fix a running toilet, reset your breaker, snake a drain, and more.

Since you spend so much time in your home, make sure you’re paying close attention to the air quality inside it. We’re sharing everything you need to know about air purifiers, humidifiers, air filters, and other devices that can keep your home dust-free.

Make the most of your outdoor space by practicing regular deck maintenance. Learn how to clean and protect a wood deck with the right kind of tools and sealant, and find out why you should never use a pressure washer on it. We’ll walk you through how to keep your deck in top shape for spring and summer entertaining.

Heating and cooling an entire house can be costly—but there are a few ways you can lower your bill. We’re sharing our favorite energy-saving updates that are both environmentally responsible and easy on your wallet. Learn more about energy-efficient appliances, how to program your thermostat, when to replace your air filters to keep your costs low.

Whether it’s the kitchen sink or bathroom shower, small leaks are bound to happen from time to time. Learn the most common causes of leaks—including worn-out seals and clogged drain lines—and what you can do to prevent them. We also share six signs that can help you identify an unknown leak, so you can solve the problem before it escalates.

Spring cleaning can seem like a daunting task if you’re not sure where to start. Not to worry—we’ve got your back. Follow our simple guide to clean your home from top to bottom. Check off these 20 easy tasks to keep your home sparkling all season long.

Regular refrigerator maintenance can not only keep your appliance running longer, it can actually lower your electricity bill too. These seven simple tasks, which include cleaning the coils and changing the water filter, will help your wallet out in more ways than one.

Signing paperwork and collecting your keys aren’t the only things you need to do before moving into a new house. Before the moving truck arrives at your new address, you’ll want to check off a few home maintenance tasks. This will likely be the only time your house is completely empty, so take the opportunity to do a deep-clean, hire pest control, and have your air vents professionally cleaned. That way, you’ll have peace of mind knowing you’re moving into a sparkling clean space.

Not only is a generator extremely helpful in a weather emergency or power outage, it can actually increase your home value too. A generator can be a hefty investment, but you’ll have peace of mind knowing the increased property value can make up for up-front costs when it’s time to sell your home.

Protect your dream home—and everything inside it—with the proper home security measures. We’re sharing everything you need to know about security cameras, video doorbells, motion sensors, and keypad locks to help you decide which options are best for your home.