Everyone has had that gut-sinking moment when something breaks and you know you’ve got to fix it. Now. Maintenance and basic repairs around the home can be a pain, but being prepared makes the fix fast.
Maintenance
The best way to avoid a big fix and make keeping your home easier is to perform regular maintenance on your home.
Sit down, make a list of all of the things that need to be maintained in your home. Think about air filters. Think about light bulbs that need switching. Think about anything that needs to be done regularly so that a problem doesn’t arise.
Once you make your list, make a schedule for maintenance around your home and really stick to it. Making sure things are in good, running condition means that you’re solving problems well before they become big problems.
If you need help making a list of maintenance for your home, walk around your home with a seasoned homeowner. They’ll be able to help you create a complete list.
Get Organized
If the garage is piles of tools that you can’t ever really dig through, it’s time to get organized.
If you’ve got a sander that’s still in a box, and sandpaper stuck in your laundry room, and the extension cord in your shed, it’s time to get organized. If you’re generally a really disorganized person who panic fixes things halfway because they can never find the right tools, it’s time to get organized.
Having a really clear organizational system for your tools takes a lot of the stress out of fixing and maintaining your home. Find a system that works for you and the way that you think and the way that you work for optimal success.
Brush Up on Your Skills
If you’re not particularly handy, or you’re looking to learn a new skill, take a class. Find a local class that teaches the skill you’re looking to learn, or even check to see if a college near you offers classes that you can audit as a non-student.
Learning skills ahead of time is a really great way to find a fun, new passion and to make sure that you’re prepared for when disaster strikes and you got to redo drywall your wall.
Sometimes, even rubbing shoulders with people in the trade you’re looking to learn can open opportunities for you. You may be surprised just how many people are willing to teach you their skill if you’re willing to learn.
Set Your Toolbox Up
Especially if you’re new to the fixing, or your new homeowner, we recommend setting up your toolbox before you’re in the middle of an emergency. Make sure you have basics in there like nails, screws, hammers, wrenches, and clamps. And any other things that you might need around your home.
When you’re putting together your toolbox, take a walk around your house and look for potential problems. Will you need to shut off a valve that requires a special wrench? Is there a stair in your home that just keeps breaking every time you walk down at? What will you need to fix that?
Being prepared with the tools and supplies that you will need before something ever breaks is the best way to make sure that you have fast fixes around your home.
Stock Up on Supplies
We like to keep some basic supplies around the home for home repairs throughout the year.
We sat down and made a list of all of the supplies that we use regularly to fix up our home: Nails, screws, putty, and even things like WD-40 and Bondo. Then, we stocked up on those supplies. Another really important supply that we like to keep around our house is touch-up paint.
Whether you’re a new build or an older home, your paint is going to get scratched up and you’re going to need to touch up your paint probably a few times a year. We keep a gallon on hand, but you can definitely get away with just keeping a quart.