A Month-by-Month Home Maintenance Checklist for Kansas City Homeowners

What home maintenance should Kansas City homeowners do each month?

Short answer: A little every month, and a bigger look at the start of each season. Kansas City goes from freezing winters to hot, sticky summers, with spring storms and a lot of freeze-and-thaw in between, so this checklist follows the weather. Nothing here is fancy. It’s the stuff that keeps small problems from turning into big bills.

It isn’t a substitute for a professional inspection, and your house may need things that aren’t on the list. But if you do these, you’ll catch most of what we see go wrong.

Every month

Two jobs don’t wait for a particular season. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, because the NFPA recommends testing smoke alarms at least monthly, and replace them every 10 years. And check your furnace or A/C filter. Clogged filters make your system work harder than it should.

January

The big winter risk is water. Know where your main shutoff is before you need it, because a frozen pipe is not the time to go looking. Walk around inside and look for drafts at doors and windows, and from the driveway look at the roof edge for ice dams.

February

Check the attic for moisture or frost, and look under sinks and around the water heater for slow leaks. Keep snow shoveled away from the foundation as it melts so the water has somewhere else to go.

March

Storm season is coming. Clean the gutters and make sure the downspouts drain away from the house. If you have a sump pump, pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it kicks on. Then take a walk around the yard and look at the roof from the ground for lifted or missing shingles. Winter is hard on both.

April

• Have the air conditioner serviced before the first hot day, not during it.
• Look at the driveway, sidewalk and patio for new cracks from the freeze and thaw.
• Check the caulk around windows and exterior doors.

May

Test the outdoor faucets for leaks now that the freezing weather is behind you, clean the window screens, and look over the deck or porch for loose boards and wobbly railings. This is also a good month to check that the ground still slopes away from the foundation. If water is pooling near the house, it needs fixing.

June

Clear leaves and debris from around the outdoor A/C unit. Check the dryer vent and clean the lint trap and the vent line, since lint buildup is a fire hazard. Test the auto-reverse on the garage door.

July

After any big storm, look the roof over again. Check the basement or crawl space for dampness, and test the GFCI outlets in the kitchen, baths and garage by pressing the test button.

August

• Walk the foundation and seal gaps where pests could get in.
• Check weatherstripping on exterior doors.
• Look at wood near the ground for soft spots.
• Keep shrubs trimmed back from the house.

September

Have the furnace serviced before you need it. Test the thermostat. If you use the fireplace, have the chimney checked.

October

Once the leaves fall, clean the gutters again. Disconnect the garden hoses and shut off outdoor water lines if you can, so they don’t freeze. Rake leaves away from the foundation and the A/C unit.

This is also a good month to deal with radon. If you’ve never tested, do it. If you have a mitigation system, the EPA says to retest at least every two years to make sure levels are still low.

November

Check weatherstripping and caulk one more time before the cold arrives. Stock up on ice melt and a good shovel, and find the flashlight. If your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm batteries are due, change them now.

December

Test the alarms again (yes, again). Check your holiday lights and extension cords for frayed spots, and keep a clear path to the furnace and water heater. Then write yourself a note about what you want to tackle in the new year.

If you’re buying or selling

A home that’s been maintained is easier to sell, and a well-maintained home is easier to inspect for buyers. If you’re selling, keeping receipts and records helps. See our selling prep checklist. If you’re buying, ask the seller what’s been serviced and when. Our agents will help you ask the right questions.

What this means for you

Pick the month you’re in and start there. Questions about a house you already own, or one you’re thinking of buying? Talk to us or tell us what you’re looking for.

Sources

• NFPA, Installing and maintaining smoke alarms. https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/smoke-alarms/installing-and-maintaining-smoke-alarms
• U.S. Fire Administration, Smoke alarms. https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/smoke-alarms/
• U.S. EPA, How do I know if my radon mitigation system is working properly? https://www.epa.gov/radon/how-do-i-know-if-my-radon-mitigation-system-working-properly
• U.S. EPA, What is EPA’s Action Level for Radon and What Does it Mean? https://www.epa.gov/radon/what-epas-action-level-radon-and-what-does-it-mean