The snooze-you-lose cliche can apply to many things, among them the maintenance chores around your home. Putting off today what you can do tomorrow is sometimes a costly process, because it’s easy to overlook repairs that you should do…until you must do them.
Realtors like to help clients, potential and real ones, recognize how important it is to keep your house in good shape so that when the time comes to sell it, which will likely happen, you won’t have to spend a lot of money getting it ready to list.
So now, realtors across the country have access to a “homeowners’ guide to home maintenance” to pass along some tips.
Two things stand out — scheduling maintenance jobs and knowing how to find the two repairs most often overlooked: the foundation and mould. Having a schedule helps avoid getting overwhelmed with the volume of maintenance jobs, by 
having a schedule of jobs that can be completed in a morning or afternoon, and setting aside one day every month to do them.
having a schedule of jobs that can be completed in a morning or afternoon, and setting aside one day every month to do them.The kind of jobs that sometimes slip through the cracks (until the crack is so big it can’t be ignored) are things like changing the furnace filter, washing hardwood floors, testing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and cleaning out tub and shower drains. On that note, one tip is to use a fine filter insert in drains to catch the things that cause blockages before they do.
The to-do list of choices includes:
• look for cracks or moisture in the foundation
• check the caulking around windows and doors
• inspect eavestroughs, gutters and flashing
• vacuum air-return ducts
• clean behind your fridge and stove
• check on anything made of wood (fence, deck, etc.) for damage or rot
• sniff for the musty or dank odours of mould, especially in places you can’t see
Many of these chores are obvious to seasoned homeowners, but it’s always a good idea to get helpful hints.
Like to know more?
Call Jennifer or Dale.