Don’t sweat the small stuff. Unless it’s household repairs. Because what starts out as a no-big-deal can quickly morph into a hard to handle mess that not only costs you in time and money but jeopardizes your health and wellbeing. Home ownership mistakes begin with five small words: I’ll deal with it later.

Home Ownership Mistakes Happen by Neglecting Repairs

Ever notice how the smallest of issues are the most easily forgotten? I refer to it as the old furniture syndrome.

Let’s note a leaky faucet as an example. You don’t notice it until you turn the kitchen hardware off after rinsing a bunch of dirty dishes. Even then, it may get past your cognition for awhile until you have to use the water again and notice a drip, drip, and drop before you turn it on.

You may still overlook it. One day. Two days. A week later. It’s time to clean the kitchen. And as you disinfect and wipe down the surfaces, the hard water stain and active water ring around the base of the faucet is hard to ignore. You don’t remember it being there last week. Nonetheless, you dry the area, and go about your business.

More time goes by and that water leak becomes a little idiosyncrasy you learn to live with, much like a particular creak in the hardwood floor that is activated when putting weight on the third step of the staircase. Until you have to remember it exists, it doesn’t, much like old furniture. Strangely enough, it becomes somewhat comforting. Twisted, isn’t it?

Small Home Repairs Are Like Health Concerns

A leaking faucet, a crack in the slab, a flickering recessed light can either be an easy fix or an indication of something much bigger. A band-aid can only hold for so long. Whatever we ignore will continue to tap our sensibilities over time, until it becomes unmanageable. For the imperfections visible to the naked eye, these are easier to remedy.

But what of the issues that remain undetectable? If you’re not a handyman or licensed contractor, how would you know what needs to be fixed if you’re not qualified to understand what to look for?

You wouldn’t. Instead, it’s never too late to call upon a home inspector to do a walkthrough on your property. Even if you’ve owned the property for some time, conditions shift.

What may have been called out during an inspection when you purchased the home a handful of years earlier will likely need another review. Using the services of an experienced handyman can also be beneficial, just to get an overview of what’s working, what isn’t, and what may be problematic down the road.

What to Do Now Could Save Your Wellbeing Later

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The same goes for home maintenance. Knowing what needs to be taken care of in a house or condo won’t give you much peace of mind until you take care of it. But what about the unknowns?

Just because your home has been given a clean bill of health, right before the transfer of sale took place, doesn’t mean the condition hasn’t changed.

Empower the DIY in You with Minimal Work

You don’t have to like yard work or house chores to get a handle on the state of your home. If you’ve got an hour to devote to surveying your home, every 90 days, this process will add years to the life of your property.

It’s all about getting ahead of repairs by implementing a maintenance check just three times a year. Why so often?

No matter where you may live in the U.S., the climate will change. A property will react to changes in temperature—a ready made process that reveals pending issues.

Put on some comfortable shoes, yoga pants are fine too (guys, wear at your own discretion), and a shirt with some give. Be prepared to get your hands dirty.

The Pre-Inspection Inspection

As I mentioned earlier, using the services of a professional contractor or experienced handyman won’t come free of charge. Doing an initial overview of your property will help you discern where potential problems lie. You can save some dollars by doing the overview inspection yourself and then bringing in an expert to do a deeper dive into what’s going on.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

1. A pre-inspection buddy (optional)

2. Notepad and pen (if you’re old school)

3. Cell phone, lens cleaned, flash ready

4. Tape measure

5. A flashlight or headlamp

6. A stable, 6-foot ladder

7. A baseball hat (anything with a ‘beak’ in front)

8. Comfortable shoes and clothing

Read through the following areas that will need your review to get an idea of why the above list is recommended before you get started.

Canvass the perimeter. Take a slow stroll around your property, with careful attention to the base of the home. Look for small cracks in stucco that may be more than ‘settling’. For brownish ‘tubes’, these are
likely termites.

Earth-to-wood. Not everyone is fond of the rock granite common to our landscaping (instead of grass). However you decide to add plants and flowers to enhance the outside, don’t use decorative
wood chips that abut to the house structure. Termites love to snack on it giving them the perfect way in to your home. If you must wood chip it up, keep them at bay with an 18-inch barrier from the house. If you have ivy, or some other sort of charming wall-clinging vine…remove it. It may look pretty but compromises the paint, stucco, and more.

All about eaves. Make sure that any wood beams are free of moisture and dry rot. Also, ensure that gutters are in good shape and free of leaves and other debris.

Air conditioner care. Make sure there are no condensation line leaks which can affect the integrity of the roof, nearby windows, etc. Test the AC and see if the air coming out of the vents is cool. If not, it may need freon…. For added protection, make sure there is a drip pan to house runoff.

Windows that work. An extra cold winter. More storms than usual. These are some of the ways that window health and safety can go awry. Make sure to test the locks, and glide-ability of windows and screens each season. They not only help keep the bugs out but are egress points in case of fire.

To see the most common property maintenance issues that are overlooked and readily fixable, keep reading.

Top 10 Home Ownership Mistakes and More

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked with buyers who are cool with foregoing the requests for “little” repairs to be done by the Seller before closing. Oftentimes, buyers are so excited about getting to the closing table that they forget what was discussed during the inspection period.

The little repairs that they committed to doing just after closing and taking possession of the property will get tossed by the wayside. They can wait. Sometimes they can. Other times, not so much.

In case you’re guilty of this (I won’t tell), go through the list below and see what you’ve missed, before it’s too late.

Home Ownership Repair Checklist:

• Clean or replace air filters

• Check attic for leaks, pests (or droppings), imbalanced or missing insulation

• Repair, replace or add security locks and latches to exterior doors to pool

• Repair, replace or add security locks and self-closing latches to pool access gates

• Repair, replace or add missing weather stripping to exterior doors and garage

• Touch shower and bath tiles for softness, indicating ongoing moisture or mold

• Clean laundry dryer vent

• Inspect water heater valves, coils, etc. for signs of corrosion

• Cut back foliage so that it is at least 12” from roof line or exterior wall

• Check slab for cracking and uneven height

• Test irrigation lines and sprinklers for leaks

• Compare utility bills year-to-year

• Clean ceiling fan blades (cough, sneeze)

• Clean front door/back door keyholes to remove caked on dust

• Consider getting a home warranty plan

Home Ownership Is More Than Getting Keys and Taking Title

Taking accountability for any responsibility isn’t always fun. However, it’s a necessity to home ownership and maintaining your property. Keeping your home in good condition will help you avoid unnecessary and costly repairs, while enhancing its marketability (should you decide to list it) and value.

Just like anything else owned, you never really know how solid it is unless you take the time to visit and inspect its details. Yes, up close and personal. Something else happens between the two (the home and you) when you do regular inspections. It’s called pride of ownership.

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