The design of your home, on the surface, is about its physical appearance. What most people don’t think about, as they choose materials and design their exterior and interior space, is the degree of maintenance their choices will require. To decrease your home maintenance, remember these three courses of action!

Use Better Materials

You have the chance, in your home design, to decide much about your home maintenance by the materials you choose. For exterior materials, there are lots of options that are more resistant to the weather such as metal roofing, vinyl siding and windows, and even irrigation systems for your landscaping. On the interior, no-grout materials for shower walls, scratch-resistant flooring , and stainless steel appliances all work in your favor to needing to do fewer repairs less often.

Protect Surfaces

Long term, there’s no way you’ll avoid stains and scratches if you haven’t taken precautions to protect your surfaces, leading to a lot more maintenance later on. Granite countertops should be sealed after installation and should be resealed every two years following. If you don’t, they may get stained and scratched beyond repair. Also, don’t forget surfaces beyond just your countertops. Invest in paint finishes on your walls that you can wash off dirt and crayon marks from without damaging the paint itself. Even your floor will need sealing every couple of years, depending on the kind you get, so make sure to keep up with these things so that there aren’t bigger repairs and maintenance to do later.

Follow the Manual

Every appliance and large fixture in your house requires maintenance, but you can avoid the worst of the big problems just by reading and following the manual. Often, there are many small details and advice in the instructions that, if followed, will save you money long term and ensure your home retains value without requiring large repairs down the road. It’s a good idea to make a folder just for the manuals that come with your large appliances so that you have them on hand and can review them for help. Even with things like flooring, however, you’ll often receive virtual or print-out instructions on maintenance from either the supplier or the installer—if you don’t, however, ask for them!

When choosing materials and planning for the maintenance of your home, opting for designs that are easy to take care of is always the best plan. Keep up on the maintenance that is required as well, and the big damage fixes won’t have to be worried about. Your future carefree self will thank you later!

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