Managing a home can be a pretty overwhelming experience, especially for first-time homeowners. Apart from the financial aspects of maintaining a home, such as budgeting expenses and paying bills, there’s a whole slew of tasks to keep track of, including a complex list of routine and seasonal maintenance.

Ignoring or forgetting home maintenance has a way of coming back to haunt you in the form of costly repairs. Having a strategy can make all the difference in staying on top of it all without living in constant stress.

Home Management Tip #1: Identify Routine Tasks
—

We all juggle several routine tasks daily in our professional and personal lives. Add in the demands of homeownership and it can all start to feel like a massive burden.

Taming the chaos is all about knowing what needs to be done and creating a plan. While this might seem like a daunting task, it can also be incredibly freeing.

Start by making a list of common household chores. What should be on the list?

Some common examples of routine household tasks include:

• Laundry

• Cleaning and Decluttering

• Meal Planning and Shopping 

• Managing Finances and Paying Bills

• Scheduling and Completing Routine and Preventative Maintenance

• Gardening, Yardwork, or Exterior Chores

Once you’ve got your basic list down, parse this list into daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual buckets. Things tend to get a little more specific at this stage, and that isn’t a bad thing. It’s how some of the best home managers gain authority over what might otherwise become unmanageable. They simply use the old adage of divide and conquer.

Common Daily Home Management Tasks:

• Wash Dishes

• Wipe Down Countertops

• Make Beds

• Meal Prep

• Take Out Trash

Common Weekly Home Management Tasks:

• Clean Floors and Carpets

• Dust

• Clean Bathrooms

• Deeper Cleaning of the Kitchen, including the Refrigerator

• Yardwork or Exterior Chores

• Meal Plan & Shopping

• Advanced Meal Prep Such as Chopping Vegetables or Making Meals Ahead for the Busy Work Week

• Clean Drier Vent

Common Monthly Home Management Tasks:

• Clean Household Appliances such as the Washing Machine and Dishwasher

• Clean Sinks and Disposals.

• Change the Furnace or HVAC Filter

• Clean Blinds and Ceiling Fans

• Clean Closets and Storage Areas

• Check Fire Extinguishers and Other Safety Devices

• Pest Mitigation

• Pool or Spa Maintenance

Common Quarterly Home Management Tasks:

• Seasonal Home Maintenance such as Cleaning Gutters or Staining Woodwork

• HVAC Inspection and Maintenance.

• Vacuum Refrigerator Coils.

• Deep Clean Your Entire Home.

• Clean Windows and Screens

• Power Wash Exterior Surfaces.

• Plan for Home Improvements

Common Annual Home Management Tips:

• Sand, Refinish, and/or Paint Woodwork

• Check the Home Interior and Exterior for Cracks or Missing Shingles

• Evaluate Plumbing and All Major Systems of the Home

• Sweep and Inspect the Fireplace, Wood Stove, or Chimney

• Tree Trimming

• Larger Yard Cleanup

• Check and Clean Drier and Vents

Home Management Tip #2: Establish a System & Schedule
—

The best home managers rely on systems to get things done. This is where pulling out an old-fashioned calendar, planner (paper or digital), or downloading a home management app can create an effective solution to centralizing all of your efforts.

Several home maintenance apps out there today even allow users to set up reminders that will help alert you to do things like replace your HVAC filter on schedule.

Home Management Tip #3: Streamline Your Stuff
—

In our consumer culture, we’re often taught that having more stuff equals a better life. But when it comes to organizing a home, this isn’t always the case. Many people hold onto things they don’t really use or need. Over time this can not only lead to excess clutter but also increased stress.

If your home storage is bursting at the seams, take a critical look at everything you own and ask yourself whether it still serves a purpose or brings you joy. If the answer is no, it can be extremely liberating to simply remove it from your life, either by way of donating or selling whatever it is. One less thing to worry about, as the saying goes.

