Not only are home maintenance projects
important to stay on top of as a homeowner to keep things in working
condition, but there are certain things you can do around your home that
can not only save but improve your property’s value.
Realtor Lisa Culp Taylor, who works in
Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, said she has listed properties that
went under contract quickly, but fell through during inspections due to
lack of proper maintenance. Those are things a new coat of paint can’t
cover.
“Home maintenance is critical,” Taylor said. “This
should be a priority for home owners and it needs to be done regularly.
Most homeowners, for example, will service their HVAC twice a year, but I
recommend a regular maintenance package for this. When you schedule
your spring check-up, I would use this as a reminder to check your home
for wood rot, chipping paint and the condition of your roof so those
areas don’t get neglected. You’ll spend less on home repair and
maintenance if you do it semi-annually.”
She added that buyers equate cleanliness to quality,
so if your home appears neat, orderly, clean and updated, they see this
as a quality investment.
Porter Langfitt, vice president of Franklin-based
custom home builder Langfitt and Associates Inc., added that areas that
aren’t as visible, such as a crawl space, are important to take care of
as well.
“A home’s crawl space can be a hotbed for trouble if
it isn’t maintained,” Langfitt said. “You have to check your crawl space
every now and then to make sure you have no water intrusion and that
ductwork and insulation are properly sealed.”
He said it’s also important to keep animals, such as skunks, raccoons or squirrels, out of your crawl space.
“Some animals can be very destructive under houses and
it can be very costly to have the critters removed and repair the
damage they have caused,” he said. “The best way to keep them out is to
make sure your crawl space vents can open and close properly and to
check around your HVAC unit’s connection to your house. Many have
sheet-metal shrouds that animals can pry open.”
Other issues that can cause concern for the unseen in
your home are rotting windows or crown molding that needs caulking.
Those can be warning signs that there could be other issues throughout
the home.
“We had one home listed which looked perfect,” Taylor
said. “It had white painted brick, gray accents, updated countertops and
it had multiple offers. Due to an inspection, an offer fell through. We
got in there and made changes immediately, managing repairs throughout
the process. We also work to make sure the buyer understands the
maintenance that was done.”
Taylor added that the biggest mistake people make when
it comes to home maintenance is not looking at their home with a
critical eye. She recommends walking around your house today and looking
at it as if you were going to list it tomorrow. It would make you look
at things more closely.
Here are a few things Taylor and Langfitt recommend you stay on top of to keep your house ready to sell at a moment’s notice:
1. Windows: Something as simple as
caulking your windows can make a huge difference in your heating and air
bills as well as protect the glass and frames.
2. Air filters: Air filters
throughout your house should be changed quarterly, monthly if you have
pets. This will reduce the amount of dust in your home.
3. HVAC: This is an easy one to
overlook because if it seems to be working properly, why bother, right?
Wrong. Keeping your heating and cooling unit in proper working condition
by checking it regularly can avoid costly replacements down the road.
4. Plumber: Schedule a plumber twice a
year to be sure you don’t have any leaks around faucets or under your
house, which can cause massive damage to a home if left untouched.
5. Chimney: If your home has a
chimney, it’s important to keep an eye out for cracks or flaking that
can occur from excessive heat. It’s another part of your home that needs
to be checked regularly.
6. Roof: Your roof is another part of
your home that might look fine to the homeowner’s eye, but a
professional can see and assess damage and wear that could shorten the
lifespan of your roof. Have it checked by a professional every couple of
years.
7. Gutters/downspouts: Keeping
gutters cleaned out and making sure downspouts are piped away from the
house will prevent them from becoming clogged with debris, which can
lead to water backing up and running into the crawl space.
Link to the article: https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/homes/2018/07/26/regular-maintenance-protects-homes-value-makes-easier-sale/784473002/
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