Owning a home can spark feelings of pride and comfort that last decades. However, any homeowner knows that owning a house is also a responsibility. It can sometimes feel difficult to thoroughly enjoy your home if you’re spending much of your time on home maintenance and upkeep tasks.

Luckily, there are many ways you can reduce your home’s maintenance needs without ignoring them. The following tips will help:

Install New Windows

Are your home’s windows relatively old? If so, consider replacing them with new vinyl or aluminum windows.

Many new windows boast features and qualities that older windows don’t share. For example, they’re often designed so that cleaning them is much easier. While cleaning your windows may seem like a small maintenance task, the amount of time you can save over the years if you upgrade to new low-maintenance windows adds up.

It’s worth noting that vinyl and aluminum wood frames don’t crack the way metal frames do. This also reduces maintenance needs and ensures your window frames will stay in usable condition for a longer period of time.

Reducing maintenance needs is merely one benefit of installing new windows. New windows also tend to be more energy-efficient, they let in natural light (which has a positive impact on your mood), and they may be more secure than your old windows. Installing new windows has been shown to significantly increase a home’s value as well.

Consider a Metal Roof

Installing new roofing can be a major project if your home is fairly large. However, swapping out your current roofing for new roofing may pay off in the long run.

Specifically, if you have typical shingle roofing, consider installing a new metal roof. Metal roofing is more durable and thus requires less maintenance. Metal roofs also last longer than shingle roofs and more effectively protect your home from fire and the elements.

Add Some Artificial Turf

Aside from your lawn, there may be exterior areas of your property (such as a patio area) that benefit from some greenery.

Consider installing artificial turf in these areas instead of planting actual grass. Of course, artificial turf doesn’t require the same degree of maintenance. 

It also uses less water. This is good for both your bank account and the environment. In fact, in some areas that are prone to drought, local governments actually offer rebates to homeowners who replace grass areas of their property with artificial turf.

Consider Your Siding Options

Just as some types of roofing require less maintenance than others, so do some types of siding.

Vinyl siding is one low-upkeep option to consider. Because vinyl siding doesn’t require finishing, it’s often an ideal choice for very large houses that would otherwise take a long time to paint. Vinyl siding is also low-cost.

Fiber-cement siding is another option to keep in mind. Along with being a low-maintenance siding material, fiber-cement can be made to resemble traditional siding materials (like shingles), withstands impacts from debris, and doesn’t need to be repainted as often as wood siding.

It’s also important to reduce future maintenance needs by staying on top of basic maintenance tasks now. For example, cleaning your gutters guards against water damage, mold growth, and similar problems that would require even more time and energy to address. By prioritizing basic upkeep and applying tips like this, you’ll be able to keep your home’s maintenance needs reasonably minimal for years.