Having a house, especially a new one, is exciting. Being a homeowner brings thoughts of nice side projects like putting in gardens, adding on a garage, adding gravel pathways. But when you have your first winter – or your tenth, even – in your house, the last thing you should be wondering is if your pipes have been properly insulated, if your chimney poses a fire hazard, or if your insurance will cover what you need it to in the event of a disaster. For your benefit, we at Seller Solutions have put together a list of articles and guides that will help you sleep soundly at night – and not wake up to the realities of a flooded basement, electrical fire or a tapped-out Home Equity Line of Credit. Read on for more.
"49 articles about weather proofing your home against disaster." - homeownersinsurance.org
This site provides links to over four dozen articles that cover ways to handle various weather disasters as a homeowner – floods, tornados, earthquakes, and other weather events. The advice ranges from long-term preparation for seasonal conditions, to preparing for a specific incoming storm. If your main concern is weatherizing your home and protecting against specific disasters that your house maybe more at risk for, this is a great place to start.
“Home Maintenance.” Homeadvisor.com
This is a more general guide to home maintenance, an index of articles covering everything from home budgeting, to ventilation, to more tips on winterization and other weatherproofing. One interesting article is “Home Foreclosures: The New American ‘Lemon,’” discussing what to avoid when buying a foreclosed home.
“Thirteen Simple DIY Home Maintenance Tips & Ideas.” - moneycrashers.com
If you have more of a do-it-yourself view of home maintenance, this site has you covered. It can help bring down costs and fit the repairs into your schedule on short notice. If you don’t feel entirely comfortable with the repairs, feel free to call an expert to come in and do the work. A lot of do-it-yourself fixes, however, are relatively simple and can save you a lot of money and time in the long run.
“Protect Indoor Air Quality in Your Home” - EPA.gov
Better air quality can greatly improve living conditions as a whole for homeowners – and if you are trying to sell your house, this may even improve your chances in interesting potential buyers. On the other hand, if air quality is poor – mold in the house, high amounts of dust, stale tobacco smoke – then you may be risking your health by staying in the house, and potential buyers may lower their offers on the house or stay away altogether. Take a look at the IAQ Topics list for more information on how to improve your household air quality.
“8 Cleaning Tips and Tricks to Keep Things Cleaner Longer” - houselogic.com
Back to basics. This article reviews eight things you can do for better maintenance results. You may not need to use all of these tips, but even creating a spot-cleaning kit, say, can make your cleaning more efficient. It only takes a few moments to look over, and could positively impact how you look at basic, practical home maintenance.
“Horizon Landscape Maintenance Guide” - HubSpot.com
Moving outside… when you own a home, it’s critical to maintain the area around it, not just what’s inside. This guide is a comprehensive manual on landscaping issues ranging from irrigation, to weed control, to pesticides, to pruning. It is produced by a company called Horizon, a green industry distributor that provides many of the products you could use for landscaping purposes. You may not need any of their products to do what you need to do, but if you are starting a landscaping business or are planning on a total overhaul of your property’s landscape, you may wish to go to their website and take a look around.
“Homeowner insurance Buying Guide” - ConsumerReports.org
If you have a homeowner disaster, you need to have the right coverage. This article gives tips on how to find the best insurer for your desired coverage, as well as how to reduce perceived risk by insurers and handling disagreements in claims with your insurance. It may seem like an exercise in reducing costs, but remember – it is often better to reduce your risk for a little more up front, than to pay a very large deductible after something happens. Take a look to weigh your insurance options.
“Keeping Up Your Home’s Curb Appeal” - HGTV.com
Looking to maintain or upgrade your house’s outdoor looks? Trying to sell your house? HGTV has some ideas on how you can maintain curb appeal for your house. Check out this article to learn the easiest ways to make your property look great and stay that way.
“Home Appliance Maintenance Tips” - lakeappliancerepair.com
The best way to keep down costs is not to spend money. Appliances can cost a fortune. Keep them in good working condition through proper maintenance, and your bank account will thank you for it. Lake Appliance Repair gives you some simple but effective tips to keep your appliances in excellent shape for far longer than you would have them otherwise. Add some of these tips to your daily, weekly and monthly to-do lists, and keep your wallet happy.
“The Ultimate Home Maintenance Guide” - MoneySense.ca
The home maintenance tips sound great. Saving money on insurance while keeping the same coverage or expanding it can be very satisfying, and basic maintenance on appliances and do-it-yourself cheap repairs may leave you feeling as though having a house is cheap. “The Ultimate Home Maintenance Guide” makes it clear this is not always the case. Writer Romana King gives a whole rundown on the general maintenance and replacement costs for plumbing, the roof, landscaping, the foundation and other parts of the house structure, electrical and heat/air conditioning. The final breakdown: you should expect to save thousands each year for proper maintenance and upkeep – more if you neglect the work and allow these things to break down. Now don’t you feel like using more of the maintenance tips in this guide’s articles?
“The AARP Home Fit Guide” - AARP.org
This impressive 25-page guide from AARP checks off all the basic boxes for houses – livability, safety, maintenance, energy conservation, and how to get help for remodeling and home modification. Not all of us can do the necessary maintenance ourselves, and this guide provides help both for the do-it-yourselfers and those who need professional help.
Some houses – especially older houses – need more attention and care. Certain maintenance tips will not be appropriate, especially if you are trying to keep the structure in “vintage” condition. Certain problems like mold and cracks in the foundation may be more prevalent, and the answers to how to fix these could change over time. This maintenance guide goes over how to properly inspect these older buildings, how to deal with condensation and damp, and even provides comprehensive checklists to make sure everything gets reviewed. If you have an historical house that needs special care, this guide is for you.
