Just like with most Georgians, the family residence will be the largest and most important investment you’ll ever make. More than that, it’s where you live your family life, host friends and neighbors, and maybe spend quiet summer evenings catching a breeze from your front porch and sipping sweet tea.
That’s why you’ll want to keep the value of your place high and the cost of your homeowners insurance as low as possible. Here’s how to keep your home in its best possible shape with as little cost and labor as possible.
Prioritizing Maintenance in Your Home Investment
Basic home care is a good way to keep your place problem-free and avoid home insurance claims that can raise your rates. So before you invite your friends over for some fresh peach cobbler, take a look at some of these tasks that should be on your annual home maintenance list. You’ll want to get these chores done as quickly and cheaply as possible, so your house always looks like the welcome mat is out.
Demystifying Home Maintenance for New Buyers
It’s nice to be able to call your property manager, tell them the roof is leaking, the drains are clogged, or the dishwasher won’t wash dishes, and wait for them to fix the issue. If you’ve always rented your home or apartment, you might be used to that type of home care.
One of the disadvantages of owning your own place is that it’s on you (and your bank account) when it comes to repairs and maintenance. But for many Georgians, home ownership is well worth taking on those added costs and responsibilities.
If you’ve never owned a home before, every item on your home maintenance checklist, from caulking to unclogging, is likely to come with more questions than answers unless you watched your parents handle those same responsibilities as you grew up. Don’t stress out about it. You have all kinds of guidance available to you, from YouTube tutorials to how-to books and home maintenance magazines.
The work you put in to maintain your home can have a positive impact on the value of your largest investment and keep your homeowners insurance affordable. You might even find that some of these tasks are easier than you imagined.
Beginning With the Basics: Monthly Maintenance
Some of the easiest maintenance chores should be done monthly or as often as you think of them. For example, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of watching for fraying electrical cords, especially those you keep plugged in most of the time. After all, there’s not much that can raise your homeowner’s insurance rates as much and as quickly as even relatively minor smoke or fire damage.
Speaking of reducing your fire risk, test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every now and then to confirm that they are in good working condition. Replace batteries as necessary.
Keep your sink and bathtub drains flowing smoothly by fixing slow drainage issues before they become major blockages that require you to call the plumber. A backed-up sewer may be one of the things homeowners insurance doesn’t cover, making it that much more important to maintain.
Another easy household maintenance chore is to keep your garbage disposal working as it should. Run ice cubes through the blades to help keep them sharp. Then, flush out the system with baking soda and hot water.
Keep a fire extinguisher near your kitchen and check the expiration date so you can be assured it will work effectively when you need it most.
The Seasonal Approach to Home Care
The changing seasons in Georgia are gradual and beautiful. You can schedule some of the items on your homeowner’s checklist based on the seasons.
Autumn
Georgia winters are mild, certainly compared to the end-of-year climate in many other U.S. states. Seasonal high temperatures here are typically in the 50s and 60s, with lows that can drop to just the mid-30s. Therefore, a quick freeze isn’t usually a problem, but the hint of colder weather in the fall can serve as a reminder to complete certain checklist tasks.
For instance, make sure your furnace is operating properly. Clean it to remove dust buildup and have it inspected each fall by an HVAC professional. This will help lower your energy costs while also ensuring your interiors stay toasty and comfortable during winter months.
The fall can be used to look for cracks or gaps around windows and doors that can let in drafts. Use caulking or weather stripping to keep the outdoors out this winter and your family’s living spaces warm and inviting.
Fall is also a good time to think of replacing old windows with energy-efficient ones that will help lower your energy bills.
Winter
Georgia winters don’t get much snow, but when they do, don’t let it build up on any flat roofs on your home or garage. Get up there and shovel it off before the weight damages shingles or a quick melt takes place between your walls.
If you use holiday lighting, inspect for frayed cords or tree branches too close to heat sources. If you put your lighting on smart devices, you can save energy costs by only lighting up when it’s meaningful.
Spring and Summer
Use the first shorts and short sleeves day to walk around your property. Be on the lookout for minor damage like broken screens or shingles brought down by seasonal windstorms.
Georgia springs and summers are also great times to handle gardening and mulching chores that will add color and life to your yard, make it more welcoming to the kids’ friends, and increase the value of your real estate. Look out for any broken or dead tree branches and make sure to remove them before the next storm.
An added bonus is to check into some tips from the National Fire Protection Association on ways you can use landscaping to make your home safer from an errant wildfire.
Wash your front porch (if you have one) of winter’s collection of dust and debris, and make it a place where friends and neighbors want to relax with frosty glasses of iced tea. Take care of any loose boards so nobody gets hurt.
Checking off your home’s task checklist according to the schedule you set can help preserve the value of your home and keep your homeowner’s insurance rates low.
While you’re minding the rates of your policy, give it a quick read. Chances are good that your homeowner’s insurance likely has even more benefits than you thought.
Investing in Longevity: Early and Long-Term Maintenance
If you own a car, you know that regular maintenance is the secret to keeping it running and avoiding breakdowns. The same is true of your home but on a much larger scale.
In the first place, while you might have paid a few tens of thousands of dollars for your wheels, it’s likely that the investment you made in your home was well into six figures, so you have much more to lose.
Also, your car loan might be for five or six years before it’s paid off, but you might be paying on your home loan for decades to come.
Best of all, regular upkeep will keep your home safe, cozy, and inviting.
Preventative Measures to Avoid Costly Repairs Down the Line
Bad things can still happen to your home, no matter how committed you are to following monthly and seasonal home upkeep checklists. That’s just life. Weather events and unexpected emergencies of all kinds can cause serious damage to your home. Even something as simple as a leaky drainpipe in your bathroom sink can lead to unexpected repair costs.
If your home maintenance checklist is ignored, the challenge will only grow until the time and cost commitment becomes overwhelming. Thankfully, homeowners insurance can help you cover some of these things, which is one reason it’s a good idea to add a review of your coverage policy to your spring cleaning checklist.