Home Maintenance

A senior’s number one concern is housing. Protecting this asset requires regular home maintenance. What are home maintenance tasks? If they’re not done, what are the consequences of not doing them? What do they cost?

Experience Doing Home Maintenance

If you’re raised in the city by a professional, you may have no experience with home maintenance. You never climbed on a roof to remove leaves, spent weeks raking fallen leaves around the house, or prepped a water feature for seasonal closure. If you grew up in a suburb or a rural area, you might have childhood memories of spending hundreds of hours every year helping your father (or mother) doing these and other home maintenance tasks.

Is Home Maintenance Difficult?

Home maintenance for anyone can be a struggle. Home maintenance for seniors can require a staff of workers. Ignorance or avoidance will not immunize you from the costs of home maintenance. Neglected costs have a way of catching up to the homeowner.

Maintenance tasks are covered below. If you own your property, or are required to maintain the home you rent, the lists below give you an idea of what you should be considering when staying in a home as you age.

Organizing Home Maintenance Tasks

To understand home maintenance it helps to think in terms of tasks, and the frequency you need to ensure the tasks are done. Below, we look at tasks divided into frequency: monthly. seasonal and annual.

Monthly Home Maintenance Tasks

If you’re an active senior, you can find lots to do all month long in the area of home maintenance. Here are a few of commonly recommended monthly maintenance tasks for seniors.

Rodent Damage Mitigation

Most home insurance policies don’t cover damage if it is caused by something that has been happening for than 14 days. Rodents often create holes and tunnels that allow water to seep into your home. That water can create damage over months and even years. Finding the start of that damage is your responsibility. If you don’t find it, and it has been ongoing, the damage caused is your responsibility. Moles and rodents create tunnels into your home. You need to inspect monthly for these and fix them. Rodents often eat their way into your attic or basement. You need to inspect monthly for these and fix them.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

HVAC refers to the different systems in your home used for moving air between indoor and outdoor areas. It includes both heating and cooling. These systems keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They also filter and clean indoor air to keep you healthy and maintain optimal humidity levels. These systems have filters that need to be regularly checked. If they’re dirty they need to be cleaned or replaced.

Leaks

Look for leaks around sinks and toilets. Leaks are costly. Excessive leaking can cause structural damage.

Home Inspection

Walk around your house and any outbuildings. Look for problems with the roof, vents, foundation, gutters, and drainpipes.

Grout & Calking

Grout and calking are used to stop water from penetrating into areas where it can cause damage. Cracks and missing grout in the bathroom or kitchen can lead to expensive damage. Check grout and calking and repair or replace when problems are found.

Kitchen Vent & Hood Filter

Grime and grease collect here over time. It’s common for fires to start in this area. Check frequently and clean or replace if needed.

Smoke & Carbon-Monoxide Detectors

Test monthly and change batteries frequently. Many seniors let smoke detector go untested because they are on the ceiling or difficult to reach. Get someone able to reach them safely to regularly check and maintain them.

Seasonal Home Maintenance Tasks

In addition to monthly tasks, there are seasonal tasks. Here are a few commonly recommended seasonal maintenance tasks for seniors.

Winter

Most seniors hunker down over winter. Not seniors doing maintenance tasks. Winter is the season for seniors to get busy.

Sump Pumps

If you live in an area that gets a lot of water and you have a basement or crawl space you have or should have a sump pump to pump accumulated water out of that area. Make sure the pump is on. Pour a little water into the sump pump crock to test that the pump is working. Also check the backup battery backup system.

Ice Dams

Ice is frozen water and if that frozen water lodges someplace on a roof or wall that impedes the proper draining of water, you get what called an “ice dam.” Ice dams allow water to stay in places where it should be draining, or reroute into places where it shouldn’t be going. In both cases the water can cause serious damage. Walking around your house during winter can assist you in identifying ice dams. Sometimes, you can see the effect of an ice dam in the form of water spots and stains in unusual areas. Always have these checked out and fixed.

