Maintaining the Value of Your Home

Regular home maintenance is vital to maintaining the value of your home or from an appraiser’s standpoint. It enhances the properties economic age - the number of years a house is expected to survive. 

Proper home maintenance enhances a home’s beauty (curb appeal), ensures safety and prevents simple upkeep from turning into costly repairs. To assist our fellow homeowners in achieving this objective, Greenwood Real Properties/Keller Williams Realty has put together a monthly checklist, home improvement and inspection routine for you to follow. ENJOY!! 

Interior

1. Get in the habit of checking your fire extinguisher(s), carbon monoxide and smoke detectors four times a year. Better safe than sorry!!!
2. Close the crawlspace vents to reduce heat loss.
3. Inspect the attic and crawlspace in your house for any unwanted guests such as small animals or insects. Plug any holes you find they may have entered through.
4. Schedule a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) inspection and cleaning. Have an efficient system ready to go to work. Install that setback thermostat you keep procrastinating about!
5. Vacuum and clean heat registers and cold air returns.
6. Clean and inspect the inside of your chimney and fireplace. If masonry, examine carefully for cracks in the brick/block.
7. Lubricate, test and clean sump pump in basement or crawl space.
8. Always be sure to change/clean your furnace/air conditioning filter monthly during peak heating/cooling season. We recommend you go no longer than three months dependent on your filter type. Not sure how to change the filter? Click Here!

Exterior

1. Inspect entry door weather stripping, caulking around windows and doors and replace as needed.
2. Check roof vents and clean or repair as needed.
3. Inspect roof and chimney caps. Repair as needed. To see seven simple ways to help prevent a chimney fire, click here.
4. Inspect the exterior of you house for any holes, cracks or large dents that need attention.
5. Clear outdoor vent of lint build up in clothes dryer.
6. Trim shrubbery away from siding.     
7. Lay in a fresh supply of firewood.
8. Put your gardens to bed for the winter. For tips on how, click here! 

Be sure to check out this month’s e-Newsletter to see featured local tradesman, articles, suggested reading(s) and much more. 

Thank you for spending some time with us today. We certainly hope you enjoyed our blog and found the information helpful. Please feel free to share it with your friends, neighbors or coworkers. 

If you need a skilled tradesman, we would be glad to recommend one. If you have any suggestions/feedback for our monthly maintenance checklist or would like to receive a complimentary, no obligation Greenwood Real Properties e-Newsletter, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us. 

Brian Greenwood is an Owner/Partner at Greenwood Real Properties/Keller Williams Realty with offices in Canton and Westwood. To see more blogs/articles like this go to www.GreenwoodRealProperties.com.