Summer is in full swing now. Make sure you and your home are prepared for the blazing heat, unpredictable weather and summer-loving bugs.

The cost of owning a home goes well beyond the price you paid for the house itself. When something breaks, you have to fix it, and those repairs can be costly. You can't foresee or avoid every home repair, but some regular maintenance can save you hundreds -- maybe thousands -- on some of these big ones.

If you ever need to use your fire extinguisher, you probably want it to work. The powder in some extinguishers can settle and harden at the bottom, making them unusable. To prevent this, conduct some quick maintenance every six months or so.

There are some spots in your home you should be familiar with for safety and maintenance reasons. If your plumbing goes awry, for example, you'll want to know where the water shutoffs are located. The Art of Manliness details seven spots in your home you should know about.

There's a lot to do when you move into a new home, from unpacking to popping some bubbly to celebrate. One thing that's easy to overlook? Swapping out all those air filters.

Before you buy a home, it's always a good idea to get a professional home inspector -- but that shouldn't be the only time you give your home a thorough look. Here's a checklist of what to look for when performing a yearly visual inspection on your own home, or one you are considering buying.