"There is not much a homeowner can do about an unstable real estate market, or declining home prices, but there are plenty of simple maintenance items that can save them thousands of dollars in the long-run by preventing major repairs," said Kathleen Kuhn, president and CEO of HouseMaster Home Inspections. "Some of the major problems we find in homes we inspect can be avoided with an investment of just a few dollars, if you know where to spend it."

At the peak of the recent hot seller's market, it was not uncommon for a buyer to drop their contingency to get a home inspection in hopes of making their offer more attractive. Yet, a home inspection serves a much greater purpose than simply providing information that might be used to negotiate a sales contract - it educates the homebuyer on the condition of the home. A professional home inspection should detail the type of systems in the home, whether they are functioning properly or exhibit readily apparent defects and/or might be approaching the end of their service life.

"If you've never had your home inspected, you may be living in a home with hidden defects that contribute to the ongoing deterioration of elements leading to costly repairs, simply because you were unaware that they existed," Kuhn suggested.

The best way to protect your real estate investment is to maintain it. Most homeowners, especially those who opted not to get a home inspection when they bought their home, could benefit from an objective "once over" maintenance inspection of the home's condition by a professional home inspector to help prioritize repair needs and take care of minor problems before they become major problems.

Routine home maintenance can save homeowners a bundle, but need not cost a fortune. Some of the common problems identified by home inspectors can be avoided with routine inexpensive maintenance. The following items can typically be performed by a handy homeowner for minimal cost:

- Seal roof flashings and replace missing roof shingles
- Clean gutters, trim trees near house and roof and fill in low spots at foundation with soil
- Caulk exterior trim, windows and doors
- Extend or install downspout or splash blocks
- Apply deck preservative
- Re-grout bathroom/bathtub tile
- Clean/replace kitchen exhaust fan and vacuum air ducts
- Change furnace/AC filter

While a small investment in time and money may be necessary for a maintenance inspection of your home, the experts at HouseMaster say it is better to be safe than sorry.

"A good rule of thumb is to estimate that routine periodic home maintenance, assuming no major problems are found, will cost a homeowner from 1 to 3 percent of the home's sale price on an annual basis," said Kuhn. While actual costs will depend on the age, design and/or the degree of prior maintenance, an average $300,000 home will require $3,000 to $9,000 per year for upkeep.

"A homeowner who makes the necessary yearly investment will save in the long run because routine maintenance can help avoid larger, more expensive repairs that can add up to tens of thousands of dollars," Kuhn concluded. "It's like giving your home its annual physical."