As we are approaching winter (which can be the most grueling season on your home, depending on where you live), take some time to do some preventative maintenance on your largest investment...your home. All too often as Inspectors, we see and inspect homes that have not been properly taken care of. If homeowners took more pride in ownership and performed some very minuscule preventative maintenance on their homes, it would make for a much more enjoyable trip to the closing table for all parties involved.
Below are just a few tips to prepare your home for the upcoming winter months.
Check and clean or replace your furnace filters on a monthly basis during the heating season.
Have your furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company (every two years for a gas or electric furnace and every year for an oil furnace).
Bleed air from the hot water radiators, and turn the gas furnace pilot light on.
Vacuum electric baseboard heaters and registers in home to remove dust, removing the grilles on forced air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.
If the heat recovery ventilator has been shut off for the summer, clean filters and the core, and pour water down the condensate drain to test it.
Have well water tested for quality. This should be done once a year.
Check the sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and that there are no line obstructions or visible leaks.
If you have a septic tank, measure the sludge and scum to determine if it needs to be emptied before spring. Tanks should be pumped out at least once every three years.
Replace window screens with storm windows, and ensure all windows, doors and skylights shut tightly, including the door between your house and garage. Replace weather stripping if necessary.
Check bottom seal on garage door, clean or replace as necessary.
Ensure that the ground around your home slopes away from the foundation wall to prevent water from draining into the basement.
Clean leaves from gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof, and check chimneys for nests or other obstructions.
Cover the outside of air conditioners, and drain and store outdoor hoses. Close the valve to outdoor hose connection, and drain the faucet (unless it is frost proof).
Winterize landscaping by storing outdoor furniture, preparing gardens, fertilizing yard and protecting young trees or bushes with mulch for winter.
It is also recommended that you receive a Home Maintenance Inspection every two years. For about the cost of a basic car tune-up, you can learn the condition of your home and possibly save thousands of dollars by staying on top of the basic maintenance that every home needs. You take care of yourself, your kids, your pets, and your car, Your home is no different. Doesn't it make sense to take care of one of the biggest investments you own?
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Great advice Mike!