Now that summer is officially on its way, it is time to ensure your home stays well maintained. While a top to bottom inspection is required every spring and fall to check for any damage and prepare for the upcoming months, it is important to think of this as a year-round necessity.

While it might seem difficult to fit Home Maintenance inspections into your already busy schedule, the voice of Franklin still rings true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. What costs you a hundred dollars today might end up costing you thousands later if rain or wind or sun damage compounds a problem.

Alicia on “Home Maintenance Being an Investment”

“As someone who has moved numerous times, I can say that keeping your home in great condition does not just keep the value of your home, it increases it. Making sure that no moisture is allowed inside the walls keeps mold from building up. Keeping leaky faucets from dripping keeps the finish in the tub and sinks from eroding. You can get closer to your asking price when potential buyers see that you have maintained your house with great detail while other sellers have not.”

Sarah on “Managing the Maintenance”

“Keeping your home in great working order can seem incredibly daunting. If that is true for you, break the job into monthly parts. Schedule to drain the hot water heater in February and tackle the gutters in April. Clean the dryer vent in May and change the batteries in your smoke detectors in July. The added benefit is that you are aware of how the home is being maintained throughout the year which will allow you to catch any new problems at their inception.”

Here are a few tips to help you with your essential needs.

#1 Button Up the Ends

Protecting all the items within the home is job one. Therefore, you need to check the roof and the basement (or bottom floor) first. Check the vents, skylights and splash blocks as well as the tiles for any leaks. And keep those gutters clean. Then, check to see if any moisture is seeping in around the foundation or if there are any chinks in that armor that will lead to leaks. If you have a basement, just the fact of standing water should be enough to send up a warning signal.

#2 Get a Basic Set of Tools

You should have the tools you need for minor repairs. The good news is that you can get that set for $200 dollars or less. Get a toolbox and fill it with: a hammer, a pry bar (which is very multi-purpose), vise-grips, regular and needle-nose pliers, a set of screwdrivers, tape measure, a level (your first clue that there is a problem you do not notice is if things are no longer level), a 3/8th-inch reversible drill with bits, and a utility knife. And please, wear safety glasses. The other bonus is that these will help you with any arts-and-crafts projects you want to do.

#3 Know Your Limitations

Jobs should fall into three categories: what you can do, what a handyman can do, and what you need a specialist/contractor for. There is no way to prescribe these categories for you as everyone has a different level of ability. But even if you feel that simple jobs are outside your range, you can learn from the person you hire. Pay attention and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Then, next time, you can do it yourself and your hard-earned money will stay in your pocket.

When you’re working, wrangling the kids, and generally living a full life, it’s easy to let taking care of your home fall to the bottom of the priority list.

But you need to stay on top of your maintenance chores if you want to keep your home and all the good things in it functioning smoothly. As fall approaches, it’s time to start thinking about a top to bottom inspection to check for any damage and prepare for the upcoming cold, winter months.

Sarah on ‘Bite Size Projects’

‘I wouldn’t describe myself as the handiest person. When it comes to staying one step ahead of maintenance headaches, I have to admit, my preference would be to bury my head in the sand and hope that someone else takes care of any problems. Fortunately, I learned a trick a long time ago that helps me overcome that mental block. If I break a big task down into smaller tasks, and then put one task on my to-do list each week, I will surprise myself by tackling something I didn’t think was possible. For example, I recently moved into a new house and there were about fifty little maintenance issues, like a knob that had fallen off my dresser drawer and a leaky faucet that was keeping me up at night, that I knew I had to deal with. So I broke it down. Week one, I didn’t actually fix anything. I simply created a checklist. Week two I went to the hardware store for all the supplies I’d need to fix the broken things. Week three, I fixed the broken knob. And so on… When you’re feeling overwhelmed — break the project down into smaller bite-sized steps and you’ll be off to the races in no time.’

Alicia on ‘Getting Help’

‘Guilt: it’s the one thing that isn’t worth one iota of energy. If you keep putting off maintenance tasks because you’re too busy (or because you’re too scared to mess them up), stop beating yourself up and reach out to others who can help you. I am happy to admit that I am out of my depth in many areas of home maintenance. Why? Because that means my job as a homeowner is really about finding the right people to help me for the right price. I definitely know how to do that!’

Here a three essential chores to tackle this week to get your home prepared for the transition to fall.

#1 Change Essential Batteries
Don’t wait until your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors chirp at you to be changed, since that usually happens when you’re busy doing something else (like sleeping). Buy a few extra batteries when you’re at the grocery store this week, and swap out the old batteries for new ones in all of the detectors in your house when you get done putting the groceries away. If you live with others, ask them to help too. Once you’re done, enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your detection systems are at the ready.

#2 Change the Filters
As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool – wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system, leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure. If it’s been more than three months, head to the hardware store, buy some new filters, and put them in your heating and cooling systems this week.

#3 Sweep the Chimney
If you plan to spend a long winter cozied up to a warm fire, a through chimney cleaning is in order. Chimneys need periodic examination and thorough cleaning to maintain efficiency and to reduce the chance of a chimney fire. Book an appointment with your local chimney sweep to have yours professionally cleaned and checked for loose or missing mortar.

Now that winter is rapidly receding, it is time to ensure your home stays well maintained.

While a top-to-bottom inspection is required every spring and fall to check for any damage and prepare for the upcoming months, it is important to think of this as a year-round necessity. While it might seem difficult to fit home-maintenance inspections into your already busy schedule, the voice of Franklin still rings true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. What costs you a hundred dollars today might end up costing you thousands later if rain or wind or sun damage compounds a problem.

