Ways to make upkeep more manageable so you can enjoy your home more

For first-time and long-time homeowners alike, property upkeep can feel like too much. Too much maintenance that takes too much time and too much money. If you feel overwhelmed by home maintenance, step back and reassess your approach. Here are ways to make it more manageable.

Cut yourself some slack

Keeping up a home is taxing, especially when it’s in addition to other responsibilities like family and work. Recognize this and cut yourself some slack. Unless you’re in an emergency situation, it’s okay to step back from home responsibilities for a bit. Give yourself credit for the things you have done before turning attention to what remains on the to-do list.

Reassess unfinished projects

Do you have unfinished projects that have just blended into the background? Maybe it’s a room that’s all painted except for the trim. Perhaps you took down a light fixture and never installed the new one. No matter what the project is or why it’s not finished, do you really want to continue living with it?

When reassessing incomplete projects, decide two things. First, will you complete the job yourself or hire someone to finish it? There’s nothing wrong with bringing in help. Second, establish a deadline for completing the project. Due dates really do help get things done. Sometimes it helps to plan something fun just after the deadline to stay motivated. For, example, you could reward yourself for getting that trim painted with a pizza party.

If it feels hard to face an unfinished project, imagine what it felt like the last time you did finish a project, whether it was DIY or hired out. Satisfied, right? Now imagine how you’ll feel when you get the current undone job out of the way. Envisioning success can help you reach your home goals.

Get clarity on priorities and budget

Not knowing where to start can lead to not starting a task at all. To get clarity on where to begin, identify which home projects are needs and which are wants. For example, fixing the roof leak is a need, while updating the kitchen cabinets is a want. List all your projects in order of priority from first to last and estimate how much each will cost.

Once you have a prioritized list, it’s time to figure out how to pay for those projects. Will you use a credit card or tap into a home equity line of credit (HELOC)? Maybe you’ll decide to save up and complete projects when you have the cash. There’s no right or wrong way here, but having priorities and budgets written down helps create a path forward.

Break projects into smaller tasks

One reason many of us get overwhelmed with home projects is trying to do too much at once. Make projects more manageable by breaking them down into smaller tasks.

Let’s say you want to paint a bedroom; here’s how you could break it down:

• Get paint samples and choose the new color and paint finish
• Buy paint and supplies
• Prep the room
• Paint the room and clean up
• Re-assemble the room

Spread these five tasks out over time, maybe a couple of weekends, and the job won’t feel so demanding.

Are there structural issues? Set up a cleaning schedule

Do you recall the organizing advice about having a place for everything and putting everything in its place? You can apply the same logic to home maintenance tasks; instead of having a place for each, you’ll assign a time. In other words, you’ll make a schedule.

Start with a list of jobs that need to be done regularly and seasonally, like changing the HVAC filter, cleaning out gutters, checking smoke alarm batteries, etc. Once you have your list, assign dates for each task and add them to your calendar.

Also, if you share your home with other able-bodied folks, enlist them to help.

Take time to enjoy your home

When planning a home maintenance schedule, set aside project-free time. Maybe you designate one weekend a month, or even a whole month, to take a break from upkeep. One of the best parts of being a homeowner is taking time to enjoy your home sweet home—don’t miss out on it!

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