Home Management Tip #4:
Know When You’re In Over Your Head
—

If maintaining your home is taking up so much of your life that you don’t even have time to sit back, relax, and enjoy it, it might be time to reevaluate your approach. Managing a home is its own full-time job. And then if you have a demanding, regular full-time job on top of your full-time home manager job, things are going to become unsustainable very quickly. 

Or maybe you’ve got your home routines down, but when it comes to the handiwork, it’s not your strong suit. If no one has already told you this, we’ll chime in with the real truth. It’s 100% ok to be in over your head and need some help. Part of being a successful homeowner is knowing what you’re capable of doing and when to call in the professionals.

Home Management Tip #5:
Take Back Your Time and Enjoy Life
—

Dovetailing from Tip #4, why waste precious hours of your life Googling “How to Clean Your AC Drain” when you can hire someone to take care of it for you? Heads up, it’s also a pretty gross task. Further to the point, there are now smarter ways that homeowners can efficiently manage some of the most challenging aspects of their home while also protecting and increasing its investment value. Popping up all across the US are subscription-based home maintenance plans, often called Home Concierge Services, that allow homeowners to work with one direct company in managing critical home management tasks. 

These companies aren’t going to meal plan for you or wipe down your counters on a daily basis—if you really want them to, who knows, you can always ask—but instead they’ll coordinate the most critical aspects of your home maintenance plan.

How do they work? It all starts with an evaluation of your property where your home concierge will check the conditions of all major systems of your home inside and out, recommending a schedule of maintenance that will be taken care of throughout the year.

Sound amazing? It is!

Not only are you paying a flat fee (be sure to ask what’s included), which is helpful for financial planning, you hand over the responsibility of remembering what to do and when to do it to someone whose entire job is to do just that.

This can save you hundreds of hours of your time (not to mention dollars) over the course of an entire year. We’re all crunched for time these days, and these powerful home management services can give it right back to you.

---

Willow is a home management company based in Boulder, Colorado.

Our Custom Home Care Approach is an ongoing relationship between you, your home, and us. Billed monthly, with limited spots available.

---

Managing a home can be a pretty overwhelming experience, especially for first-time homeowners. Apart from the financial aspects of maintaining a home, such as budgeting expenses and paying bills, there’s a whole slew of tasks to keep track of, including a complex list of routine and seasonal maintenance.

Ignoring or forgetting home maintenance has a way of coming back to haunt you in the form of costly repairs. Having a strategy can make all the difference in staying on top of it all without living in constant stress.

Home Management Tip #1: Identify Routine Tasks
—

We all juggle several routine tasks daily in our professional and personal lives. Add in the demands of homeownership and it can all start to feel like a massive burden.

Taming the chaos is all about knowing what needs to be done and creating a plan. While this might seem like a daunting task, it can also be incredibly freeing.

Start by making a list of common household chores. What should be on the list?

Some common examples of routine household tasks include:

• Laundry

• Cleaning and Decluttering

• Meal Planning and Shopping 

• Managing Finances and Paying Bills

• Scheduling and Completing Routine and Preventative Maintenance

• Gardening, Yardwork, or Exterior Chores

Once you’ve got your basic list down, parse this list into daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual buckets. Things tend to get a little more specific at this stage, and that isn’t a bad thing. It’s how some of the best home managers gain authority over what might otherwise become unmanageable. They simply use the old adage of divide and conquer.

Common Daily Home Management Tasks:

• Wash Dishes

• Wipe Down Countertops

• Make Beds

• Meal Prep

• Take Out Trash

Common Weekly Home Management Tasks:

• Clean Floors and Carpets

• Dust

• Clean Bathrooms

• Deeper Cleaning of the Kitchen, including the Refrigerator

• Yardwork or Exterior Chores

• Meal Plan & Shopping

• Advanced Meal Prep Such as Chopping Vegetables or Making Meals Ahead for the Busy Work Week

• Clean Drier Vent

Common Monthly Home Management Tasks:

• Clean Household Appliances such as the Washing Machine and Dishwasher

• Clean Sinks and Disposals.

