If your property has any trees, have a certified arborist inspect them, who can check for signs of disease or dead branches and detect problems before they worsen and kill a tree. The untrained eye could miss signs of damage, and a dead or dying tree poses a danger to your safety, home, and neighboring properties. Even if you don't use the chimney regularly, the chimney still needs regular monitoring. A chimney transports hazardous gases from the fireplace, wood stove, or oven outside your home, helping to keep indoor air breathable.
According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, your chimney should be inspected annually and cleaned regularly based on how often you use it. Once the leaves fall, call your gutter company to clean and inspect them. Any repairs that need to be done to gutters or downspouts must be done before winter arrives. Your workers should also inspect the roof for loose or broken shingles.
Schedule work before heavy snowfall, which could leave frozen leaves and debris in gutters, faucets, and hoses. Before the first freeze, drain and turn off the outside faucets so they don't freeze. Roll up the hoses and store them for the winter. Have Your Furnace and Ducts Serviced.
A clean system will be more energy efficient and an inspection will alert you to problems. Check and replace air filters, as needed. Test the thermostat to make sure it works properly. Make sure that the heating grilles are open and that nothing blocks them.
If you didn't clean and inspect your chimney in the spring, call a chimney sweep now and do it before you start using the chimney or oven. Clothes dryers cause 2,900 fires a year, and many fires occur in the fall and winter, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Lint is a major culprit, so an HVAC specialist who specializes in dryer vents or ducts inspects and cleans annually.
You should change the rotation of ceiling fans twice a year to increase energy efficiency and reduce pressure on your heating and cooling systems. Running a ceiling fan properly in winter can help you save up to 10% on your heating bill. When you change the direction of the fan, you change the way the air moves, heating or cooling a room more effectively. If your house has a basement sump pump, you should test it twice a year.
Sump pumps typically last about 10 years and, with proper maintenance, could work even longer. When the weather warms up, take the time to do a thorough inspection of your home's exterior foundations. Cracks in your home's foundations can reduce their value by up to 15%, and dealing with these problems as you see them will ensure less costly repairs in the future. Large cracks in foundations should be inspected and addressed by a structural engineer.
Keep a house clean & keep it fresh After buying a new home, just like with a new car, you can take a deep breath, sit back and enjoy the new small car, the clean interior, and the bright exterior. But very soon it's time to wash the car, vacuum the interior, check the tire pressure and change the oil. Don't wait for the metaphorical check light on your home engine to come on. Check things regularly to avoid more costly problems.
Think of it as preventive care at home, just like preventive health checkups. One way to easily break it down is to organize your to-do list and even schedule checkups according to the seasons. Get used to preparing your home for the bitter winter and tending your garden in the hot summer months. Organize your checklist into categories such as patio, outdoor and indoor.
These are just a few examples of what you can add to your own list. Owning a home is wonderful, but it doesn't come without responsibility for home maintenance. Creating a list and how often maintenance is done can help you keep a record so you can keep your home running at its best. A good rule of thumb is to budget between one and three percent of the purchase price of your home each year to cover typical homeowner maintenance.
If any of the home repairs and maintenance go beyond your skill level or lead to more complicated projects, consider hiring a professional to help you. But one of the things you may not consider is what happens after the sale, and that is the money you should set aside for home repairs and maintenance. Use this home maintenance checklist to schedule your upgrades, repairs, cleaning and some monthly seasonal tasks. Performing some simple monthly maintenance tasks on your home can prevent costly repairs in the future.
It helps to understand that cleaning is not just for preference or aesthetics, but that it is important for the long-term maintenance of your new home. Don't worry about Santa's bad or nice list this holiday season, just make a simple checklist for your home maintenance needs. A home that is not properly maintained will undoubtedly suffer when it comes time to sell it. Review this detailed and useful list and reduce it to the specific maintenance requirements for you and your own home.
Whether you're selling your home soon or a few years from now, it's important to make sure you're keeping up with the maintenance of your property. When the sun rises and the warm weather is finally here to stay, the last thing you need to worry about is maintaining your home. Home maintenance can seem like a daunting task, especially for a new homeowner who has never seen a boiler up close, let alone a depleted one. .
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