Blog | Home Care Checklist
Winter wear and tear can cause issues to your home by the time Spring rolls around. Many home maintenance tasks make your home have more curb appeal, but these to-dos are much more than appearances. When some yearly, bi-yearly, or even semi-annual chores are skipped, it can cause long-term and costly damage to your home. With some help from our handy checklist, you can get your home Spring ready and help prevent any future expenses before they happen.
Exterior Tasks
- Clean the gutters – While this task is gross, clogged gutters can damage your roof and foundation, not to mention it is an inviting home for pests! It’s better to deal with now than having to pay to fix the issues it can bring later.
- Inspect siding – Notice anything strange? Defects in the wood, mold, rot, or damage in general? If so, call a professional to assess the issue and ensure it’s taken care of properly.
- Look for signs of pests – Raccoons, squirrels, wasps, and more are a part of nature, but they shouldn’t be living in or near your home. If they have decided to keep residency in or near your home, you will find nests, build-up on walls, droppings, and even bite marks. Not only can they cause damage to your home, but they can also have harmful diseases.
- Pressure wash or touch-up paint – Simple, if your house or surroundings could need a little clean-up, take a moment and touch up the area. This will not only keep your home looking great, but it will help you notice if any issues pop up later.
- Service HVAC systems – With winter leaving and summer coming, you should see about servicing your heater that’s been working hard during the cold months and make sure your AC is ready to get you through the hot ones. Being comfortable is essential, but doing this can also improve efficacy, which can help with utility bills.
- Check window and door efficacy – What else can help with utility bills? Make sure your windows and doors are not leaking that precious cool air and can block the sun’s hot rays. You can also consider installing window screens to help block the hot sun.
- Clean the chimney – Have you been running the chimney all winter? Next winter, get a jump start by cleaning your chimney before it gets cold. Build-up within the chimney can cause fires, so think about the last time it has been cleaned before starting your next fire.
- Take a look at the roof – Do you see any missing or damaged shingles? Does it need to be cleaned? Keeping your roof clean and extending the life of your shingle, which in turn help prevent leaks in your roof.
Interior Tasks
- Deep clean carpets – Clean up deep dirt and grime and keep your home smelling fresh. This can help your carpets look better and last longer.
- Declutter and spring clean – decluttering not only makes you feel more at ease with fewer distractions, but it can also help with allergies. Clutter builds up dust and mildew, so take a moment and get rid of the things you no longer need and clean off the items you are keeping.
- Check on insulation – Insulation in the walls of your home is what keeps your home warm or cool without running the ac or heater 24/7. Check in to see if your insulation needs to be refilled to ensure your home is as efficient as possible.
- Test fire extinguishers along with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – Is it just us, or do the low battery alarms always go off in the middle of the night? Skip the stressful search of which smoke alarm dying battery is going off every few nights and replace the batteries early! Check to make sure the needle is in the green zone for the fire extinguisher.
- Clean and service appliances – Water heaters, fridges, or any other major appliance needs a good clean and inspection to ensure everything is running correctly. Replace any filters, and invest in alarm systems that alert you if something has gone awry, such as water leak alarms. A small unnoticed leak can quickly become a large issue when your ceiling or floor is ruined.
Landscaping
- Clean up debris – Piles of dead leaves, dead grass, and overgrown greenery around your home are an invitation to pests. Please don’t give them a place to live rent-free because the next spot they will head is right into your home.
- Trim trees and bushes – Not only does trimming help promote the plant’s health, but it also is a safety precaution. Dead, rotting, or even branches that are too heavy can fall on their own onto your car, home, fence, or even an unsuspecting person.
- Run the sprinkler system and outside faucets – Test your faucets and sprinklers to make sure they are still running correctly. Any issues with water flow could be because of a leak somewhere.
- Pool, deck, fence, and patio inspection – Do you see any rot, decay, rust, planks out of place, cracks, or anything out of the ordinary? These minor issues could cause a huge problem later if there is a possibility of water leaking, the fence dropping, or the deck falling out.
Each home is different, so be sure to add your checklist to this one. This will help make sure each year, you are doing everything you need so your home is ready for the upcoming warm weather.
Covering costs
In some cases, you might find more issues than you expected while cleaning up, or you might have the urge to make some updates to improve your home. If the costs have become overwhelming, consider some of our loan options. With the help of some of our loans, you can make those needed changes to your home without the worry of having to spend more in the future when things go wrong.
Home Improvement Personal Loan – Have the cash in your account to pay the contractor when you are ready—as soon as the same day you apply. Up to $25,000 with no appraisals, equity, or collateral required.
Home Improvement Personal Loan
Mortgage Cash-out Refinance – A cash out mortgage allows you to refinance your home and take out your equity at the same time. If your interested in lowering your interest rate and monthly payment a cash-out mortgage may be right for you.
Home Improvement Personal Loan
Federally insured by NCUA. APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change and may vary based on credit worthiness, qualifications, and collateral conditions. Payment example: A 180-month loan of $25,000 at 7.99% fixed APR will have 180 monthly payments of $9.55 per $1,000 borrowed. All loans subject to approval. Restrictions may apply; see credit union for details.
