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Health & Fitness

September Home Maintenance Checklist and Inspection Routine

Not sure what your home is worth in today's marketplace? We would be glad to provide you with a FREE home valuation for estate planning purposes or just for your own edification.

As you know, homeownership is one of the single biggest investments we will make in our lifetime.  That is why proper home maintenance is so important.  Regular home maintenance enhances the properties economic age (the number of years a house is expected to survive), ensures safety, prevents simple upkeep from turning into costly repairs and may even reduce energy consumption.  Having a well maintained home provides piece of mind and increases resale value.  To support our fellow homeowners in achieving this objective, Greenwood Real Properties 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 4x 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 an 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 3 months dependent on your filter type.  Not sure how to change the filter?  CLICK HERE

 

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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 7 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.  Looking for some tips? CLICK HERE

 

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How important is preventative maintenance?  Without it, your home could easily lose 10% to 12% of its appraised value.  Researchers suggest that regular maintenance increases the value of a house by about 1% a year.  However, professional appraisers are quick to point out any gain is typically offset by the ongoing cost of maintenance.  According to the U.S. Census, over time annual maintenance can cost upwards to $3,300 or 1% to 3% of a home’s initial cost dependant on its geographic location.  To put this in perspective; owners of a $200,000 house should plan to budget $2,000 to $6,000 per year for ongoing maintenance and upkeep depending on the age of the home.

Not sure what your home is worth in today’s marketplace?  We would be glad to provide you with a FREE home valuation for estate planning purposes or just for your own edification.  Would you like to be added to our mailing list to receive a copy of our complimentary monthly Newsletter?  Let us know.  Complete the enclosed Contact Us Form and we’ll take it from there!!

**We offer discounts to Senior Citizens and Veterans**

Brian Greenwood is an Owner/Partner at Greenwood Real Properties/Keller Williams Realty w/Offices in Canton, Easton, Needham and Westwood
At Greenwood Real Properties our goal is straightforward: to exceed your expectations and earn your business for life

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