If you own a home, it’s highly likely that your mortgage is the largest loan you’ve ever taken out. This means that you’ve made an investment, and - once you have fully paid that mortgage off - you can recoup the money you’ve put toward that loan. Hopefully, between the time you took out your loan and the time you choose to sell, your home will also appreciate in value and you’ll earn a large return.
For most homeowners, a high return on their investment is the dream. If you’re crossing your fingers for a similar outcome, you will need to ensure that your home is well taken care of. Below, find five ways to protect your home by hiring an expert or knocking out the job yourself. While the home repairs you can DIY are simpler, the ones that require an expert - like hiring a foundation repair technician - will require some forethought and a little research.
Home Repairs and General Care You Can Perform on Your Own
First, consider the things you can do on your own. You don’t even have to be handy to tackle these tasks, and they’ll go a long way in ensuring your home is at its best.
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Lawn Care: A little bit of lawn care can really help make
your home look beautiful. You’ll look forward to seeing your home when you
pull into the driveway - and so will your neighbors. The tasks associated
with lawn care really aren’t so difficult:
- Regular mowing
- Weeding
- Using a weed eater in places where it’s difficult to mow.
- Regular watering, up to twice per day for 15 minutes in the hottest part of summer.
- Thatching to pull out old grass in areas that get dried out in the summertime.
- Leaf and twig removal
- Overseeding and fertilizing to restore grass and improve the yard’s look and health.
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Pruning bushes at least 18 inches from the house to prevent moisture and
pests from entering the home.
- Regular Cleaning: This may sound obvious, but regular interior maintenance keeps your floors, appliances, countertops, furnishings, carpeting, and living spaces in the best condition possible and adds to your home’s longevity.
- Wiping down and dusting surfaces
- Vacuuming rugs and carpets
- Mopping non-carpeted floors
- Scrubbing and sanitizing appliances
- Window washing
- Seasonal Chores Both Inside and Outdoors: Many different chores fall into this category, but these are also typically seasonal tasks, so you won’t have to complete them all at once.
- Clean junk and unwanted items out of the garage and basement.
- Hose down the garage.
- Mop the basement if the concrete floor is finished.
- Open all the windows occasionally to allow fresh air to circulate.
- Clean any debris out of gutters from blooming trees.
- Power-wash your home’s exterior, as well as decks or patios.
- Replace your HVAC filter.
- Clean unwanted items out of storage closets and individual rooms.
- Clean gutters after the leaves fall.
- Replace your HVAC filter.
- Turn off all outdoor water spigots to prevent freezing pipes.
- Bring in all garden hoses.
- Purchase rock salt for freezing walkways and steps.
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Major Structures and Systems: Ensure that you have
outstanding teams to repair and protect the major structures and systems in
your home, including your roof, your foundation, your plumbing, and your
electricity. The value of these parts of your home can’t be overstated, and
if you regularly maintain them with the help of expert technicians, your
home will function effectively for years to come.
- Major Appliances: Similarly, you’ll want to have knowledge and expertise on your side when it comes to your HVAC system, kitchen appliances, and all other electrical or gas-powered devices in your home. After your major structures and systems, your appliances are some of the priciest parts of your home - and the ones that future homebuyers will be curious about when they take a tour.
- Do your research by reading customer reviews of businesses that provide services related to each of these areas of your home.
- Confirm that the business has a free consultation or inspection, so if you do notice issues with these parts of your home, you won’t be on the hook just to find out that you need further service.
- Read the business’s website thoroughly to see if they publish the latest research and industry-related knowledge on their blog.
- Discover whether the company is locally owned and operated. For example, if you need to work with a foundation repair business, a national company won’t have expertise with regional climate and soil conditions which affect how foundations are built and what kind of damage can occur.
Ensure you cover these chores:
Spring:
Fall:
Home Repairs and Care that Require a Professional
While most of the work described above can be accomplished by most
homeowners who don’t consider themselves handy, the next two important
aspects of care require you to do your research and choose a professional.
Here’s how to ensure you have the right folks for the job when it comes to major structures, systems, and appliances:
If you focus on these five areas, there won’t be many more tasks to keep track of as you maintain and even improve your home over the years. Of course, there will be other issues that come up, but most inspectors focus on these areas of care or point to them as causes of additional home-related problems. Taking care of your home adds value and ignoring your home can create a domino effect of challenges for you. Every step you take in the right direction benefits you and your home in the long run.
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