Ignoring little problems around the house can result in big problems. Take the time and invest a little money in maintaining your home and its systems before neglect gets out of hand and you have an expensive situation to fix – or entirely replace. What are the things you might be neglecting?
MSN real estate put together a slide show on the topic. Below are the basics:
1. Have your heating & cooling systems inspected at least annually. Estimated cost is several hundred dollars. This buys a lot of peace of mind and can save an emergency trip charge when the furnace goes out in the winter.
2. Chimney inspection/cleaning is recomended annually, before you start your first fire. Costs for inspection and cleaning were estimated at around $200. An inspection could find build up of creosote, a fire hazard, or water damage which can be very expensive to fix.
3. Termite Inspection – A problem Wisconsinsites don’t have to worry about! Correction 4/26/2011: Dennis Hurst of our Minocqua office has sold houses with termites in Wisconsin. Please be aware that termites ARE a possible pest to contend with in Wisconsin.
4. Power Washing and sealing the deck. A cleaning and sealing is recommended 1-3 years. Don’t let your deck go – it’ll look bad, nails may pop out, boards may warp. A properly cleaned and sealed deck can last 20-30 years, the article estimates. You could hire out this project or buy yourself a power washer.
5. Dryer-vent cleaning, annually. Cost estimated at $200 but priceless – lint build-up is a potential fire hazard.
6. Carpet cleaning annually to extend the life of your carpet – more for homes with kids or pets. 1,000 sq ft of mid-grade carpet & padding installed is estimated at $3000. The better you take care of it, the less times you’ll have the inconvenience of jamming everything into the kitchen while the family room carpet is being replaced.
These simple maintenance tasks can fix problems which could escalate into serious problems/expenditures. We hope you found something to take away from this article summary. To read more on any of the points, please see the original post.
Thank you for reading the First Weber Wisconsin real estate & Wisconsin living blog about 6 ways to take care of the home you’re in.
photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhonddal/3984278089/