Austin Real Estate Blog

You can sweep, mop, paint, dust, rearrange and decorate all you want, but if your home is not well kept, not well maintained, it won’t matter how pretty it looks. It will be crumbling around you. It will be a house that no one wants to buy let alone live in, particularly you. Therefore, it is vital that you take care of your home . . . all of it.

The first step in home maintenance starts outside with the exterior. The chimney, roof, gutters and walls must be sturdy. Check to make sure that your roof has no leaks and that all shingles are well fastened. Then, clean out your gutters. It’s not a fun chore, but it must be done to avoid clogs and subsequent pooling. Water should drain out of the gutters, away from the house; the opposite would defeat the point of having them. While you’re at it, check your windows and doors to make sure they are fully sealed and functioning (they should open and close appropriately). Just as turning on the heat with cracked windows would be a waste so would turning on air conditioning.

When you’ve finished the exterior, journey inside. Here, you want to check all faucets for leaks, the refrigerator to be certain it is airtight, the basement for dampness, the attic for weak boards, creatures and leaks, and filters to guarantee proper ventilation. Check out the floors as well for cracked tiles, rotting floorboards or moldy carpet.

If you find any problems, assess them appropriately. Fixing them yourself could save money if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t, it will only cost more in the long run. There’s no shame in calling a professional. In fact, in the end, it will probably be cheaper, safer and less painful all around.