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Work smarter, not harder around your home

Written by Posted On Tuesday, 16 June 2020 13:12
Work smarter, not harder around your home

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for our everyday lives to become a ceaseless grind. Wake up, pick up around the home, drop the kids off at school, go to work, commute home, cook dinner, fix something that has broken, go to sleep, and repeat. Many homeowners spend a lot of time—potentially adding up to several days over the course of their year!—on repetitive tasks or preventable repairs. It’s time to make a change. In this article, we’ll outline some of the ways you can work smarter, not harder, in your home.

Automate your everyday life

If you find yourself doing routine chores or repetitive tasks over-and-over again, it might be time to add some automation to your daily life. New tech gives homeowners a variety of ways to cut out trips to the store, keep up with home maintenance, and even save money.

Chances are, you probably know a neighbor or family member who has installed a smart thermostat. These programmable thermostats control your home’s temperature on a predetermined schedule, eliminating the need to manually turn the dial before leaving home. Already on the road for your vacation, but forgot to change your schedule? Today’s smart thermostats can be controlled from your smartphone, allowing you to adjust home / away settings, including cooling down the home for your house sitter. These thermostats are more than just convenient: by automating the temperature control of your home, you can cut your cooling and heating costs by up to 10% annually.

Of course, smart thermostats are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to home automation. Here’s another piece of advice: many online retailers offer recurring, “automated” purchases for home essentials. After all, you need a new HVAC air filter every three months, more dog food every 2 months, and paper towels monthly. Instead of having to keep all that in your head until your next grocery store trip, set up automated purchases. Your home essentials will be shipped straight to your door without you even having to think twice about it.

Take a proactive approach to home maintenance

If you trace the origin of many home problems back to their roots, you’ll find that a lack of maintenance played a role. Preventative maintenance is one of the most effective ways to prevent potential damage and major repair costs. Done right and done smart, home maintenance doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming.

Our recommendation? Set up a digital calendar for yourself that outlines all the home maintenance tasks you need to get done throughout the year. This can include do-it-yourself projects (“repaint living room”) or things you’ll need a pro to help with (“schedule fall furnace tune-up”). Put these all in the online calendar, and then set up email or push notifications to alert you to an upcoming “to-do” item a week or more in advance. This helps keep you on track, and transforms your home maintenance list from a nebulous, potentially forgotten checklist into something real.

On the subject of working smarter, not harder, it’s also important to know when to take action. When you discover an issue—missing roof shingles, a failing AC capacitor, or a leaking pipe—take immediate steps to fix it. Procrastination is the road to more stress, more headaches, and, ultimately, higher repair costs.

DIY makes all the difference

We’re all looking for ways to save money in our homes. Today’s homeowners have access to a nearly endless wealth of videos, tutorials, and how-to guides that show them how to do just about anything. Included in these are helpful DIY “life hacks” that allow you to fix minor problems without a ton of work. For example, you probably already know the old trick of using a worn-out toothbrush to clean grout lines. But, there are many other tricks you can use to solve common problems. For example, you can attach a handheld mirror to a length of PVC pipe for an easy way of seeing into your attic or checking your roof’s gutters, which could save you hours of tediously moving around a ladder.

While a DIY mindset can save you time and money in some cases, it’s important to know your limits. Cool tricks are no match for a serious home problem, and you don’t want to be trying to fix your own furnace, pipes, water heater, or roof. The results could be dangerous or disastrous. If the stakes are high, make the smart decision to call in a professional, instead.

Make your home work for you

Feeling overwhelmed by home maintenance or just life in general? It’s time to start working smarter, not harder. After all, the entire reason you have a home is so you and your family can enjoy it. By embracing automation, being proactive, and taking a practical approach to DIY, you can reduce your time spent on boring, routine chores. That’s more time for vacations, family, or just naps out on the hammock.

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Raluca Crasuleac

Raluca Crasuleac is the marketing specialist at Duffet Plumbing, Heating & AC which provides professional air conditioning repair in Hamburg, New York. Great service. Amazing people. Duffett Plumbing, Heating & AC is your locally trusted home services team.

https://www.duffetthomeservices.com/

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