• Change the Furnace or HVAC Filter

• Clean Blinds and Ceiling Fans

• Clean Closets and Storage Areas

• Check Fire Extinguishers and Other Safety Devices

• Pest Mitigation

• Pool or Spa Maintenance

Common Quarterly Home Management Tasks:

• Seasonal Home Maintenance such as Cleaning Gutters or Staining Woodwork

• HVAC Inspection and Maintenance.

• Vacuum Refrigerator Coils.

• Deep Clean Your Entire Home.

• Clean Windows and Screens

• Power Wash Exterior Surfaces.

• Plan for Home Improvements

Common Annual Home Management Tips:

• Sand, Refinish, and/or Paint Woodwork

• Check the Home Interior and Exterior for Cracks or Missing Shingles

• Evaluate Plumbing and All Major Systems of the Home

• Sweep and Inspect the Fireplace, Wood Stove, or Chimney

• Tree Trimming

• Larger Yard Cleanup

• Check and Clean Drier and Vents

Home Management Tip #2: Establish a System & Schedule
—

The best home managers rely on systems to get things done. This is where pulling out an old-fashioned calendar, planner (paper or digital), or downloading a home management app can create an effective solution to centralizing all of your efforts.

Several home maintenance apps out there today even allow users to set up reminders that will help alert you to do things like replace your HVAC filter on schedule.

Home Management Tip #3: Streamline Your Stuff
—

In our consumer culture, we’re often taught that having more stuff equals a better life. But when it comes to organizing a home, this isn’t always the case. Many people hold onto things they don’t really use or need. Over time this can not only lead to excess clutter but also increased stress.

If your home storage is bursting at the seams, take a critical look at everything you own and ask yourself whether it still serves a purpose or brings you joy. If the answer is no, it can be extremely liberating to simply remove it from your life, either by way of donating or selling whatever it is. One less thing to worry about, as the saying goes.

Home Management Tip #4:
Know When You’re In Over Your Head
—

If maintaining your home is taking up so much of your life that you don’t even have time to sit back, relax, and enjoy it, it might be time to reevaluate your approach. Managing a home is its own full-time job. And then if you have a demanding, regular full-time job on top of your full-time home manager job, things are going to become unsustainable very quickly. 

Or maybe you’ve got your home routines down, but when it comes to the handiwork, it’s not your strong suit. If no one has already told you this, we’ll chime in with the real truth. It’s 100% ok to be in over your head and need some help. Part of being a successful homeowner is knowing what you’re capable of doing and when to call in the professionals.

Home Management Tip #5:
Take Back Your Time and Enjoy Life
—

Dovetailing from Tip #4, why waste precious hours of your life Googling “How to Clean Your AC Drain” when you can hire someone to take care of it for you? Heads up, it’s also a pretty gross task. Further to the point, there are now smarter ways that homeowners can efficiently manage some of the most challenging aspects of their home while also protecting and increasing its investment value. Popping up all across the US are subscription-based home maintenance plans, often called Home Concierge Services, that allow homeowners to work with one direct company in managing critical home management tasks. 

These companies aren’t going to meal plan for you or wipe down your counters on a daily basis—if you really want them to, who knows, you can always ask—but instead they’ll coordinate the most critical aspects of your home maintenance plan.

How do they work? It all starts with an evaluation of your property where your home concierge will check the conditions of all major systems of your home inside and out, recommending a schedule of maintenance that will be taken care of throughout the year.

Sound amazing? It is!

Not only are you paying a flat fee (be sure to ask what’s included), which is helpful for financial planning, you hand over the responsibility of remembering what to do and when to do it to someone whose entire job is to do just that.

This can save you hundreds of hours of your time (not to mention dollars) over the course of an entire year. We’re all crunched for time these days, and these powerful home management services can give it right back to you.

---

Willow is a home management company based in Boulder, Colorado.

Our Custom Home Care Approach is an ongoing relationship between you, your home, and us. Billed monthly, with limited spots available.

---