7 Common Home Maintenance Pitfalls

To prevent your home from depreciating, avoid these common home maintenance pitfalls and keep your home in pristine condition. Knowledge is your key to keeping upkeep costs low and ensuring your home is well maintained. Get to know these common maintenance issues that could save you lots of money in the future.

7 Common Home Maintenance Pitfalls

1. Not Repairing Minor Issues Promptly

As they say, the little things matter. If you see minimal damage like a crack on a tile, tiny drops leaking from your roof, or a loose screw, fix it right away. Don’t wait for the problem to get bigger. Also, we recommend hiring a professional to inspect and repair than doing it yourself. You might go DIY to save money, but you might spend more on tools and materials if you’re not an expert in the field. Opt for an expert instead to get the job done right the first time. 

2. Pests? What Pests?

Pest exterminators can be pricey, but replacing your home’s materials is more expensive. Pests can multiply in numbers in such a short amount of time, and if you don’t destroy their breeding places, they can do a lot of damage to your home, especially if you have wooden materials. The best thing to do is inspect areas with cracks, dirt, and moisture and dry and seal them to keep pests away.

3. Insulate Exposed Pipes

Insulation is a big deal, especially in winter when cold air or freezing can damage water pipes and heaters. Not to mention, it can affect the temperature inside the house. 

Set aside a foam insulation box and cover the things like water pipes that are likely to rust or freeze in winter. Drain water from your sprinklers and keep your water hose away from the cold. 

4. Pressure Washing Issues

If you use a pressure washer to clean the exterior of your home, make sure you know how to use a pressure washer correctly. Turning the power washer on full blast mode or using it for too long can break down exterior paint and seals in your walls, doors, and surfaces. The last thing you want is water damage when trying to maintain your home.

5. Replace Outdated Appliances

If it still works, better keep it, right? Not really. Outdated appliances might still do the job for you, but beware of loose wiring and how much power it needs to run. Outdated appliances tend to use more energy than newer models that provide energy efficiency. 

Buying new appliances can also increase the value of your home, so why not opt for a new and safe model? You will even find some devices that do multiple jobs, like a washer and dryer in one. Some of them could also save space since they are portable.

6. Using the Wrong Tools

Housework, like drilling, requires sharp and powerful tools. Using alternative tools or the wrong dimensions can damage walls and surfaces. It’s best to hire a professional with the right tools for jobs like decor hanging and sawing tiles to avoid any hazards.

7. Clean Those Gutters and Roof Valleys

Gutters catch water and other debris like leaves which can clog the waterway and overfill them. It can loosen the gutter when this happens since the debris makes the load heavy, which could damage your gutter. Without a well-functioning gutter, water can get in the windows.

When debris is in the roof valleys, water backs up under the shingles and can cause water damage. Have a professional blow out the debris in the roof valleys to prevent water damage.

Are you planning to sell your home in Knoxville? Avoid these home maintenance pitfalls by doing additional research and consulting with home maintenance experts. Talk to our real estate agents about how you can maintain and sell your home now. Don’t hesitate to contact us. Please click here for our contact page.

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