Alicia on “Home Maintenance Being an Investment”:

As someone who has moved numerous times, I can say that keeping your home in great condition does not just keep the value of your home, it increases it. Making sure that no moisture is allowed inside the walls keeps mold from building up. Keeping leaky faucets from dripping keeps the finish in the tub and sinks from eroding. You can get closer to your asking price when potential buyers see that you have maintained your house with great detail while other sellers have not.

Sarah on “Managing the Maintenance”:

Keeping your home in great working order can seem incredibly daunting. If that is true for you, break the job into monthly parts. Schedule to drain the hot-water heater in February and tackle the gutters in April. Clean the dryer vent in May and change the batteries in your smoke detectors in July. The added benefit is that you are aware of how the home is being maintained throughout the year, which will allow you to catch any new problems at their inception.

Here are a few tips to help you with your essential needs.

#1. Button Up the Ends
Protecting all the items within the home is job one. Therefore, you need to check the roof and the basement (or bottom floor) first. Check the vents, skylights and splash blocks as well as the tiles for any leaks. And keep those gutters clean. Then, check to see if any moisture is seeping in around the foundation or if there are any chinks in that armor that will lead to leaks. If you have a basement, just the fact of standing water should be enough to send up a warning signal.

#2. Get a Basic Set of Tools
You should have the tools you need for minor repairs. The good news is that you can get that set for $200 or less. Get a toolbox and fill it with a hammer, a pry bar (which is multipurpose), vise-grips, regular and needle-nose pliers, a set of screwdrivers, tape measure, a level (your first clue that there is a problem you do not notice is if things are no longer level), a 3/8th-inch reversible drill with bits, and a utility knife. And please, wear safety glasses. The other bonus is that these tools will help you with any arts-and-crafts projects you want to do.

#3. Know Your Limitations
Jobs should fall into three categories: what you can do, what a handyman can do and what you need a specialist/contractor for. There is no way to prescribe these categories for you as everyone has a different level of ability. But even if you feel that simple jobs are outside your range, you can learn from the person you hire. Pay attention and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Then, next time, you can do it yourself and your hard-earned money will stay in your pocket.

The temperature has already dropped in most northern states, but that doesn’t mean it is too late to get your home buttoned up for the really cold winter months ahead.

Give yourself the peace of mind that comes with knowing your home is prepared to weather the ice and snow efficiently — in other words, without costing you an arm or a leg.

Alicia on “Knowing Your Home”:

It can be tempting to run everything in your home by the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” motto — not touching or thinking about maintaining an appliance until it dies or fails. When it comes to your house, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For example, a dryer from 1985 that still works well and is problem-free probably has a filter system that isn’t working as well as it did the day it was purchased, which makes it a serious fire hazard. So, put your preventive-medicine hat on and get ahead of fires, leaks and other costly damages by enlisting a professional to check the pipes, and appliances like the refrigerator, washer/dryer, furnace and water heater.

Sarah on “Tracking Warranties & Service Plans”

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Warranty papers and service plans, especially those that come on the actual product receipt, have a way of floating around kitchens, home offices, purses, pockets and dresser tops without ever landing in a permanent, easy-to-find spot. Think about taking some time now to round up the paperwork on all of your appliances and storing them in a designated file or folder. We recommend buying an inexpensive accordion file, titling it “Appliance Files” and using it to safely house all of the warranties, service plans and receipts for important household items. Keep your file folder in an easily accessible spot, like a filing cabinet, utility closet or bookshelf and refer to it as needed. That way, if a professional checks an appliance, like your refrigerator, and finds it isn’t functioning properly, it doesn’t have to mean hundreds or even thousands down the drain.

Here are other key areas of your home/property you should winterize to save money.

#1: Check Seals on Doors & Windows
If the heated air is escaping your home through creaky, leaky doors and windows, you’ll be wasting hundreds of dollars heating your home. On the next blustery day, check to see if cold air is blowing in by holding your hand next to windows and doors. If you do find a drafty door, try an inexpensive fix — those sand-filled, fabric-covered draft stoppers for doors leading in and out of the house. For windows, check to be certain that they are properly closed and, and if you have them, that storm windows are in properly. Thick drapes are also helpful at nighttime, but during the day, be sure they’re open for windows that get direct sunlight.

#2: Check the Chimney
Be sure your fireplace damper is closed when there is no fire lighted. Think of it this way: Leaving the damper open is like keeping a 4- by -4-inch window wide open, thus allowing that precious warm air (and the hard-earned money it took to heat your home) to go right up the chimney. In addition, check the seal on the flue damper to be certain it’s as snug as possible. If you never use your fireplace, then go ahead and plug/seal the chimney flue. There’s no sense in losing heat from something you never use.

#3: Care for Your Heat & Water
Have your heating system serviced and be sure that anything on your heating system that is covered under warranty is replaced. Change heating filters and walk through the house to make sure that all heat vents are clear. You don’t want any of your children’s toys melting when you turn the system on for the first time. In addition, changing the filters will also help remove pesky allergens. For the water system, drain sprinkler pipes if you have them. Otherwise, the pipes underground can freeze and break over the winter, costing you money and time next spring. Also, never turn your heat off fully, even if you are going on vacation for a week. Your indoor pipes can freeze and burst, causing an indoor flood. Having a friend drop by to check on your home during winter months if you go away is always a good idea.