So now you have jumped through all the hoops, moved in and had the pizza party to celebrate your first home purchase.Times are good and everyone is happy.You are confident you will make your payments and obligations and still have enough money for a “date” once a week.Now comes the reality check; you need to protect your investment.I am not talking about insurance here, that is a given as a part of buying and is demanded by all mortgage lenders.I am talking about looking after your property.
Maintenance can be expensive or it can be cheap.Mostly it depends on you and your willingness to work around the house.Of course you want that because you considered it when making the decision to buy; right?
Even a maintenance free home will still have work to be done but it just won’t be as much.Window and door frames will need painting every few years and that is relatively inexpensive.You need to consider other factors like property care as well as functional care for furnaces and water heaters etc.
Lawn care is usually one of most home owners first priorities.It is what makes the first impression when passing a house.A well cared for lawn tells the onlooker that the property is properly cared for.This requires a number of garden tools that can range from shovels and rakes to ride on lawn mowers.Buy only what you actually need but buy good quality.Often people skimp on the quality and end up replacing them after several years of use.Good quality will cost as much as double but it will last for 15 years or more and during that time, the cost of replacement will increase with the economy.So minimize the replacement costs by purchasing quality up front.It is a good investment.
Gas or electric?If you are into environmental quality, then electric will be your first choice obviously, but if you have a 1 acre lot, it is impractical if not impossible so gas powered appliances will be your choice.Here again, good quality also often provides the least pollution in many cases.The actual cost of running gasoline powered engines is not high and maintaining them is inexpensive (especially if you are a bit of a mechanic).
Today, lawn chemicals are under legislative pressures.While I personally disagree with the reasoning behind it (more people are in parks and schools than on my lawn and I use less potent, less volume chemicals with fewer annual applications than professionals) the fact remains that alternatives will be introduced.The other avenue is to pay for professional lawn care and that is expensive.Doing it yourself can cost about one quarter to one third of paying someone else and it often yields better results, but it is time consuming.Don’t forget that spring top dress and re-seeding of your lawn to keep it thick, weed resistant and healthy.
Much of the same discussion above applies to snow removal.
Perhaps you do not have high quality windows in your home.This may require you to put storm windows up for the winter.While not as good an alternative as Low e, properly sealed windows, they can reduce heat loss and save some heating costs.Replacing your cheap windows with expensive ones can reduce your heating costs as much as 30% and so is definitely a worthwhile investment.If you can get this done at the time of build, so much the better; you will save some money.They also make cleaning them a lot easier and less dangerous than climbing ladders.
Eaves troughs need to be cleaned twice a year; once in the fall after the leaves have fallen and again in the spring.A good pressure washer can make this task simple.Failure to do so can split the downspouts from ice buildup an even cause a backup of water under the shingles on the roof.
Ensure your attic insulation isn't settled.If this happens be sure to add more or even get it replaced.Insulation doesn’t just work in the winter but is also essential to keeping your house cool in the summer.
Have your furnace, air conditioning and water heater serviced at least once a year if not twice.Many companies provide service contracts that can be a good investment.Clean the filters or replace them as might be the case.Vacuum the fans and duct work.Many companies will clean your ducts and in fact tell you it should be done regularly.It is expensive and most often unnecessary if you vacuum them yourself on a regular basis.It may need to be done professionally every ten years if you are diligent.Clean or replace humidifier pads twice during the winter.They are inexpensive.Check condensate lines on your air conditioner to ensure they aren’t blocked.
If you have a fireplace and you use it regularly, make sure the chimney gets cleaned annually.If a creosote buildup occurs and a fire starts as a result, your insurance may be null and void.
Carpet cleaning can be done yourself or professionally.Both give good results but again, there is a huge cost differential.Cleaning your carpets should be done as necessary.It is tough work but worthwhile in that it will reduce allergens and dust in the air as well as reduce your furnace maintenance.
There is seemingly no end to the maintenance in and around your home but it is rewarding and will help maintain the value of your purchase.