Home Improvement Information

Spring Into Action: Home Maintenance


Spring has sprung! Even more important than buds, birds, and bees, spring brings buyers! When buyers are looking for a place to nest, they would really rather not see problems. As it turns out, nearly every home inspected has problems or imperfections of some sort or size. Most issues are very minor and simple to correct. Almost all are a result of deferred maintenance.

Most of these simple deferred maintenance problems, when discovered during the home inspection, cause the majority of the headaches when trying to bring a contract to close. With the five quick checks described below it is probable that 90% or more of the minor maintained items typically discovered in the home inspection could be eliminated, and with them a great portion of the time and stress associated with their correction:

  • Dirty Filter and Coils in the Heat Pump. The clean and efficient flow of conditioned air as well as the longevity of this very expensive system is dependant on proper airflow. A professional cleaning is most always well under $100. Routine filter replacement can be done by a homeowner for about a dollar.
  • Poor Caulking of Ceramic Tile in the Tub and Shower Area. The cost to repair or replace a rotted shower wall often exceeds thousands of dollars. This is an avoidable event! A homeowner can accomplish caulking of tiled areas easily for under $20. If a crack in the caulk or grout is visible, you can believe it's large enough for water to pass!
  • Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) not Properly Functioning. GFCI's are the electrical outlets that have the "press" and "test" buttons. These devices are critically important in reducing the chance for electrocution. The homeowner can test the devices by pushing the "test" button. The cost of a new GFCI is less than $10. They can be installed in less than 10 minutes.

  • Amateur Workmanship. When something looks like an amateur did it, that means an amateur did it, even if the perpetrator was paid for his work! When amateurs do things, the materials are often improper for the intended purpose or of poor quality. Many times they are both. Seldom are proper permits pulled or inspections performed when work is performed by amateurs. Amateur work is also difficult to maintain. Amateur work and the people who perform it always complicate a closing.
  • Wood Rot. Closing contracts sure would be simpler without wood rot. It sure would be nice to see a home listed that said "clear WDO on file". Consider doing the WDO inspection at the time of listing to greatly reduce the greatest challenge in Florida real estate.

The act of selling real estate can be made simpler, more enjoyable, and more profitable by educating buyers and sellers about preventative maintenance. Spring is a time of renewal - renew your interest in home care and take a few simple steps to keep safe, comfortable, and ready for some summer sun!

Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and has been featured regularly on HGTV's "House Detective". Wally has recently written a book entitled "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. As a speaker, writer, instructor, and host of The Happy Home Inspector radio show every Saturday at 3 PM on WOKV 690, Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com for more information!


MORE RESOURCES:

Washington Post

Space Shuttle Crew Home Improvement Project
KTNV Las Vegas, NV - Nov 30, 2008
The space shuttle endeavour and its seven astronauts are making their way back to earth. The shuttle undocked from the international space station Friday ...
Video: Raw Video: Shuttle Endeavour Lands in Calif. AssociatedPress
Space Shuttle Endeavour forced to make westcoast landing WCBD
Endeavour Makes a Safe Landing in California ChattahBox
MyNews.in - MyFox Houston
all 4,864 news articles


Home improvement contracts regulated
Daily American Online, PA - Nov 29, 2008
The bill will regulate written home improvement contracts and require contractors doing more than $5000 of work annually to be registered in the state. ...


Secondhand home improvement stores stock big savings
Trading Markets (press release), CA - Nov 30, 2008
The store is Stardust Building Supplies, a nonprofit organization that sells donated home improvement items at up to 80 percent off retail prices. ...


Senior Citizens Beware of Lame Home Improvement Companies
Floral Park Dispatch, NY - Nov 28, 2008
Over the past year, at least three local senior citizens have been taken advantage of by an out-of-town home improvement contractor for tens of thousands of ...


Home improvement sometimes best left to pros
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL - Nov 28, 2008
Their column has been in syndication for 20 years, and they have written 20 home improvement books. Each week the Hamiltons will compare the cost of a ...


Ahead of the Bell: Home improvement retailers
Forbes, NY - Nov 19, 2008
The home improvement retailers are part of a sector that has "competitive dynamics, stable gross margins through the downturn, and clear cyclicality ...


Economic Downturn Sparks New Home Improvement Trend
MarketWatch - Nov 18, 2008
With the harsh reality of uncertain economic times, and the average consumer shouldering $10000 or more in credit card debt, a new trend in home improvement ...


Sector roundup: Solar, home improvement
Forbes, NY - Nov 19, 2008
CHICAGO (AP) - Shares of home improvement chains dipped Wednesday after the federal government said construction of new homes and apartments slowed at a ...


Canada.com

Endeavour Docks at Space Station on Home-Improvement Mission
Bloomberg - Nov 16, 2008
16 (Bloomberg) -- NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station today just after 5 pm New York time on a home-improvement ...
Video: Space Shuttle Endeavour Blasts Into Night Sky AssociatedPress
Endeavour to launch on 'home improvement' flight Spaceflight Now
Shuttle Endeavour docks with ISS on 'home-improvement' mission RIA Novosti
EastDay.com - Space Fellowship
all 5,713 news articles


Sears Holdings Posts Loss After Sales Decline (Update2)
Bloomberg - 12 hours ago
“This is not a department store, this is not a home-improvement store. “This is a combination of the two that suffers inordinately during times of economic ...

Home-Improvement - Google News

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