If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time and money maintaining yourself. You get your hair cut and colored every couple of months, you slather on beauty products every night to keep the wrinkles at bay and you hit the gym or the yoga studio to keep your body healthy. So why not do the same for your home?
I think people have this misconception that once you buy a home – as long as the A/C runs and the roof doesn’t leak – you’re good to go. But there are simple things you need to be doing monthly or yearly to keep your home healthy. And by healthy – I mean running efficiently, keeping the mold out and maintaining a healthy air balance.
Outside Home Maintenance:
- Paint the outside when you notice peeling and cracking. Painting is waterproofing your home. If it looks like it needs a paint job, it probably does. You don’t want the elements coming inside.
- Paint the trim around the doors and windows every couple of years.
- Pressure-clean the exterior once a year to remove mold and mildew.
- Reseal the windows by caulking them every 2 to 3 years.
- Gutters are your friend. They are a very easy and simple way to keep water off your walls.
“The biggest mistake people make is they don’t do anything,” says Gulf Building owner John Scherer. “We’ve gone to projects where a good pressure-cleaning and caulking around windows and resealing the building made a huge difference.”
Also – be sure to hire contractors who know what they are doing. Scherer says NEVER hire the company with the cheapest estimate, because they are likely cutting corners. And always verify they have a license and are insured.
I am so passionate about this – that I am dedicating an entire section on my website to creating and maintaining a healthy home. And if you have any questions – please don’t hesitate to email me at susan(at)susanrindley(dotted)com.