It’s that time of the year again. The winter months pass and you know there are going to be little injuries to your property here and there. How do you track them all down? What are the cost-effective ways of dealing with them?
We’ve put together a little Spring guide to help you adopt a smooth routine for the new season. Whether you’re maintaining your home for a life-long stay or getting it ready for the next family, we have some tips and tricks to make sure you get the most done before the warmer months settle in.
Are you planning to sell your house?
Are you expecting to sell your home and move this year? Consult a real estate agent for insights on what the current market wants and pointers on updates you can do.
A real estate agent can help make selling your home easier.
- Your agent will help you determine what to price your home for.
- Your agent will help you know when to list your home for sale.
- Your agent will help you understand housing indicators that determine real estate prices.
- Your agent will handle the listing agreement.
- Your agent will advertise and show your home.
- Your agent deals with price negotiations.
- Your agent will create a battle plan to promote, show, and sell your home.
- With an agent, you will likely get your home sold more quickly.
Inspect your home to depersonalize and declutter your home. Aim for a generic appeal versus what decor choices match your personality and taste. For instance, redecorate bright or unusual rooms with neutral wall colors and modern furniture.
Follow the spring checklist to show your home in a well-maintained, efficient manner. Look for areas you can do updates that make your home more appealing, such as touching up paint, installing updated appliances, updating your bathroom, and installing efficient light fixtures.
Do you have pets? Wash or replace pet beds and toys. Adopt a consistent cleaning schedule to keep pet hair picked up. Board or have a friend babysit your pet when you show your house to a potential buyer.
Root out odors that potential buyers may not like. Musty smells indicate mold or mildew. A smelly sink or garbage disposal may imply a problem with the plumbing. Rotten egg smells in your kitchen may indicate a lack of required traps or vents.
Your Spring Home Routine
Every spring, you should do a complete home inspection and maintenance routine. Seasonal maintenance routines help your home maintain a strong value, as well as provide a healthy and safe haven for your family.
Here is a fourteen-point checklist to help you get started.
Check for cracks.
Look at any area made with concrete around your home for cracks—driveway, pool deck, walkways, supports, etc. Use silicone caulk or concrete fillers to fill the cracks or get a professional if the concrete needs replacing.
Examine your building foundation for any masonry cracks. If you find any, hire a professional. These will need a special two-part epoxy injection system that chemically bonds the cracks.
In the basement, carefully check the floor and the concrete base of concrete poured floors. Cracks will start from the bottom up and water will show at the bottom of the cracks.
Check outdoor water systems.
Make sure your pipes, faucets, and in-ground sprinkler systems are working properly.
Check your windows.
Look at the existing caulking and weather stripping. Did you have any condensation inside the glass on double or triple glazed windows over the winter? This means it's been compromised, and your glass or window may need replacing.
Clean your windows with a window cleaner inside and out. An excellent homemade cleaner is one cup rubbing alcohol, one cup water, and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Use a squeegee or soft cloth.
Check downspouts and gutters.
Clean the debris and leaves out of your gutters that have accumulated over the winter. Check the downspouts to make sure they're clean and in good shape. Make sure they are pointed away from your house for proper drainage. Repair sagging gutters or replace them. Caulk holes to stop leaks.
Check your roof.
If you use a ladder, follow safety procedures carefully. You can also use binoculars, cameras, or smartphones to check from ground level.
Check your roof for missing or damaged shingles. Look for signs of leaking or cracking, and call a professional if you find any.
Dark streaks indicate algae, which isn't harmful, but moss is more serious and needs to be cleaned. The moss can cause shingles to lift, curl, or blow off in high winds.
How to clean moss and algae: Mix equal parts of bleach and water and apply to the affected shingles. Rinse off after 15 minutes. Avoid any pressure washing or scrubbing as that damages the shingles.
Check for leaks.
Check under the sinks inside the home to make sure your pipe connections and hoses are properly sealed. Check the dishwasher and laundry room for any signs of wetness around them on the floor. Check washer machines for cracked or bulging hoses or dampness. Check your water heaters for signs of corrosion and leaks.
Outdoor woodwork maintenance.
Exterior wood structures such as fencing, railings, pergolas, and decks need should be stained and resealed every year or two to stay attractive and at peak condition. Check for broken sections or steps and repair those.
Check for insect invasion.
Termites swarm in the spring. Look for winged insects flying out of a hole in woodwork. If you see any, call a professional right away. A little inconvenience now will save you a lot of money and trouble in the long run.
Look at exposed framing with a flashlight. Call pest control immediately if you see even a quarter-inch or so of tunneling in the wood.
Check for standing water.
Mosquitos can be dangerous to your health with the rise of the West Nile virus and Zika virus. Eliminating any areas of standing water is your best defense. Look around your property and adjacent properties for anything holding water or an area with standing water. Fix it, tip it, and maintain it to get rid of the water.
Check your screens.
Inspect every window and door for holes and tears in the screens. Repair all you can find with new screen material and screen repair kits available at most hardware and home improvement stores.
Check your air conditioner.
Make sure your air conditioning unit is free of debris and foliage. Taking a shop vac to grab any dust that has settled on it is recommended. The area around it should be clear to allow for full airflow. Change the filters, check hoses, and check the drain pans. If you suspect any problems, get a professional to check it out.
Adopt a spring cleaning routine.
You'd be surprised how much buildup can accumulate over the winter on forgotten areas of your house. Rails, window casings, tops of cabinets, ceiling fans, tops of pictures, on top of doorways, etc., are important areas to run a vacuum cleaner or rag over.
Wash fabric draperies, clean wood, and vinyl blinds. Vacuum furniture and mattresses and deep clean carpets.
Removing accumulated dust, mites, and allergens will make your home healthier and brighter.
Check the attic.
Visit your attic to make sure you have no critters or insects invading your home. Look for gray or black blotches that could indicate mold. With proper insulation and good ventilation, you'll deter mold in the attic. If this needs improvement, now is the time to take action before the warm months set in.
Look above you.
How are your ceilings? Inspect each room for signs of peeling spackling, mold, and discoloration. If you see discoloration, contact a roofing expert for an inspection and repair.
Are you happy with the type of ceiling you have? If your ceiling is coated with spackling and you prefer a painted ceiling, consider planning a workday to scrape and repaint it before the warmer months kick in. Dealing with the spackling is a messy job and you can avoid some of the sweaty discomforts by choosing a warm spring week where you can have doors and windows open.
Create your summer plans.
While you go through your spring home checklist, think about any renovations or redecorating you may want to accomplish for the year. With the current supply chain shortages, you’ll want to order materials and make your plans further ahead this year.
Will you need professional help for any of these jobs? Don’t wait until the last minute to call them. Reserve your time with the professional now for that work you want to be done in three months.
A healthy, happy home.
With seasonal maintenance routines throughout the year, you’ll take steps to create a safe haven for your family where you’ll enjoy happy memories. You’ll protect the resell value of your home and enjoy it a lot more while you live in it.
Gear up for home safety.
Be safe as you maintain and repair your home. Wear clothing suitable for the jobs you do and don’t wear open-toe shoes while working with equipment and moving heavy objects.
Indestructible shoes make great options for every safety need. With stylish good looks and multiple choices in function and design, you can find the shoes that give you comfort and protection throughout your day.
- Crush resistant.
- Fire resistance.
- Water resistance.
- Steel toes.
- Breathable.
- Flexible composition.
- Lightweight material.
