5 basic repairs you should make to your home today

If you're a homeowner, you know that the job of properly maintaining a fully functioning, comfortable house is never truly over. If it's not a leaky faucet that needs fixing, it's missing shingles on the roof, a worn-out carpet or any number of other things — ranging from small to major — that may demand your attention.

However, there are some things you can do in your home right now, with relatively little difficulty or know-how. And the good news is, you may be able to make some big changes to your everyday life without a big effort. Read on for just a few helpful tips on this front:

1. Cleaning or replacing coils, hoods and air filters

As you no doubt realise, there are a lot of appliances, electronics and even components of vital home systems that have a lot of air intake and which get dirty over time, according to Money magazine. Something as simple as vacuuming up all the dust and debris that builds up around your refrigerator coils and cleaning off the filters in your range hood and air conditioners can help ensure they work as well as they can, for long as possible. And with particularly old filters, it's better to just swap them out for new ones.

2. Keeping your gutters in good shape

If your home has gutters, you probably know how important it is to keep them clear of leaves and other debris, especially if there's rain in the forecast this autumn. But you should also inspect them every few months or so. Make sure there are no leaks or dents and that water continues to flow through them exactly as you want it to. If not, it's time for repairs or even replacement.

3. Getting your toilet working properly

If you have a toilet that never seems to flush properly or just runs for too long, there's probably something wrong with it mechanically. Bob Vila recommended that you learn how to assess these issues and, upon opening the tank, know how to fix them. Fortunately, many basic toilet fixes are very simple to complete with just one or two household tools. This will help you save quite a lot on calling the plumber or buying a replacement.

4. Caulking window and door seals

An often-overlooked aspect of keeping your home in good shape is ensuring the air you pay to heat or cool actually stays in the home. Unfortunately, there are many small cracks or holes that can open up around windows and doors over time, so particularly in older houses, this might be an issue. Go around your home and carefully look where doors and windows meet the wall. If you spot even small fissures, seal them up with some caulk and you'll be in great shape.

5. Eliminating kitchen odours

Finally, this is more of an annoyance than a mechanical problem, but it's a persistent problem nonetheless: Sometimes, your dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave or sink can get a bit smelly, Family Handyman explained. When there are tiny, old food scraps lying around in their various components, that's creating the smell, but cleaning them out shouldn't be too difficult.

These kinds of repairs are a good idea no matter what your situation as a homeowner may be, but they will be particularly important if you are planning to sell in the next few months or more. And when you do that, you also need to make sure you're working with a talented, experienced real estate professional who will help you make your home as presentable as possible before a sale, and then guide you through every step of the process. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you.