Drafts

Seniors are usually on a fixed income and don’t have lots of extra money. Drafts cause higher heating bills. Home areas between you and the cold, like doors and windows should stop the cold from coming into your home. However, in many places cold air slips in around doors and windows. You can feel the cold in the form of a draft. You can usually find drafts by creating smoke from a burning cigar or incense stick and moving the smoke around the perimeter of your door or window. If the smoke goes straight up, there isn’t a draft, if it moves in other directions it’s because air movement (draft) is detected. Drafts can be eliminated or minimized by using weather stripping or calk.

Foundation Vents

These vents create ventilation and allow for air flow circulation. In winter, some people recommend closing these to stop cold air from coming into your basement or crawl space. Closing the vents can help lower your heating costs. Before you do, make sure these vents are not going to create other problems.

Covering HVAC Systems

Some people recommend covering air conditioning units in the fall to prevent leaves and small sticks from getting inside. If you do cover your unit, check with the manufacturer on the proper way to use the cover. You can get covers at home improvement stores.

Spring

Springtime usually brings warmer weather and a great time to catch up on maintenance tasks. Some of these are related to the winter you’ve just endured, others are not.

Roof

Winter storms in colder climates come with snow and ice. These elements often damage roofs. Roofs are often made of materials like shingles that are susceptible to storm damage. Thoroughly check your roof when winter ends, and you can see your roof or get to places where you can. Use binoculars, and don’t try and access via ladders and lifts. Many seniors get injured from trying to inspect their roof by getting to their roof. If you see damage, call a professional roofer for assessment and quotes. Most home insurance covers roof storm damage.

Gutters

Winter storms and cold weather often cause ice build-up and push debris into unwanted areas. These can have bad effects on gutters causing them to sag, crack, loosen, and break. When gutters don’t do the job they were designed to do, the water they diverted can go places that cause damage. Damaged gutters need repair. If there is water that has been flowing to the wrong places because of this damage, track where this water has gone and check for damage.

Driveways & Sidewalks

Freezing temperatures, ice and snow can cause driveways and sidewalks to buckle and crack. Cracks and buckles can become hazards. They should be found and repaired.  

HVAC Systems

Summertime is coming and having an effective and efficient air conditioning unit is important for cool air at the lowest price. A system tune-up can determine how effective your system is operating, the need for freon and whether your system has leaks. Always use a trained professional.

Drafts

Check for drafts again. Just as cold air gets in, so can hot air. Also, drafty homes don’t hold cooled air as efficiently as properly sealed homes.

Summer

Summer brings lots of maintenance demands. Many are related to the rain, growth, and heat associated with summer.

HVAC

Grass, weeds, shrubs and trees often grow around outside HVAC components. This growth can impede and damage HVAC components. The growth should be trimmed and debris cleared.

Decks & Gazebos

Over time weather damages decks and gazebos. Sealants evaporate and erode. Wood splinters. Nails separate from wood. Inspect your decks. If the wood is beginning to show its age, summer is a good time to do work. Take the time to tap down any protruding nails. Sand any rough areas. To help preserve the wood, apply a coat of stain or sealant.

Siding

Exteriors are covered with all sorts of materials including vinyl, wood, stucco, brick, stone and fiber cement. They all get dirty and damaged over time. Regularly pressure washing these surfaces (per manufacture recommendations) is a great way to minimize damage. When cleaning, make sure you or the person doing it looks for cracks, soft spots and any other signs of problems.

Foundation & Crawlspace

For seniors, one of the most expensive areas of their homes can be foundation cracks and damage. Examining the foundation and crawlspace for cracks can identify areas that need repair. Checking basements and crawlspaces after heavy rains is a good time to see if your drainage is working properly.

