Whether your house is big or small, the amount of money you’ve invested in it probably ranges from thousands to millions, making it only fitting that you maintain it in its best shape. Houses not only provide you with a safe and comfortable place to live in it can also help you in your future endeavors, especially with plans involving money. When you keep your residence in optimum condition, you can either pass it onto other people to use or put it up for sale at a value you’ve called and start a business or buy another home of your fancy.
With the countless chores you have to accomplish every day, house maintenance may be the least of your priorities. However, the ones below are easy to do and will weasel their way into your home life in no time. To begin keeping your abode in tip-top shape, here are some things you can do.
Retrofit to Accommodate Future Needs
No one saw the pandemic coming. Within weeks, the world was in lockdown, with most professionals working from home and students attending classes from their bedrooms. Houses are generally a station for rest once you get back from the office, not the place where you accomplish tasks and talk to clients, but this is the world today.
At present, most abodes have areas for a home office and a study to cater to working and learning needs. With this in mind, you can increase your home’s value by adding more room and upgrading its facilities. This applies to apartment units, too. Through value-added apartment investing, you can restructure your layout to fit modern people’s needs, build up your asset’s value, and implement a reasonable rent increase.
It’s not easy to figure out what you might require in the coming years, but you can get an idea when you look back at the things you most needed during the height of the pandemic.
Inspect Your Wiring
If you’re planning to sell your home or lease it out for a short while, safety is a factor that you must prioritize. Electricity powers your lighting, heating, and appliances; in modern times, living without electricity is undoubtedly a challenge. To ensure that you can seamlessly use your electricity-powered devices and remain safe in your house, you need to check your wiring, considering how a simple spark can cause a life-threatening fire.
Exposed wires need immediate attention, most importantly if you have kids in the house who can easily reach the cables. Being vigilant and looking for tell-tale signs like flickering lights, buzzing sounds, and unfamiliar odors will help you detect problems early on and seek quick solutions.
Reinforce Your Foundation
Regardless of the materials you use, outdoor elements will take a toll on your home, especially from damaging outdoor elements. Aside from wiring, another thing that can compromise your safety when left in a dilapidated state is your property’s foundation. Cement is susceptible to cracks, wood to rot and pests, and steel to rust, making your house almost vulnerable to anything.
Still, you can keep your place in superior condition with excellent maintenance practices. For one, during the building process, you can have the steel parts of your foundation covered in antirust coating and your wood in a pest-resistant formula. By taking your maintenance habits seriously right from the start, you’ll have fewer problems to deal with in the future.
Mold and Water Damage
One of the fastest things that can ruin your home is water damage. It not only destroys your foundation and bursts your pipes, but it also causes mold that can jeopardize your health. Water is essential to a home, and you can’t stop rain from drenching your exteriors, so what’s left is for you to take the extra measure to safeguard your premises.
Signs of water damage can decrease the value of your house, forcing you to put it up the market—should you decide to sell it—at a much lower price than you’ve hoped you could ask. Water damage is avoidable by adopting easy habits. For instance, you can immediately point out a problem by frequently checking water pressure and inspecting your house for leaks. Examining your downspout also helps a great deal since it’s close to your home foundation’s opening, meaning, if it’s damaged or debris has clogged its drain, water will seep right in.
Deter Pests
Pests may be tiny, but they are also the leading cause of property damage, especially for houses primarily built with wood. Termites work in colonies and can eat away your floorboards without you knowing, while rodents and other critters can nibble on your wiring, leading to major electrical problems.
To deter pests, you can set out traps or call pest control. Barricading small holes with putty or mesh will help prevent insects from penetrating your walls. If you opt for a more humane way of securing your house from wild animals, you can use an ultrasonic pest repellent that uses various frequencies to keep insects and small creatures away from your property.
House maintenance is a life-long task. It may sound like too much work, but as the years pass by, you’ll appreciate your efforts when you see how much you’ve kept your home in superior shape.
