Homes, much like automobiles, need tune-ups. Just like our cars come with checklists to ensure they perform at their best, our houses also need attention to function properly. Taking care of your home will help extend the life of it and help you budget accordingly. Here are some helpful tips.
Spring: With winter gone, now is the time to tidy up the landscaping by removing dead leaves and trimming trees and palms. Curb appeal can be elevated and enhanced by power washing and cleaning the windows. This is also a good time to do any touchup painting. Check to see if any roof tiles have loosened or if any cracking occurred in the stucco or concrete over the winter and make sure to tend to that. Now is also the season to get your pool ready for summer by checking the equipment and settings. Inside the home, servicing the HVAC and cleaning the vents and ducts will help with the efficiency and lifespan of the system. Finally, it is recommended that batteries get changed in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms during the spring to ensure safety.
Summer: At this time of year, in our drought prone climate, it is advisable to adjust sprinklers to water at the times that the city allows and not overuse. Also, checking sprinklers to make sure they are aimed at the right areas and not leaking will help them do the best job. Inside the home, reversing the ceiling fan setting to counterclockwise will create more of a down draft and keep the home cooler. Pests can be a problem here in the summer time so investing in a pest control service could be a lifesaver.
Fall: At this time of year it’s time to change the sprinkler settings and readjust the pool equipment in preparation for cooler months. It’s also time to check that the thermostat is working properly and that there are no issues with the furnace or ductwork. Planning to use the fireplace this winter? This is the time to have the fireplace cleaned and checked. Finally, since it is daylight savings times again, make sure to check the smoke detector batteries and carbon monoxide batteries and operation once again.
Winter: In the winter it is a good time to check for drafts and eliminate them to protect against cool nights. Also, check to make sure that there is no way for water to get into the house during the heavy rains that are possible.
Seasonal maintenance is helpful however there is also a lifespan to many components of your home. Check back in my next column to read more about the larger systems and components of the home and how to budget for their replacement.
By Holly McDonald
Holly Schwartz McDonald is a realtor with Villa Real Estate who lives in Newport Beach and has been featured on HGTV’s House Hunters. She can be reached at HMcDonald@VillaRealEstate.com.
