Summer Maintenance for New Home Owners
First off, congratulations! Becoming a homeowner for the first time is a major life milestone. Usually it also means you’ve achieved some other life goals. Whether your career has taken off or you are starting a new family, your new home will be the venue to celebrate. And what better season than summer to gather friends and family?
Of course, once the guests go home you’ll have new responsibilities. Now there’s no landlord to call. If something breaks, you have to fix it. So, as a housewarming gift, here’s a list for maintaining your home for this summer and the summers to come.
Be Fire Safe
Hopefully you kept fire safety in mind while buying your home. But when it comes to protecting the people and belongings you love, you cannot be too diligent. Get to know your home and devise an evacuation plan. Review the best exits in the case of a fire and decide on a meeting place.
But once you’ve finished that don’t rush to cross it off your to-do list. Including fire safety in your regular maintenance plan is the surest way to keep your family and your new home safe. Your A/C uses a lot of energy and fires can start if you add another appliance to an already hard working outlet. Check your home for these issues, test your smoke alarms, keep a fire extinguisher handy and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
Touching up the Paint
Paint isn’t just about curb appeal. It protects your gutters from rust and wood from rot. Checking your home’s paint job for peeling or chipping is also a great excuse to enjoy beautiful summer weather. Taking care of small areas and hiring a pro for bigger jobs means your home ages well structurally and in its looks.
Clean out the Gutters
While you’ve got your ladder out have a look at your gutters. They’re often overlooked, but neglecting them can give you a real headache to deal with. Clogged gutters won’t be able to properly disperse the water from summer downpours, causing flooding. Avoiding this is simple. Climb up there and dig out leaves and debris that have built up.
Dealing with Insects
It’s a fact that as a homeowner you will have insects to deal with. As with everything on this list the key is prevention. Clear away those cobwebs to deal with spiders. Keep ant poison handy so that you can respond to an infestation immediately.
Termites are a more serious issue. Left unchecked they can cause structural damage to your home. Tightly seal foundation cracks, maintain a one-inch gap between soil and wood portions of your home and keep your basement and attic well ventilated and dry.
Maintain Your A/C
Keep your A/C clean and working efficiently. Regularly change your filters if your A/C is window mounted. Larger A/Cs remove moisture from the air to lower humidity and deposit condensed water through the drain line under your home. Mold, mildew and algae can build up in the drain line, clog and damage your air conditioner. A cup of bleach will prevent this build up.
Once again, congratulations on your new home. May these maintenance tips serve you well!
Mark Maga Real Estate 2016