Your home is most likely the biggest, most valuable investment you own. What are you doing to make sure it keeps its value? Home maintenance not only makes your home look great. Without regular proactive measures, your home's value could drop as much as 10%. Don't just focus on the upkeep inside the home. Here are seven essential outdoor maintenance tasks that you shouldn't forget about.
Replace or Repair Your Window Screens
Damaged screens let in bugs, debris, and drafts. All of those things aren't just annoying, they can cause damage inside the home and cost you money.
Repairing or replacing window screens are an easy fix. Take a moment to ensure they're all in good condition.
Check Your Sump Pump
Got a sump pump? Then you could have a problem if you neglect it.
Don't risk flooding your basement. Check on yours before it causes a big problem.
Work on Your Garage Door
Garage doors can take a lot of abuse and wear down. Spray a lubricant on the spring and track once a year to prevent corrosion.
Test your auto-reverse feature by placing something on the ground. If it doesn't go back up, you need to change your sensors.
Clean Out or Replace Rain Gutters
Debris can build up in gutters and put stress on their joints. If they don't drain right, water can puddle in the wrong place and cause damage to your foundation.
Keep your rain gutters in working order so that storms don't stress you out.
Inspect the Home's Exterior
Chipped paint, cracked siding, and other exterior issues could cause big problems down the road. Luckily, if you catch them early enough, they can be easy and inexpensive fixes.
Look over every inch of your home's exterior. Make sure there's no weather damage or any other wear and tear to the outside of the foundation.
Maintain the Deck
Don't wait till summer rolls around to notice that your deck needs some attention. Once the weather starts warming up, look outside to see if your deck can use a bit of TLC.
Power wash it, stain it, and reseal your deck as needed.
Clear Out Trees and Bushes
Tree roots can dislodge pipes, electric wires, and other structures. Bushes, vines, and other plants can get into cracks and cause problems with your foundation and your walls.
Plants are essential to a beautiful home but take regular maintenance. Stay on top of your greenery and nip these problems in the bud.
Home Maintenance Essentials
Make your home beautiful, efficient, and safe both inside and out. Don't neglect these important exterior home maintenance essentials.
Be proactive and take care of problems before they arise. Little problems grow into big -- and expensive -- issues down the road.
Do you want to learn more about saving time and money around the house? We've got tons of tips and tricks for you to make sure your home is the best it can be.
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