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Cold Weather Home Maintenance and Common Home Problems

Paul Jamison of the Jamison Family of Companies speaks with Sandy Dickinson of Cross Country Mortgage and Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolinas about cold weather home maintenance, common home problems, and favorite gifts for every homeowner.

Cold Weather Home Maintenance

There are several maintenance items in and around your home that may require special attention this time of year. When the weather gets colder, be sure to pay attention to the following items to keep your home in tip-top shape:

  • HVAC system – be sure to schedule your annual heating system maintenance check-up in order to keep you and your family safe and warm all winter
  • Hose Bib – turn it off and disconnect it; any water still left in the hose can freeze and cause major problems in your pipes
  • Patio Furniture – cover all outdoor furniture (no matter how much you paid for it); sleet and snow can damage furniture, fabrics, and surfaces
  • Lawn Equipment – consider adding a fuel stabilizer
  • Furnace filters – change them frequently to maximize and ensure proper air flow inside your home
  • Clean gutters – clean them frequently to keep them free of debris so that rain and melting snow can properly run off and away from your house
  • Pests inside the home – monitor your home for droppings or any unusual activity which may indicate possible pest problems. Once inside, they’re very difficult to remove!
  • Handrails – make sure they are secure and free of any snow or ice
  • Use sand, not salt on concrete – salt can do major damage to concrete; sand is a much better option

Co2 and smoke detectors – check them annually, and make sure they have new batteries (and, to be extra safe, consider taking them with you when you travel to hotels!)

Beware of home inspectors who say things like “Your roof might leak”, etc. You want your home inspector to be diligent, but not to be an alarmist or a deal-killer.

Some home inspectors are now offering new inspection services including sewer scopes for older homes, and use of infrared cameras to read temperature changes in order to detect possible insulation, moisture, and structural anomalies. 

Common Home Problems

Inspectors are seeing some common issues in, around, and under homes these days. Some of these most common problems include:

  • Moisture in the crawl space, which may lead to drainage problems and biological pathogens, which, in turn, may cause problems with the air quality inside the home
  • Garage door problems, which may lead to security issues, damage to automobiles, and injuries due to broken springs, etc.
  • Termites. Though they may not be active this time of year, termites and their damage may be easier to spot without leaves and branches on the trees and bushes near the home.
  • Roofs. Roof damage may be more apparent with heavy rains and snow melting this time of year.  Hail damage can be assessed and properly addressed with your insurance company, if repairs are necessary.

Favorite Gifts for Every Homeowner

Following are some of the team’s most favorite gifts for the home from Holidays past:

  • Roomba vacuum – it really vacuums rooms all by itself!;
  • Leaf blower on a backpack (game changer); and
  • Yes folks…toilet lights! (for those middle-of-the-night bathroom trips)

Enjoy a Merry Christmas and a beautiful Holiday Season, everyone!

We’re to Help! To discuss property management, property investment, property maintenance, selling, buying, the local real estate market, and all things real estate related, contact the expert team of trusted advisors at Jamison Realty at (704) 846-3663. To learn more about property investment in particular, purchase Paul’s book, Opportunity is Knocking, which is chock full of information and tips to get every new investor well on their way to success.

We will be with you every step of the way. Also, listen to Your Real Estate Today radio show every Saturday afternoon on WBT for fun and interesting real estate information and special guests!

Paul Jamison of the Jamison Family of Companies, Jamison Realty, Jamison Property Investment and Jamison Property Management .

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