Top 3 benefits of a home maintenance log

by Bob Hummer 05/16/2023

Top 3 benefits of a home maintenance log featured image

Owning a home takes much patience, attention to detail and a bit of work! Over the years, different areas of your house may need upgrades or repairs, features may need continual checking to ensure they work properly and cleaning may need to be done regularly. 

Keeping a home maintenance log is a great way to keep up with the ins and outs of your property and store valuable details helpful for the future of your home. 

Keeping track of upgrades

Let’s say you upgrade your kitchen appliances to more energy-efficient devices. Keeping track of these upgrades is beneficial for several reasons: 

  • The recipient can help you keep track of the warranty. 
  • Keep track of dates for servicing records. 
  • You'll need the owner's manual if troubleshooting is needed. 
  • Note home improvements to highlight the increased value of your property. 
  • If you plan to sell your home, leaving this info for the buyer will know when you purchased the appliance and how much energy it saves.

Convenient record of service visits

Perhaps you have a furnace that requires servicing annually, or another appliance that needs frequent upkeep. Recording when you have parts replaced, receipts, and prospective dates of the next service can help you keep features of your home organized and well-kept. 

Highlight and map areas of your home 

Some areas of the home are more tedious to keep note of. For example, it can be difficult remembering where the septic tank is when it's time to have it pumped clean again, especially since it may not need servicing often. 

However, writing down its location and logging it into your home maintenance binder can help you keep track of it. You'll want to include the locations of water shut-off valves, well caps and gas mains. 

By tracking your home maintenance in a binder, you keep key pieces of information noted and secure in case it’s needed for future use. Consider keeping both a physical and digital copy in the case a physical copy becomes lost or damaged.


About the Author
Author

Bob Hummer

Bob Hummer brings a wealth of experience with him; a practitioner in real estate in Northern Virginia since 1978, a Life Member of both the Million Dollar Sales Club and the Top Producers Club with over 2,500 Satisfied Families and President, Prince William Association of REALTORS in 1991. His experiences range from helping buyers and sellers attain their goals; to renovating historic homes on Capitol Hill; to counseling and assisting homeowners facing the loss of their home due to foreclosure. Since 1996, he has presented his free monthly Home Buyer and Home Seller seminars at the Woodbridge campus of Strayer University. In June 2023 he completed the Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist course and was awarded the designation CPRES. His goal is to assist individuals who inherited real estate and wish to sell. A former "Military Brat" and a retired Air Force Hospital Administrator, Bob has made more than 26 moves during his life and is extremely familiar with all aspects of a family relocating - whether it is across the street or across the nation.