The best way to keep your home maintenance resolution

At the start of a new year, one of the best resolutions that homeowners can make is to regularly inspect and maintain their properties to ensure that everything stays in good working order.

"This will not only help to prevent major issues from developing and possibly requiring expensive repairs, but will also increase the safety of your home - and its value whenever you decide to sell it," says Gerhard Kotzé, CEO of the RealNet property group.

"And the good news is that if you have a regular maintenance plan, you will be able to spread out the upkeep of the property and reduce the time you need to spend on it each week or month. This is especially useful if you are working full-time and don't have many leisure hours available."

One example of a monthly maintenance plan is as follows:

- January: Tidy up the garden, especially if you've been away on holiday. Cut lawns and prune back any trees or shrubs blocking light from your windows. Check your outdoor / security lights and repair if necessary. Clean any accumulated debris out of gutters and downpipes.

- February: This is often the hottest month of the year in SA so it's a good time to check swimming pool pumps and filters and service them if necessary. Water restrictions can be a problem so if you have a borehole you should ensure that it is also working well.

- March: Review your water and electricity usage by checking your municipal bills and identifying the cause of any overusage. Check all plumbing fixtures including outdoor taps for leaks and monitor electricity consumption by big appliances like fridges, stoves and washing machines to see if they might need to be replaced with more energy-efficient models, or if you perhaps just need to use them more sparingly.

- April: Check driveways, patios and paths for any trip hazards and level and repair if necessary. If you have any thatched roof like a lapa, check it for any damage and do any rethatching required. Refurbish any outdoor features such as braais, firepits, and fountains, and check and treat any woodwork for termites. Clean out your gutters again.

- May: With the weather cooling down, now's the time to check the insulation in your roof and ensure that all doors and windows close properly to prevent heat loss from your home during winter. You should also replace any broken panes or cracked putty. You may also wish to consider installing a solar geyser or some solar panels to reduce your municipal electricity usage during winter and lessen the impact of loadshedding.

- June: Inspect your roof for any leaks, especially around chimneys and skylights and along flashings. This is usually a dry month and still warm enough to attend to any waterproofing or repainting that is necessary.

- July: This is a good month to clear out and reorganize your garage, sharpen your garden tools and declutter indoors. This will give you the opportunity to repaint or refinish any shelves, doors, cabinets and cupboards that need a refresh, and to reseal baths, showers and sinks where necessary.

- August: Tackle any exterior paintwork you want to do and sand and revarnish any wooden windows and doors. Test smoke detectors if you have them and replace the batteries. Inspect and clean any air conditioning units or heat pumps. Replace the filter in the extractor over the stove.

- September: Get ready for summer by servicing the lawnmower, inspecting and repairing irrigation systems and cleaning out gutters and downpipes once more. You may also wish to install one or more rainwater tanks to reduce municipal water usage during the hotter months and ensure that you are able to water your garden.

- October: Inspect walls and ceilings for any major cracks or signs of damp and attend to these as soon as possible. Serious cracks could indicate subsidence and damp could be the result of a geyser or plumbing leak so you may need expert help to fix these problems. This is also a good month to undertake any interior painting and tiling as needed.

- November: Review your home safety and security. Check that all locks function properly and replace any for which keys have been lost or misplaced. Check that electric gate and garage motors are functioning correctly and replace the batteries in your remotes. Check that your alarm system is working properly. Test all earth leakage switches. Check any gas installations for leaks have them repaired if necessary. Check pool fences and covers for gaps or tears. Create an emergency exit plan with your family and make sure everyone knows where to turn off the main electricity and water supplies in the event of an emergency.                

- December: This is the month when most South Africans take a well-earned break from work and if you've kept up with home maintenance throughout the year, you'll probably be able to take a break from that too - except for maybe cleaning and setting up your garden furniture. It is, however, still worth taking a look around once a week for any possible problems so you can address them as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.