A house is likely to be the biggest and most important investment you make in your life, especially if it’s a home that you’re preparing to rent. It’s important to understand that something as simple as the changing seasons can have a huge impact on it. Most forms of weather damage can be prevented with maintenance, so it’s important to know what to look out for to protect both your home and your investment. Here are some suggestions from Pioneer Enterprises to help keep your property safe from adverse weather.
Roof
There are many ways that inclement weather can take a toll on your roof. Hot weather can cause it to expand, while cooler temperatures can make it contract, and drastic changes between the two can cause damage. Strong winds can also damage the structure, and once there is damage, water can easily get in and cause a leak. It’s important to have your roof inspected regularly for signs of damages.
Foundation
The foundation of your home is arguably its most important feature. Problems with the foundation can be exceptionally expensive to fix, and ignoring them can threaten the structural integrity of your home. Excessive water is one of the biggest threats to your foundation, so focus on controlling the moisture on your lot. PropertySourced are explaining that this means ensuring sufficient draining by, for instance, cleaning your gutters and spouts and ensuring the ground slopes away from the house. If you have a basement, it’s also important to have a good drainage system in place.
Exterior Walls
Unlike the roof and foundation, weather-damaged exterior walls are not necessarily a hazard. They can, however, be a huge eyesore and reduce the value of your home. According to the Spruce, common exterior paint issues include blistering, sagging, peeling, and a cracked effect known as alligatoring. While some of these can be fixed with DIY, you should probably hire painters with experience in exterior painting if you want a high-standard, durable job.
Landscaping
Bad weather can ruin many aspects of your landscaping, but none are as dangerous as your trees. All it takes is one bad storm for your home to be under threat of falling trees and branches, so you need to be prepared. Geico suggests bringing in an arborist to assess your trees once a year in late spring, and to always check for damage after a large storm.
If you need a tree or branch removed, you’ll need to call on a tree removal service. To find quality professionals, search online to find a well-reviewed tree service you feel you can trust. Always detail the precise nature of the job and insist on an upfront estimate.
On a less urgent note, you may also want to consider your lawn during hot, dry weather. According to these Austin property managers If you’re one of those people who love a good-looking lawn, there are ways to keep it healthy without wasting water. Plant native grasses, monitor moisture levels to avoid overwatering, mow your lawn regularly, and use organic fertilizers wherever you can.
Hardwood Floors
Wood is a living material that reacts strongly to humidity, which is why hardwood floors will expand and contract throughout the year. This is, to some extent, completely normal. In fact, gaps in your hardwood floors are nothing to worry about, as long as they aren’t excessive. That said, regulating the humidity in your home will go a long way toward protecting your hardwood floors over time.
Plumbing
Most people know that freezing weather can cause pipes to burst, but it’s important to remember that extreme heat can also have this effect. The conventional professional advice is to have your pipes checked at least once a year, more frequently if you live in an old house or have old trees. It is also worth having an inspection when moving to a new house.
Maintenance Costs
As you’re preparing your home for renting, budgeting for several maintenance projects can be difficult. If you’re looking for a financial solution, you may have wondered “what does it mean to refinance a house?” Refinancing—applying for a new mortgage with different terms to replace your existing mortgage—can help improve your financial situation in a couple of ways. One way is to lower your monthly mortgage payment to free up some budget room for projects. The other way is to cash out some built up equity in your home to have additional cash on hand.
You may find it useful to create a written maintenance schedule for these different parts of your rental home. Most of these could benefit from at least an annual check, usually in the spring. This will allow you to pick up on damage while preparing for inclement weather. If you’d rather leave rental maintenance and management to someone else, contact Pioneer Enterprises today!