These 5 tips for every homeowner are easy to follow, can save money, will increase comfort and in some cases help to avoid disaster for your home (and bank account).
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Fun With a Sharpie...
When you change the filters in your furnace, write the date of the change. Use a Sharpie or permanent marker. This way YOU KNOW the actual date and there is no guesswork. The same applies for the batteries in your smoke detectors and the air/cabin filter in your car. A very simple yet helpful life hack.
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Can You See The Light?
In almost every home that I oversee, I see that little gap under the front door or under the doors to the deck/patio. The weather stripping is fitted poorly or torn. Very common since these doors are used frequently. Change the weather stripping (or have someone do it for you) or block that gap. The result will be warmer floors and possibly lower heating bills.
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Look Under The Sink…
Is the wood (fiberboard) bubbled, warped or darkened? Maybe a shampoo bottle has fallen over or worse, there is or has been a small water leak.
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A Sump Pump is Like a Parachute (for your house).
So it rains very hard and water is coming into the sump but it does not turn on…yikes! SPs don't operate very often, make sure that yours will work when you need it! Having a sump pump is not much value if it does not work when it is needed the most (kind of like a parachute that won’t open a AFTER you jump).
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Are Your Gutters Clean?
It rains or snows then freezes. If your gutters are full of leaves and debris then they will not drain properly. With further thaws and refreezes, the ice may back up under the shingles and water may get into your house. Operation Ice Dam has begun….
These 5 tips for every homeowner are just a start. Imagine if the above things happened and no one was around for days, weeks, months? Finding these things early is what we do as part of “watching” a home. We are the eyes, ears and boots on the ground for homeowners when they are away.