Maintaining Your Home- July’s Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Regular home maintenance is vital to maintaining the value of your home or from an appraiser’s standpoint, it enhances the properties economic age- the number of years a house is expected to survive. Proper home maintenance enhances a home’s beauty (curb appeal,) ensures safety and prevents simple upkeep from turning into costly repairs. To assist our fellow homeowners in achieving this objective, Greenwood Real Properties/Keller Williams Realty  has put together a monthly checklist, home improvement and inspection routine for you to follow.  

• Summer-time and the hot weather are here. Did you know that the average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills–nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling?  In prior monthly checklists, we have stressed the benefits of installing programmable thermostats. Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings. Click here to learn how to save energy with a programmable thermostat.
• Inspect your air conditioner to make sure there is a free flow of air and that surrounding plants and bushes are not blocking the air intake vents all around the unit. Hose off the air intake vents twice a year, spring and fall.  Make sure the unit has not settled and is sitting level.  Be sure to replace the air conditioner filter.
• Painting the exterior of a house can be expensive. A simple and economical way to improve your home’s appearance is to just paint the shutters, trim and front door with a new accent color.  To see how different colors look on your house, click on this link: Color Visualizer (compliments of Sherwin-Williams.) For a finishing touch add new house numbers and a doormat.
• If you have a septic system, be sure to examine the drainage/leaching field for soil firmness on a fairly consistent basis.  Catching a problem in its infancy can save you time, aggravation and lots of money!
• Inspect fences and posts. The winter and the snow would have given them an awful beating.  Make sure posts are secure in the ground and plumb.  Replace broken fence slats and be sure to check for rotting materials or rusting nails/screws.  Replace with the appropriate hardware for the outdoors, i.e. galvanized and/or stainless steel.  Deck screws are a good option as well.
• A motion-sensing security light in your backyard or driveway to greet you is a small improvement that makes a big difference. Not only will it add an increased level of security, it's also a nice convenience when returning home in the dark.
• A well-landscaped yard can add anywhere from 5 to 15 percent to a house's selling value, according to a study at Mississippi State University.  Working with a local landscape designer or finding a local nursery with free planning advice and/or classes to learn the most suitable plants and shrubbery for a particular location can be a solid investment. We hired a landscape designer to design a plan we could implement ourselves over several years which have kept costs low. We couldn’t be happier with the results.
• First impressions are lasting, so keep the lawn cut and manicured. Fertilize and mow the lawn regularly and remove debris from the yard. Invest in a $20 edging tool and use it to trim the lawn from invading garden beds. Use a pruning tool to routinely trim bushes and tree branches when needed. 
• Be sure to check out this month’s e-Newsletter to see featured local tradesman, articles, suggested reading(s) and much more.

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