Home Maintenance
Having a home maintenance plan can make a huge splash in your Cedar Rapids bank account. Fortunately, performing proper home maintenance does not require a lot of specialized know-how or training, nor does it require a lot of time or money. “Homeowners on average can put their finger on more than $9,000 a year for hidden and home maintenance costs, with some markets saddling owners with $10,000 to more than $13,000 in expenses,” writes Erik Pisor, reporter at Inman. Here are some things you can do on a regular basis to avoid hiring professionals:
Simple Home Maintenance Tips
- Broken window – a broken window is like a scotoma. Every normal mammalian eye has a scotoma in its field of vision, usually termed a “blind spot.” You can develop a blind spot for a broken window. You planned on fixing it right after the baseball flew through the air, but you kept putting it off, until you just didn’t see it anymore. Drafty windows are a major culprit of high energy bills in the summer and winter months. Also, periodically check the condition of the caulk line that holds your windows in place. If the caulk appears to be dry, cracked, or otherwise weathered, with a velvet touch, remove the old caulk with a box cutter or other sharp knife and run a new bead of caulk along the seam
- Toilets – Water leaking from your toilet tank will not only cost you money when it comes to your utility bill, but it can also cause water damage to your bathroom floor and yellow rings on the ceiling below. To find out whether your toilet tank is leaking, add some red food coloring to the water in the tank. Come back in about an hour and see if the water in the bowl is pink. If it is, you have a leak.
- Leaky faucets – It’s annoying to see and hear a dripping faucet and the clang of pipes. Chances are that the washer is worn. It’s an easy fix: Turn off the water to the faucet, replace the washer and turn the water back on. It saves money on your water bill.
How about the Washer and Dryer
- Washing Machine & Dryer – It is important to regularly inspect your washing machine water supply hoses for leaks. One of the top reasons for insurance claims is for water damage caused by leaky washing machine supply lines. Inspect washing machine water supply lines at least annually and replace them every three years
- Water Heater – Water heaters, like other appliances, need maintenance to increase longevity and reduce the possibility of damage.
- Plumbing – Skip the Drano. Though the acids it contains can help unclog a drain, they also cause significant damage to your plumbing, including premature leaking. Using harsh acids can lead to costly repairs later on. Use a small snake instead.
- Dry rot – It appears around trim and where wood comes into contact with cement. It can also appear between gutters and soffit, and around siding where two boards come together. These areas should be sealed and painted or replaced. It shows that you have a well-maintained
- Gutters – Speaking of gutters, have they been cleaned? Do the gutters sag? Have they rusted? Do they funnel water away from the house? Any of these can tell a home buyer there may be water leaking into the house.
- Chimneys – In Virginia, where rain can come down heavily, chimneys should have caps that keep the rain from going down the chimney and flooding the basement. Over time the mortar that holds the bricks together can crack. This mortar should be repaired to keep the bricks in place and is called repointing.
- Missing shingles – Periodically check your roof for damage. Take a look at your roof. Any missing shingles? While you’re up there, check the flashing around the chimney and any skylights.
Harmony Property Solutions, LLC is here to help homeowners out of any kind of distressed situation.
As investors, we are in business to make a modest profit on any deal, however we can help homeowners out of just about any situation, no matter what! There are no fees, upfront costs, commissions, or anything else. Just the simple honest truth about your home and how we can help you sell it fast to resolve any situation.
Harmony Property Solutions, LLC is part of a nationwide group of thousands of investors who are helping tens of thousands of homeowners every year. We may not be the “traditional” route, but we CAN help and we can do it quickly!
Give us a call today at 319-343-6773 to let us know how YOU need help.