Affordable housing is not a joke. Many people around the country cannot afford to own their own home or rent a home without spending a large portion of their income paying rent.
Owning a home is without a doubt a huge expense, but for many families, it’s a stabilizing force that gives them a sense of security. Homeownership allows communities to grow and be safe, and to create an environment where children feel safe and thrive.
But, for many families owning a home and maintaining a home can be a struggle. A good rule of thumb says a homeowner should set aside 1% of the purchase price for the yearly maintenance of their home. If you stretched your finances to the maximum buying the home of your dreams, the yearly maintenance of the home might be a bit difficult to accomplish.
Keeping with the maintenance of your home means taking care of the problems that arise in a timely matter. Ignoring a problem or procrastinating can cost the homeowner more the longer he waits.
From easy chores to prepare your home for the changing seasons to extensive work your home might need, yearly checkup maintenance is key in maintaining and keeping your home beautiful
Are you now getting ready for the fall and winter chores your home needs to keep it running efficiently? Here is a checklist for you to go through.
- Replace/test smoke detectors around your home
- Schedule a winter maintenance check for your furnace
- Change the filters in the furnace
- Check windows and doors to make sure the seals are intact
- Buy a carbon monoxide detector or test the one you have at home
- Clean the gutters from all leaves or debris
- Cut or trim all branches close to the home
- Shut off sprinklers and store away any gardening supplies
- Empty the gasoline tank from your lawn mower
- Make sure your shovels and rakes are handy for this fall and winter
5 big ticket items you might need to check and price before this year is over.
- Basement waterproofing
- Replace windows or doors
- Upgrade or replace an old heating system
- Replace the water tank
- Replace your AC unit
These are big-ticket items that you might need to do some research or call contractors or companies for pricing. If you do the research first and call different companies to compare prices, you can get a good price and a good company to do the job.
