Whether you’re extremely busy or just really forgetful, it’s possible that you’re neglecting or forgetting about some important home maintenance tasks. To help you get to them before the year ends and have you start the new year on a clean slate with all important tasks dealt with, have a look at the five below.

Cleaning up Your Landscape

When your trees and shrubs are well-maintained, you can get an increase of your property’s value of up to 14%. Since the dirt accumulates slowly, however, most people often forget to clean their landscapes. Sometimes, it’s easy to postpone clearing up all dead plant matter after a session of pruning or mowing, and this not only leaves your landscape looking less than desirable, but it also creates a hazard during hot, dry months. This is because pests can make their homes in this plant waste, and fire also becomes a real hazard, so make sure that you keep your house safe by dealing with any debris left around your landscape.

Cleaning Vents and Air Filters

Since they’re out of sight, the vents and air filters can be ignored by the best of us because it’s easier to prioritize what’s visible. Leaving the filters to get dirty can make you spend more energy and therefore pay less to circulate air around your house, and it will also do a number on allergies that either you or a kid in your house has. Take into consideration a few things to know how often you need to clean your vents and replace air filters, like how many people are in your household and if any of them have allergies. Having pets can also mean more allergens in the air, so use this information to come up with a schedule for changing your filters.

Cleaning the Gutters

The gutters do the important job of directing water away from your home’s foundation and off your roof in rainy and wet weather, but they can’t do this effectively when they’re clogged with debris. A lot of dirt can accumulate in your gutters over time, and how much depends on the environment in which you live. If you experience strong winds or there are many trees around, you can expect a lot of debris to collect there. Check the gutters each season to make sure there’s no buildup of dirt blocking them as a new season starts. Don’t be one of the 65% of homeowners who said in a survey that weather damage was their main motivation for checking and repairing faulty roofs.

Checking the Hood of Your Stove or Range

The filter in your hood helps direct away smoke and airborne oils that are released while you cook. All this has to end up somewhere, and that’s in the filters inside your range or stove hood. To make sure you get the service you need from the hood, check its state at least once a year. Clean it up or replace it if it’s in a bad state, and you will notice you have a cleaner-smelling house after every meal you make. If you have a kid, you will all enjoy spending time in the kitchen with them while food is being prepared.

Checking For Mice, Termites, and Other Pests

Finally, it’s important to make sure that your house and compound are free of pests like mice and termites, which are going to destroy your property if ignored. Since termites damage about 600,000 homes each year in the U.S., it’s important to make sure that yours doesn’t fall victim to that. Get an exterminator at the first sign of damage from pests and you will keep your home in a good state for a long time to come.

These five home maintenance tasks should be at the top of your priorities due to how easy it is to forget about them. Purpose to do them right away if you can and set a schedule, and you will have an amazing home for a long time to come.