Some home improvements are easy to do yourself, but for the big jobs, hire a professional.
As a year ends and a new one begins, many of us make resolutions about being more active, eating a better diet, weeding through an old wardrobe or cleaning out cupboards for donations to goodwill. But what about your house? It can’t make these kind of plans to spruce itself up or keep itself in shape to live a long, healthy life the way you can.
So why not give it a helping hand? It’s not just helping your house, it’s helping you in the long run. Regular home maintenance is good for a property, extending its “economic age”, a term meaning the number of years a house is expected to survive. It also ensures safety, prevents those little maintenance problems turning into costly repair projects and can possibly even reduce energy consumption. And, especially in this crazy real estate economy, you want to make sure your home is well maintained just in case you want to sell—it seriously helps the resale value.
Here’s an easy checklist for you to use this month to make sure your home accomplishes its New Year’s resolutions:
- Check the HVAC system and replace disposable filters or clean washable filters. Check the kind of filters you have, and make sure you’re changing or cleaning them on schedule.
- Vacuum all heat vents.
- Inspect, clean and test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and this month is a great time to replace the batteries, whether you need to or not. Don’t have either type of detector? Check with your fire department for proper placement, and install immediately.
- Install properly charged and working fire extinguishers around the home, especially the kitchen, if you don’t have them already. Other key locations are the garage and near a gas water heater, fireplace or wood stove.
- Gather the family and draw up a plan of action in case of fire. Assign everyone two exits and set a place to meet outside to ensure everyone gets out. The most important thing about this plan for the whole family to practice it regularly!
- Check for leaks in forced-air heat duct joints and seal with duct tape.
- Look for indoor condensation and, if found, contact a qualified water restoration and mold specialist to investigate.
- Clear rain gutters of any dirt and debris.
- Check your roof for loose tiles or shingles, and damage of any kind
If there are any home improvement or remodeling projects that you don’t feel you should tackle on your own, give us a call. We’re not just specialists in water, fire and mold restoration services, we are also licensed and bonded contractors. We’ve helped hundreds of clients not just restore their home to how it was before the damage occurred, we’ve helped them create the home they’ve always wanted by completing a remodel within their budget. It’s January! Doesn’t your home deserve a chance to look and feel its best? Call now: 877-732-8471