Here’s the cold, hard truth: Your home undoubtedly took some sort of hit during the chilliest months of the year. With the weather warming and Spring upon us, you might want to consider these seasonal checks to help ensure that your home is in tip-top shape. Here’s a quick checklist to help you manage your mission and prepare for Spring.
Hit the deck: Water stains near walls, splintering or sagging, as well as mold and moss can all indicate problems. Examine your fencing as well. We are embarking on staining our side and back fences in the next few months to help add a few years to them. A good power washing can help you assess the situation. Clean your barbecue. Check outdoor lights.
The roof, too: Inspect your roof from the ground looking for loose, miss-ing, or damaged roofing materials. If you have access to the underside of the roof, check for signs of leaks by discolorations. Check vents, sky-lights, and chimneys for leaks. Have any repairs fixed as soon as possible so water doesn’t get inside your home.
Attack the attic: Check insulation and venting in attic. Make sure vents are not covered. Inspect the attic for signs of roof leaks, condensation, or frost build-up. Your attic should run within 10 degrees of the rest of your house all year long. Otherwise, you might have trouble with your climate system or insulation. And if you find any bird’s nests or rodent droppings up there, call your pest person. Pron-to.
Bugging out: “Termites eat 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” says Missy Herriksen, a spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association. “They cause serious and costly damage and compromise the structural stability of a home.” Think $5 billion worth of destruction last year alone! Look for pellet-shaped droppings or shed wings. When in doubt, get a pro to inspect.
Cracking up: Having cracks in your pavement or paths is no laughing matter. Seal with concrete filler before weeds can take root or ants invade!
How important is preventative maintenance? Without it, a home could easily lose 10 to 12 percent of its appraised value. Researchers suggest that regular maintenance increases the value of a house by about 1 percent a year.
Call Micah at 714.343.9294 or Steve at 714.393.5377 for your free pre-market evaluation.
Sources: Steve Stovall, Stovall Team, and HGTV
Tips: Home Checklist for Spring
Home Checklist for Spring, Stovall Team, Fountain Valley Real Estate
Replace smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm batteries
Change furnace filters at least quarterly
Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and space under the dryer. Remove all lint, dust, and pieces of material and make sure they’re venting to the outside properly
Check outside walkways, stairs and railings
Keep a fire extinguisher accessible, filled and ready for operation
Check light bulbs in all your fixtures to be sure they are the correct wattage as recommend-ed by the manufacturer
Check exterior lights, garage doors, gates and doorbell
Sources: Stovall Team, and Travelers Insurance