Home Maintenance Plan
If you own a car, you know the importance of keeping it properly maintained to ensure it is safe to drive and will perform optimally. If you neglect to maintain the vehicle it can become unsafe to operate and ultimately costly and avoidable repairs will result. Unless you are handy at working on cars, you most likely take it to your favorite mechanic as needed for routine maintenance procedures.
When we purchase a home we don't always have the same easy to follow maintenance plan that comes with a new car purchase. Purchasing a home is the biggest financial investment most of us will make in our lifetime. Just like a car, a home requires regular care and maintenance to ensure its functionality and maintain or increase its value. Whether your home is 1 or 100 years old, regular care and maintenance is critical to the well-being of the home and the people and animals that live there.
A customized maintenance plan encompassing the unique characteristics of your home begins with a thorough inspection of the structural and mechanical systems of the building. This will provide you with a clear understanding of the home's current condition, life expectancy of replacement items such as roof & gutters, and potential problem areas, including pest control measures. A thorough inspection would include everything from the foundation to the roof, and in between. Outbuildings, surrounding vegetation, driveways, walkways, retaining walls, and drainage should also be considered. Depending on the square footage of the home, you can expect to pay $500-600 for the average residential, single-family home inspection, inclusive of a comprehensive report. Condominiums generally run slightly less. Considering you will refer to the report for as long as you live in the home (and can pass it on to the next owner) this one-time cost is exceptional value that will pay for itself many times over. Being pro-active and performing regular preventative maintenance procedures will keep your home well-maintained and looking beautiful while keeping your overall maintenance costs to a minimum. And, just like selling a used car, being able to provide a future prospective buyer with comprehensive maintenance records just may tip the scales to your favor. There's no wrong time to have a home inspection. However, if you plan to purchase a home, the offer you make will most likely be contingent upon your obtaining an inspection of the property. Now is the perfect time to make sure the money you spend on the inspection will continue to provide good value for years to come. A thorough examination accompanied by a comprehensive report will allow you to make an informed buying decision and the report will be a valuable tool for your future maintenance plan. Alternatively, if you plan to sell your home you want to be the one most informed of its overall condition. Avoid surprises by knowing in advance what repairs should be made before the home even goes on the market. Eliminate potential objectives that might otherwise dissuade a potential buyer. If you so choose, being able to share the report and disclose the property's condition could be a significant selling point. So now you have your inspection report in hand. What do you do from here? If you are handy around the home, you will be able to perform many of the maintenance tasks yourself. Using seasonal checklists for both interior and exterior maintenance will help you plan ahead and not miss important steps along the way. Some items like an annual tune-up of your heating & air-conditioning system are best left to the professionals. Take care of minor maintenance yourself, such as cleaning or replacing filters regularly and making sure registers are free of dust. If time is short, or for whatever reason you prefer not to handle some or all of these tasks on your own, it is wise to establish a relationship with a home improvement professional. A reputable contractor will work with you to establish a long-range maintenance plan at whatever level of involvement you wish. Finding someone you can build a relationship with and rely upon will ensure your future maintenance and remodeling projects are cost-effective and coordinate well with your existing plan. It's important to find someone dependable, who communicates well, and who you are comfortable having in and around your home. Our expertise is matching homeowners with reliable contractors who are not just exceptional at their craft. They are professional, courteous, competitively priced, and of course comply with all state regulations and licensing requirements. We at Contractor Hotline are here for you from start to finish, project after project, year after year. Contact us today with questions, to schedule an inspection, or to be connected with a home improvement professional that best suits your needs. |
