One of the things I learned early in life was to make lists. Lists are good – they help you prioritize what you have to do, they help keep you on track, and its fun crossing off the task when you have completed it. I have found that when I make a list I get more things accomplished versus when I try to remember what I need to do.
This piece has to do with owning a home, however, if you are renting a home or renting an apartment, you can adjust the “home work” items to what you want to complete. When I first started putting this checklist together I wanted something that was easy to keep up with and could see at a glance how much work I would have to do.
I didn’t want to bite off too much so I ended up breaking it down by season – Spring, Summer, Fall/Winter. This seemed like a good method and I’ve been using it for over 10 years. As you’ll see on the attached file (downloadable for readers of Askingdad.com) Summer has the least amount of home work because in most areas of North America it is hot and you want to enjoy your summer. Spring seems to have more weekends tied up whereas Fall/Winter have more weekends where you can schedule to get your work done.
The list is not totally inclusive but it should give you ideas and thoughts of tasks you want to get done on your home each year. I’m sure you will be able to delete some tasks due to your specific home; same with adding new tasks that aren’t shown on the checklist. For instance, just this year I added “Clean vinyl siding” to the list. The good thing about vinyl siding is you don’t have to do it every year. This is the first time in 19 years I’ve had to clean it and there are products that make it easier than ever. Moral of the story: Be and stay flexible.
Quote of the Day: “Treat every person with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you. Remember that you show compassion to others not because of who they are but because of who you are.” — Andrew T. Somers
