It doesn’t matter whether you’re going to sell your house in the near future or down the road—it’s wise to keep up with the maintenance of your home. If you don’t properly maintain your home it can affect the property’s value…not to mention potentially be dangerous for you and your family. A well-maintained home is something most homes that sell fast and for top market value have in common. Here is a list of a few home maintenance items a lot of homeowners fail to think about but could be imperative to the sale of your home.
1. Make Your Front Door Inviting
The front door is the first thing buyers are going to see as they enter the home, and first impressions mean a lot. This doesn’t mean you have to replace your front door. It may need something as trivial as a new door handle and lock or a fresh coat of paint. What kind of maintenance the front door requires depends on what it’s made of. If it’s a hardwood door that has a natural finish to it, it may require cleaning, sanding and applying a new polish. Also, a fresh-looking front door will help with the curb appeal.
2. Check Your Water Heater
The water heater is one of the most common appliances people fail to think about maintaining. It could be the fact that most water heaters are in places that are rarely seen like in the corner of basements and garages. Where ever yours may be located, we recommend checking it out once a year or maybe even twice a year for older units. Having it checked is better than coming home to a deluge of water because the water heater has busted. It could end up costing a lot more than just a new water heater if you have to start tearing out drywall and replacing flooring.
3. Have Home Filters Checked Regularly
You’d be surprised how important it is to change the heating and cooling filters. Your air conditioning unit has to work extremely hard to push air throughout your entire house. Failing to change filters or have them cleaned on a regular basis makes your unit work harder than it has to and shortens the life of the unit. To ensure your unit is running as efficiently and effectively as possible, it’s wise to change the filters on a monthly basis or as recommended depending on the type of filter you use.
4. Garage Doors Need Maintaining
When you check to see if your garage doors are functioning correctly, start with the remotes. Make sure they have batteries and are working correctly. Next you want to make sure the doors are running smoothly on the tracks without much jerking and you may also need to lubricate the chain. It’s also common for garage door systems to have sensors or electronic eyes at the bottom near the garage floor on each side of the door to detect movement. This is important to ensure the safety of small children and pets.
At Title Junction we care about helping you stay informed throughout your real estate transaction. Have questions? Give us a call at 239.415.6574.
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