The Household Maintenance Handbook: A Practical Year-Round System for Inspecting, Cleaning, Servicing, Repairing, and Protecting Your Home

Know what your home needs, and know what to leave alone.

Most homes fail slowly, in ways that were visible long before they were expensive. This handbook teaches you to read those signs: how a house ages, what the water is doing, which sounds and stains and smells matter, and when a small job on Saturday prevents a large one in February.

It is organised as a system rather than a list of projects. Every task carries a plain risk level, from things you can safely observe to things that belong to a licensed professional every time — and the book is as clear about the second as the first. Where the right answer depends on your climate, your building, or your local code, it says so instead of pretending otherwise.

What is inside

• A seven-level risk ladder applied to every task, so you always know where a job sits
• Warning signs by system — what to look for, what it means, and what to do first
• Seasonal and annual checklists you can print, fill in, and keep
• Straight guidance on hiring, supervising, and paying for professional work
• Emergency responses worth learning before you need them

Written for the home you have, the time you have, and no ambition to become a contractor.