Irrigation Systems

Irrigation systems should be shut off and turned on. During this process, they should also be tested for damage. Leaks in irrigation system can result in very large water bills. If you get a large bill because of a leak, most utility companies have a method for reducing this bill as long as the damage that caused the leak is mitigated.

Fall

Fall offers seniors an opportunity to prep the house for colder weather. It’s also the perfect opportunity to deal with all those leaves.

Fireplaces & Heating Stoves

It’s no secret fires are easiest to start where fires are already burning. This makes fireplaces and heating stoves, especially susceptible to starting fires. These fires are caused when proper maintenance and repairs are neglected. Much of these neglected repairs result in flues getting clogged, or creosote (flammable substance) to build up. Inspections prior to starting the first fire of the season is a best recommendation.

Gutters

Winter is coming. Removing all debris that can obstruct draining or trap snow and water during the winter is important to help alleviate and minimize damage.

HVAC Systems

Check your HVAC system for issues. Fall inspections minimize winter heating problems.

Hose Bibs

Hose bibs, especially those outside, without frost-free design, can easily freeze and potentially burst. It’s a good practice to drain their connecting lines and shut off their water supply.

Exteriors

The ground that meets your house is graded or should be to channel water away from the home and foundation. Checking these areas and removing any debris or blockages can help minimize water getting into your basement or harming your home’s foundation.

Annual Home Maintenance Tasks

Seniors also should keep in mind these year-round maintenance tasks.

Clothes Dryer Exhaust

Your clothes dryer exhaust is a hose that should be directed to release outside your home. Lint often builds up in the hose, or where the hose dumps out. This can affect the dryer’s efficiency. It also creates a fire hazard. The hose and vent should be inspected and cleaned or repaired if needed.

Garage Door

Seniors love garages. They allow them to get out of the elements. Often garages are connected to homes and allow you to unpack groceries indoors rather than out. Garage doors fail. They break. Garage door maintenance (replacing light bulbs, greasing springs, etc.) can prolong operations and make it easier to operate. Failed garage doors can strand a senior outside, on ice or in hazardous conditions.

Hot Water Heater

Maintenance can eliminate and minimize collection of sediment in the bottom of the heater. Draining the water and allowing it to refill can extend a heater’s longevity and efficient operation. If you don’t know what your doing, have a professional perform this type of maintenance.

Termites

Termites can cause serious home damage. Homeowners’ insurance usually doesn’t cover this damage because routine inspection catches this peril. It is critical that you inspect your home for termites.

Septic Tank

Septic systems require maintenance. Maintenance includes a variety of techniques including using shocks or enzymes designed to keep lines from clogging; keeping drain fields clear; and pumping sewage from the system.

Home Maintenance – Summary

These are a handful of the maintenance tasks that homeowners need to perform. For seniors, maintenance can be more than they can handle. If each task takes a few hours, you’ll need to commit a hundred hours or more for maintenance. More problematic, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it might be 300 to 400 hours. If you hire out the maintenance you’re likely to pay several thousand dollars.

Actual Home Maintenance Costs

Seniors need to have some idea about costs. Many seniors that have fallen into ill health believe they have no housing costs.

Our house is paid for; we have no housing costs.
Most Elderly Senors

That’s not true. Maintenance costs are real, and avoiding them increases the risks of catastrophic events.

When you do it all yourself, you absorb the costs. When you hire someone, you need to come up with the money. Rule of thumb costs for home maintenance are $1-$2 per square foot. If you have land that’s critical to the property, or a number of other structures or a pool on your property, you might be better off using 1.5% – 3% of home value (home plus land). Here are some rough estimates of home maintenance costs.

Annual Home Maintenance Costs

Estimate for annual contracts with service providers (range mostly due to cost differences by location).

Rodent & Pest Monitoring & Mitigation

Costs: $250 – $1,000

HVAC System Maintenance

Costs: $225 – $600

HVAC Optimization & Draft/Sealing of Doors & Windows

Costs: $1,500 – $5,000 (added to above)

Routine Monthly Walk Arounds

Costs: $250 – $500.

