Everyone dreams of owning a house, but not everyone can maintain it. What is required is commitment to put in the effort and a small amount of money to invest in home improvement. After all, your property can only sell for what it’s worth when it is properly maintained.
So, you might want to know the basics of property maintenance if you’re looking to buy your own house, or you’re looking to educate yourself about property maintenance, because you don’t want your house to sell cheap down the road.
We have compiled a list of some of the more common things that are considered harmful or damaging to your property, along with the preventive or remedial measures you could take to save losses.
With that said, let’s try to learn about the things that could be destroying your property.
- Neglecting regular roof maintenance:
Roof maintenance is often a neglected part of house maintenance. Neglecting roof maintenance can be damaging the value of your property and is something that is considered dangerous. Look for leaks, loosely fitted shingles and tiles, tears in plastics or fibers and other roof damages that can happen over time due to rain, rot, mold, or termites. Also, make sure the roofing material you use is durable and that no toxic products are required to maintain it.
- Flooding of the basement:
Basements get flooded by three sources: the water supply line, the sump pump, and the hot water tank. If any one of these systems breaks or is damaged, it can lead to the basement flooding with water, causing damage to your property as well as to the belongings that might be in the basement.
The flooding is most likely caused by the leaks that can occur from the pressure of the water in the soil surrounding your house’s foundations.
- Neglected gutters:
Clogged-up gutters are filled with waste and dirt that can not only put your water flow at risk, but it can also lead to water damage inside your house. Gutters that are clogged for several days can eventually overspill, causing foundation damage, molds and mildew, and basement flooding. Thus, it’s recommended to clean gutters often to avoid clogging and overloading.
- Freezing pipes:
Frozen and burst pipes are considered the most catastrophic and costliest of property damages. The pressure produced inside a pipe due to cold can cause them to burst, leading to serious flooding. Therefore, it’s crucial to examine the pipes that are more likely to freeze during the winters.
Preventive measures, like insulating the pipes to keep them from freezing, should be considered before every winter. Moreover, during the winters, you can use a smart thermostat to manage and monitor the temperature in your house and get notified if it drops suddenly.
- Neglecting the fire system:
Fires are destructive by nature. Therefore, maintaining a check on the fire system in your house is of the utmost importance. About 48% of all reported residential fires break out because of unattended cooking appliances.
Other than this, overloading circuits, indoor smoking, sparks in electrical equipment, and faulty wirings, etc., are all major reasons of how fires break out.
The first thing that you look for when you see a fire is a fire extinguisher. So, make sure that you inspect the fire extinguisher at least once a month.
- Over-fertilized lawn:
Using too much fertilizer may result in fertilizer burn. The increase in the soil’s nitrogen and salt levels can be damaging to the grass. Patches of brown and yellow appear over time that suggest that the grass has died due to dryness.
A generous sprinkling of water and reseeding some of the grass can get rid of dryness. A professional gardener can help you better maintain a lawn.
- Damaged wiring and lights:
Damaged wiring is due to putting excessive burden on one outlet by plugging extension cords and power strips. Damaged or exposed wiring is extremely dangerous. To prevent major accidents or even energy losses, keep a regular check on your electrical systems.
- Theft issues:
Incidents of theft can make your property less attractive to prospective buyers. To make your house theft proof, look into fencing, lighting the outdoors of your house, security cameras, and making your house look occupied even when you’re away.
Additionally, a smart-home alarm system, deadbolt locks, or metal and hardwood doors are some of the additional security measures that home owners can put in place.
Final Thoughts
Keeping property from damage is a valuable investment of time and money that can pay dividends in the future. Your job, as a homeowner, is to secure your house from the different kinds of damages mentioned above. Regular checks and property maintenance are small investments that can be made with little to no effort.
