Maintenance: Quick annual tasks for your home

by Ann Hayward 04/28/2025

Your home goes through a fair amount of wear and tear throughout the year, which can result in needing to repair or replace certain elements. However, performing annual maintenance tasks can help your home stay in excellent condition year after year.

Here are a few tasks to complete throughout your year to keep your home fresh and rejuvenated:

Drain the water heater

A buildup of sediment in your water heater can shorten its lifespan. Draining your water heater each year helps eliminate sediment, so it doesn't accumulate over the years. Doing this on an annual basis can help your water heater last longer before needing to be replaced. This maintenance task also helps ensure your water heater works properly, so your home always has plenty of hot water.

Check for termites

Termites are among the biggest causes of serious property damage. Checking for signs of a termite infestation once a year is important, so you can get pest control treatment started right away. Signs you have a termite problem include seeing mud tubes connected to your home's exterior, having areas of weakened wood and tiny holes in drywall.

Clean the dryer exhaust

Your dryer exhaust can get clogged with lint over time, which can be a fire hazard. Lint buildup can also make it harder for your dryer to work efficiently. Check and clean your dryer exhaust once a year to remove lint buildup and keep your dryer running smoothly.

Schedule professional HVAC maintenance

Your HVAC system experiences considerable wear and tear, especially during winter and summer. An annual HVAC maintenance visit can go a long way toward helping your HVAC system last longer and run properly over the years. These visits include having HVAC equipment inspected and cleaned, so your heating and cooling systems run efficiently.

Clean and oil garage door components

Your garage door springs, rollers and hinges should be oiled or lubricated once a year. You should also clean the garage door tracks on an annual basis to remove debris. These tasks help ensure your garage door opens and closes as quietly, safely and smoothly as possible.

About the Author

Ann Hayward

Born in Philadelphia and raised in the suburbs, Ann Hayward got her Pennsylvania real estate license at age 18 even before going to college. This second-generation real estate professional followed in the footsteps of her father and two uncles, inheriting their passion for the business. Licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Ann is accomplished in her career, with numerous designations including SFR, SRES, PSA, WHC, and multiunit Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) from the National Development Council. She specializes in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, all jurisdictions where Ann has lived and knows very well. In addition to her professional expertise, she owns and manages personal investment property, understands and has been involved in the renovation/remodeling process, and has great resources which she shares with clients. When you hire Ann to represent you, she will make your buying or selling experience an enjoyable, rewarding one. Her compassion, sensitivity to her clients’ needs, eye for detail, and ability to see the big picture when guiding you through a purchase or sale are unique assets that will ensure your success. A diverse and relevant background also gives Ann a distinct edge. For 30 years, she worked in fast-paced, high-pressure television and theatrical production, attaining the highest achievement – DGA membership as a Director, and as an award-winning staff and freelance writer. Her keen audio visual skills and design sense benefit sellers in marketing their properties, and are invaluable in helping buyers see the potential of space. A true renaissance woman, Ann was also an income tax professional and office manager for H&R Block, so she thoroughly understands the tax and financial implications of acquiring and selling real estate. Her superior organizational skills are further evidenced as owner of a downsizing/professional organizing business, Managed For You, which allows her to connect with everyone from millennials to boomers and seniors, whether for small space planning or assisting with major decluttering and transitioning. Ann holds an AB in American History from Simmons College, Boston, plus attended Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Administration where she was a candidate for Doctorate. She additionally studied Film Direction at the American Film Institute in LA, and was a Stanford University post-graduate Professional Journalism Fellow. Personally, Ann is an avid if not very good golfer, and the co-founder of a nonprofit 501c3 organization offering educational guidance, tutoring and counseling for youngsters from elementary school through college admission. She sits on the board of trustees of a nonprofit educational film production corporation as well. (202) 494-6252 [email protected]