There are a few things I know. Problems will not fix themselves. Small problems will get worse. And, it is far better to prevent problems from developing. The answer, Preventative Maintenance.
How do you do that? Simple. First, periodically, say once a month or so, look around your property. If you are an apartment dweller, just take a glance around. Do you see any frayed wiring? Is your refrigerator making strange noises? Is the air conditioner acting erratically, or, more importantly, does it have a lot of built up moisture. While you're at it, change or clean that AC filter. If it's cold out, check your heat source. Make sure you are seeing no drips around your washer and dish washer and, if either is rattling or clunky, get them checked out.
Do you see any little water spots on your ceiling? Apartment dwellers, call your maintenance staff and bug them until they look at it. Home owners, if you are able, and feel comfortable doing it, check out your roof. If not, call a roofer. Small repairs are quick and cheap. Large ones are not.
Keep your roof's gutters unclogged. If you live where there are serious storms, keep trees properly pruned. If you have a nice garden, check your sprinklers every week or so; it is easier, and, again, cheaper than having to replant parts of your garden or lawn. If you have a swimming pool check the chemicals daily and the flow rate weekly. Once a pool is out of balance, it can be nightmarish to rebalance it.
If your toilet is not flushing correctly, go ahead and fix it and, if you are a home owner, periodically have your drain lines cleaned, either by machine or with one of the many chemical drain cleaners available. I am sure you will not enjoy having your toilets back up.
Take care of your car. Check fluids once a week and do not skip scheduled maintenance, such as oil changes, belt replacement and tune ups. Do not ignore any little drips you see. They may indicate a serious problem.
Most of all, keep your property and belongings clean and neat. People will be surprised just how much this will improve the functioning of autos, appliances and your home in general. Preventative Maintenance does not have to be a huge chore. Just, on a routine basis, give your place a few minutes attention and you will save yourself a world of time, expense and aggravation.
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