Seasonal Home Maintenance Schedule
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
REAL ESTATE
SPONSORED CONTENT
Now that the temperatures are dropping and the leaves have fallen, it’ s important to focus on home maintenance to help prevent larger problems( if completed on a regular basis). Here are some tips to show you what to do seasonally and semi-annually to keep your home in top shape. While some of these tasks may seem obvious, others may not have crossed your mind.
FALL AND WINTER
• Check the clothes dryer hoses, change out filters and clean out the lint traps.
• Flush your hot water heater.
• Review your homeowner’ s insurance policy and have it re-quoted or adjusted if necessary.
• Caulk around exterior doors and windows.
• Clean out your gutters to keep them free of debris.
• Have chimneys inspected and cleaned before lighting the fireplaces to keep you warm on chilly winter evenings.
• Caulk around bathtub / shower stalls.
• Seal ceramic tile grout.
SPRING AND SUMMER
• Check the attic and basement for cracks that could be allowing water to seep into the house. This is particularly important after a rainy winter.
• Look for overgrown tree roots that could damage foundations, driveways and walkways.
• Power-wash the siding, deck, patio, driveway and sidewalks to freshen them up.
• Have windows cleaned.
• Trim tree branches and shrubs.
• Repair cracks in sidewalks, driveways and steps.
SEMI-ANNUALLY
• Change the air filters in your HVAC system.
• Check outdoor vents for obstructions and debris.
• Test smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers. Change the batteries in the alarms and detectors.
• Have your heating and A / C systems serviced to confirm that they are in good working order.
• Activate the sump pump by dumping a bucket of water in the basin. As you can see from the list of items, there is a lot to do to maintain a home throughout the year. If you are in need of service professionals to assist you with any of these tasks, I would be happy to provide you with contact information for my referral partners who work in these fields. Please contact me at your convenience if I can be of service with these items, or if you are in need of assistance to sell your home or to purchase a new one.
This Industry Insight was written by Darlene B. Kruth, a Sales Executive with Northwood Realty Services. Darlene is a licensed real estate agent in the state of Pennsylvania and has designations as an Accredited Staging Professional(“ ASP”) and a Seniors Real Estate Specialist(“ SRES”). For more information regarding Darlene’ s services and qualifications, please contact her at 412.831.0100 x3013( office), 412.874.0415( cell), or email her at dkruth @ northwood. com.
South Fayette | Winter 2016 | icmags. com 19