Do we sound like a broken record yet?
Your home represents a significant financial investment. If you want that investment to grow and pay you back, you must continue to invest money and sweat equity to keep it running smoothly and looking good.
Back in October, we posted a Fall Maintenance blog that laid out the importance of having a regular schedule when it comes to taking care of your home throughout the year. You might still be working on those fall items, but winter officially begins in a few days. With the solstice right around the corner, we thought it would be timely to present you with the gift of a Winter Maintenance Checklist.
- Change direction of ceiling fans: make them rotate clockwise
- Cover your A/C unit: you can order these from your favorite home improvement store and have it delivered! Easy Peasy.
- Inspect hoses on washing machine, dishwasher, and ice maker for leaks
- We don’t get a ton of snow around here, but it does happen and you need to be prepared. Make sure you have ice melt and a shovel for digging out of your driveway in case of ice/snow and make sure you have a scraper handy for clearing the ice off of your windshield.
- Vacuum bathroom exhaust fan grill
- Vacuum refrigerator and freezer coils. You are going to have to move the refrigerator to inspect the hoses anyway, so it is the perfect time to clean the coils.
- Clean sink drains
- Test Sump pump. Roto-Rooter’s blog has a handy entry on this topic.
- Close foundation vents
Remember, in addition to these unique winter chores, every quarter, you will want to do the following:
- Clean: trash bins, sink drains, dishwasher screen: yes, it can be nasty, but it will make a huge difference, and all your really need is elbow grease.
- Check air filters.
- Vacuum/clean air intakes.
- Look for leaks around plumbing. Inspect grout and caulking in kitchen and baths.
- Test smoke and carbon dioxide detectors.
- Take a good look around the outside of your home to check for any changes to the siding, soffit, brick, gutters, downspouts, decking, etc.
- Test GFCI outlets in kitchen and baths….just push that “test” button and make sure the other one pops out before resetting. You’re kids can help with this one…we think it is kind of fun.
If you haven’t taken care of the tasks from the fall, it’s not too late to check-off those items. You can refer to our October 9 blog for reminders of what you need to do.
The more regularly you take care of your home, the easier it becomes. A little pride of ownership goes a long way in helping your home retain its value over the years.
If you do find yourself needing a little extra help with these chores, Talk to your favorite F.C. Tucker Emge REALTOR®. They won’t do the work for you, but they will happily give you names of appropriate professionals that they trust. #LetsTalk.
