How to Set Up a Home Maintenance Schedule

Sooner or later, everything needs a little TLC. Whether it's your brand new riding lawn mower or the furnace that you keep praying will make it another year, everything needs some routine maintenance and care. By providing items with general service and upkeep, they will usually last much longer than those things you neglect. And the best way to ensure that you take care of those expensive and usually necessary items is to set up a maintenance schedule.

A maintenance schedule will help keep you on track as to when something needs to be done. Whether it's changing the filters in your furnace or changing the oil in the lawnmower, keeping to a schedule will help ensure that you don't put these things off too long.

To begin setting up your yearly maintenance schedule, you will need to purchase a large, three ring notebook, one that you can add pages to as you need them. This will become your Maintenance Log Book. Buy some of the page dividers with tabs so that you can easily find the items you need to service or repair. On each tab, write the name of an item. For example, the first item might be the lawnmower.

On the first page behind the tab or even on the tab page itself, write down information concerning the lawnmower. The date and where it was purchased might go on the first line. Add the model number and serial number on the second line. Other pertinent information such as the spark plug type and number, the oil filter number, the air filter number, the size and number for the tires, and even the battery type could be listed. This will provide quick and easy references when you need to know these things.

You could also purchase some clear, zippered pages and put invoices or receipts, warranty information, and even service manuals if small enough in them. Keeping all this information together makes it much easier to locate when it is needed.

Next, begin a page with the date the item was purchased and what maintenance it needs and how often. You can usually find maintenance suggestions in the owner's manual. This will help determine your schedule. For example, the lawnmower was purchased in July of 2010. You would write: Purchased-July, 2010 on the top line. Divide the rest of the page into columns and head them with such things as: oil change, air filter changed, and new battery. Since it is usually a good idea to service your lawnmower before you begin to use it each year, you might want to schedule the servicing for the month of April.

By scheduling maintenance and servicing on various items at different times, you don't get overwhelmed all at once. Using a notepad, jot down lawnmower and April on it.

Finish setting up a maintenance schedule for various items around and in your home. These could include changing the furnace filters, cleaning out the gutters, servicing the weedeater, having the chimney cleaned, and changing the batteries in smoke alarms.

As you set up the schedule, jot down on the notepad the best month or months to do each job. Once you have all the items listed, you can then organize it onto a handy chart. Simply divide the chart into twelve months and list what needs to be done under each month. Hang this chart in the garage or tool shed. Attach a cord or strong string to the Maintenance Log Book you created and hang it right next to your chart. As you complete each chore, log it into the Maintenance Book. You now have an accurate record of all maintenance and service work done on each item.

By creating a schedule for maintenance work you help ensure that you won't forget to take care of those things around a home that help keep it running smoothly.