AAA House Manager Blog

Owning a home in Northern California can be a joy, but it can also be a lot of work. Luckily, ongoing home maintenance can be broken down into short, easy-to-tackle monthly to-do lists that help make it more manageable.

To help get you started, we've put together a list of tasks to tackle over the next three months — starting today! For a full, yearlong list of suggestions, check out our 12-Month Northern California Home Maintenance Checklist.

Now, roll up your sleeves and get your home in tip-top condition.

Happy 2020! With this new year, comes a wonderful opportunity to set some new habits around your home. One we can't recommend enough: doing a little something for your home each month. Those small efforts add up quickly! To make it easier, we compile our top recommendations each month. No need to research, simply follow along and start appreciating the impact around your home. If you want to skip ahead, we have the entire year's plan set out in our 12-month Bay Area Home Maintenance Checklist, plus optional calendar reminders and monthly emails so you never miss an update. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year! With the caroling, marshmallow toasting, glowing lights... and bursting pipes. OK, so maybe winter isn't all hot mulled wine and gingerbread decorating, but most home maintenance and hosting hiccups can easily be avoided with a little preparation. 

Last month, we shared our top tips for getting your home ready for fall. Now that winter is around the corner, it's time to winterize. Bay Area winters, while mild by most standards, also tend to be unpredictable. One day the sun will shine during lunchtime, then torrential rain will come down for three days straight and cause floods all around the Bay. Since we never quite know when the weather will turn, it's best to start preparing for those chilly nights and hefty downpours in November. Here are the biggest tasks to prioritize this month: 

Remember the old days of going through the phone book to look for a plumber? Homeowners in our day and age are fortunate to have so many options and resources to help with home care! With that said, the sheer number of products and services can be overwhelming. To help you make the best decision for your home and needs, we've started mapping out the various services and pros and cons, starting with traditional handymen and home warranties. Next up: Angie's List.

Fall is officially upon us! (The fall equinox was on Monday, September 23rd, in case you missed it.) With cool, rainy weather on the horizon, this is the perfect time to get your home ready for the change in season. You'll be glad you did when you see friends or neighbors complain that they should have cleaned the gutters or covered backyard furniture sooner!

Summer is winding down, fall is on the way and we’ll soon be seeing nothing but weeks of poor weather. Which means your deck will be sitting alone and forgotten. After a long summer of standing up to the blistering sun — blistering depending on where in the Bay Area you’re located — the drastic change to rain and freezing temperatures will be tough. It’s no wonder you may be seeing cracks, fading and other damage. Not to fear, there is hope. With these 4 tips, you could have your deck looking as good as new.

Properly maintaining a home is difficult. Properly maintaining two, three or four can be downright impossible. So it’s no wonder that we’re often asked by landlords and owners of second homes if a AAA House Manager membership could work for them.

Congratulations! You made the decision to become a member of AAA House Manager. You found time in your schedule to set up your Home Assessment, watched as your House Manager closely inspected every nook and cranny of your home, and waited for the results. Now, you’re sitting in front of your laptop reading over your Home Health Report thinking; Now what? 

One of the most common questions we get when we’re out-and-about talking to people about AAA House Manager is; “So, it's like a home warranty?” We get it. On the surface it sounds like the two are very similar. But there are some key differences, and knowing and understanding them can help you decide whether one, or both, are right for you and your household.