Grout & Caulking

Costs: $225 – $1,000

Kitchen Vent Hood Filter

Costs: $500 – $1,500 (when needed)

Smoke & Carbon-Monoxide Detectors

Costs: usually included with HVAC system monitoring, otherwise $20 – $45 per system.

Tree & Shrub Management

Costs: annually $750 – $2,500.

Mold Review

Costs: Annual mold review. $200 – $500.

Mold Remediation

Costs: $500 to $2,500.

Seasonal Tasks

Winter

Sump Pumps

Costs: basic maintenance $25 – $100; replacement $250 – $1,500

Ice Dams

Costs: see routine monthly walkarounds

Drafts

Costs: see HVAC optimization services above

Foundation Vents

Costs: see routine monthly walkarounds. Add $50 – $100 for closing and opening vents.

Covering HVAC Systems

Costs: see HVAC optimization services above. Add $50 – $200 for installing and removing HVAC covers. Add $25 – $50 for cover purchase.

Spring

Roof Evaluation

Costs: $100.00. Often free if repairs are needed. Repair costs $250 – $1,200

New Roof

Costs: $7,500 – $75,000

Gutters Declutter Service

Costs: $150 – $500.

Driveways & Sidewalks

Costs: see annual walk around above.

HVAC Systems

Costs: see annual system maintenance above.

Drafts

Costs: handyman service if drafts detected – $150 – $500.

Lawn Mowing

Costs: $50 – $100 a month.

Summer

HVAC

Costs: see annual system maintenance above.

Decks & Gazebos

Costs: pressure wash $150 – $1,000.

Siding

Costs: pressure wash $250 – $2,000.

Foundation & Crawlspace

Costs: handyman service if drafts detected – $150 – $500.

Irrigation Systems

Costs: annual start and shut down service $150 – $450.

Lawn Mowing

Costs: $50 – $100 a month

Fall

Fireplaces & Heating Stoves

Costs: see annual maintenance and cleaning $200 – $1,200.

Gutters

Costs: gutter declutter service $150 – $500.

HVAC Systems

Costs: see annual system maintenance above.

Hose Bibs

Costs: handyman service for hose and bibs – $50 – $100.

Exteriors

Costs: see annual walk around and pressure wash above.

Lawn Mowing

Costs: $50 – $100 a month

Leaf Removal

Costs: $100 – $1,000.

Annual Tasks

Clothes Dryer Exhaust

Costs: handyman service $50 – $100.

Garage Door

Costs: handyman service $50 – $100.

Hot Water Heater

Costs: handyman service $100 – $200.

Termites

Costs: review $75 – $100 | preventive annual maintenance $200 – $800 | extermination via tenting $1,200 – $5,000.

Septic Tank

Costs: annual maintenance $100 – $250 | pumping $350 – $600 | drain field clearing $150 – $350.

Specialty Costs

Pool Cleaning

Costs: monthly cleaning costs $80 – $200.

Pool Opening & Closing

Costs: seasonal opening and closing, $600 – $1,200

Pool Simple Repairs

Costs: repairs if needed $150 – $1,200

Ponds & Water Features Maintenance

Costs: monthly maintenance costs $50 – $200.

Ponds & Water Features Opening & Closing

Costs: seasonal opening and closing, $600 – $1,200

Ponds & Water Features Simple Repairs

Costs: repairs if needed $150 – $5,000

Summary

The point of these maintenance tasks for seniors is threefold. First, they are important to keep your home safe and operational. Second, performing them on your own is arduous at best, and really dangerous at worst. Third, maintenance is really expensive.

This Section also demonstrates the cost and effort related to maintenance. A realistic view of maintenance is a main reason many seniors downsize as they get older, or choose to move into assisted living facilities.

Other Resources On Home Maintenance Costs

See this extensive seasonal home maintenance checklist here.

See this site for routine home maintenance here.