Let's continue our conversation on home preventative maintenance and repairs.
My goal is to help you be proactive in taking care of the little things.
While they are easy to take care of, and less costly.
Before they turn into big things.
We talked about an app for your smart phone in our last post, or a good old-fashioned calendar will work as well.
It's important to track maintenance/repairs, and if you ever go to sell your home, showing a well-documented maintenance and repair history is impressive!
This shows potential buyers that you didn't just live here, that you took pride in and maintained your home.
How much do you that that is worth?
So how can we continue to protect, for many of us, our most important, and financial investment - our home?
HVAC - I recommend having a professional come out and inspect your HVAC and furnace twice a year.
Once in the fall, and once in the spring. The last thing you want is for your furnace to quit working on the coldest day in winter, or your air conditioner unit to stop cooling your home in the hottest and most humid Iowa day in history.
This is well worth the peace of mind to have a professional look over, and if there is an issue that needs addressed, you take care of it before an emergency.
Be sure you change your furnace filter regularly, based on your furnaces manufacturer's recommendation.
Many times, I see this simple and inexpensive, item overlooked.
Being consistent here will help your furnace to run efficiently and help keep allergens to a minimum.
I live on a gravel road, and have a dog with allergies, so due to the excess dust, I tend to change mine more often.
A/C Unit - Annually, clean out the outdoor a/c unit.
Gently remove debris and muck by hand, and a shop vac might come in handy here as well.
Keeping this clean and free of dust, grass and grime will increase the life of the unit and save money on energy costs.
Garbage Disposal - when was the last time you cleaned yours?
Cleaning and maintaining them will add life to the disposal - they are probably one of the hardest working appliances in your home!
Once a month, take a cup of citrus peels, and a bowl of ice, and run that through your unit. Orange or lemon peels work well. Put the peels down, followed by the large bowl of ice. Run the disposal for about a minute. Turn off the disposal, run cold water for an additional 15-20 seconds. The citrus acid will clean the blades, and your home will smell amazing.
These hard-working units do wear out, so give me a call if you need one replaced.
It is a simple task and inexpensive investment to make.
Windows/Doors - if you've ever had either of these replaced, you know this is a larger ticket item. Check your caulk around windows and be sure your windows and doors are caulked and sealed tight.
This will save you money on heating costs and extend the life of these items.
A tight caulk around the windows keeps moisture at bay, reducing potential for mold, and sills to rot or get soft.
I recommend doing this in the fall, and spring.
A door that needs replaced can be easily hung, and having a tight seal will save you money, and add curb appeal!
Water Heater - water heaters have a life span of a decade or so, so this is an item that often gets overlooked.
Raise your hand if you flush out your water heater annually - I'm not seeing many! 😊
Draining your water heater once a year can extend the life of the unit, as well as enhance its efficiency saving energy costs.
Concrete - we live in Iowa, so we know how brutal the elements can be on concrete.
Fixing tiny cracks and chips in your sidewalk, driveway, steps or patio is much easier to do than costly concrete repair work, where a whole slab or area needs to be removed and replaced.
These cracks or chips, can also be a safety hazard, causing a trip or potential fall.
Each spring, make it a point to survey your concrete areas outdoors, and attend to those items that need attention.
If you've got some deep cracks, you haven't given attention to, and your concrete has settled, there are several mudjackers in the metro that may be able to help.
Most people haven't heard of mudjackers, so the link to some in the area is below:
Trees - keep those trees trimmed, and branches away from scraping against your house and creating damage.
If there's one thing a couple derechos that have gone through our state has taught us, is that trees (even healthy ones) can be easily uprooted and cause extensive damage.
A tree that is rotting, or needs to be cut or trimmed, is a tree that will more than likely cause damage during the next windstorm that blows through, so inspect your trees once a year.
Get them trimmed or cut down as needed.
Oh, and be sure to plant new ones when you can!
I hope I've given you some ideas, and some things to think about.
I know this isn't an all-inclusive list, but it's the types of items that I see overlooked on a consistent basis.
While this list can be daunting, remember there are people who can help you with it, if you feel it is out of your expertise, or if you would rather not spend your down time doing preventative home maintenance or repairs.
I would welcome the opportunity to help you protect your investment.
If you are the DIY type, that's fantastic - I hope you are inspired and ready to begin tackling some of these projects on your own.
I'd love to hear about some of your projects, and feel free to share any tips or tricks that will help others in the comments below.
The New Year is coming - why not start if off right, with protecting and investing in your home?
The investment will pay dividends for years to come!
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