Keeping your home in its best shape isn't just having the HVAC maintenance folks over twice a year (although that is a great start.) In addition to that here are five things every home owner should do once a year!
1. Gutters--May want to higher someone if you have a two story home. However, the amount of leaves, dead critters, and more that gets trapped in our gutters needs to be cleaned out.
2. Carpets/Curtains/Furniture--You can alternate carpet cleaning, with one or the other, if you aren't seeing a lot of traffic through the house (read: pets and kids.) Depending on the fabrics a professional steam cleaning service could tack care of all three but a dry cleaner may be needed for the curtains. Allergy sufferers will thank you for this task!
3. Drawers and Closets-- Empty and clean out every last one. Purge as necessary and repack neatly. Clean orderly drawers and closets can save you money as you will know exactly what you already have in home. It might also discourage picking up stuff just because its on sale. YOU HAVE ENOUGH STUFF! Go room by room and take on only one room in a weekend if that helps.
4. Tree Trim--Some times it is only the little branches on the inside that need to go to allow more sunlight to reach your yard. You may also want to check with a professional Arborist for bigger trees. Healthy trees mean great curb appeal and energy saving shade for the home but unhealthy trees scream a disaster waiting to happen.
5. Windows--Cleaning the inside and outside of your windows is one of those tasks you won't really appreciate until it is done, but once you do it you'll understand why it is needed.