Northern California Home Inspections Aide Planning - HomeGuard

Home and Termite Inspections are Guides to Current and Future Home Repair Projects

Whether you are selling, maintaining or considering buying a home, home and termite inspections will help to identify any areas that may need maintenance or repair. If you simply want to keep your home in good condition, ongoing maintenance is a must. Unfortunately, this is a detail that many first-time – and even longtime – homeowners overlook and that can be costly and dangerous. This does not mean that you shouldn’t consider buying a property, nor does it mean that you should sell an existing property and move into a rental. By planning ahead for typical upkeep tasks and costs, you can minimize stress and household expenses. Ideally, you will add these home repair costs to your monthly or quarterly budget, as well as to an emergency fund.

Keep a Checklist

One of the first actions you should take is to create a home maintenance checklist; often you can use home and termite inspections as guides to inform your checklist. You might get started by including the tips mentioned here, and then you can add other tasks as they become relevant. You may wish to include a calendar, so you will have a record of various steps as they are completed over the course of the year.

These are some of the most common home maintenance and repair jobs:

Appliances

No matter how well they perform, your household appliances will wear over time. Put money aside for repairs and replacements for items, such as: the refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and the clothes washer and dryer.

HVAC

Even in a place as moderate as the Bay Area, you may rely on your heating and cooling system more than you realize at certain times of the year. If you live in an area that sustains snowfall occasionally (such as Sacramento), your heating system could be vital to your well-being.

Your HVAC system should be designed to last a long time but eventually parts and components will need to be repaired or replaced. Factor certain steps into your overall plan, such as replacing air conditioner filters, monthly, and having your HVAC system checked twice yearly. Doing this should help you to get the most from your system. Don’t forget to have the ducts and fireplace cleaned periodically.

Major Systems

In addition to its HVAC components, your home has other systems that can be expensive to replace. This is why routine maintenance is so important. You should be aware that, depending on how old your home is, you may need to replace all or part of the roof, the plumbing, the windows, and even the doors. Additionally, if you have recently purchased a home, you should change the locks on your doors before you take up residence there. Remember to budget for other replacements that may be imminent, such as a new deck outside or new flooring indoors.

Landscaping

Part of your landscaping routine should include obvious signs of pest or termite activity around the exterior of your home. In addition, even if you prefer to do your own gardening and landscaping, you will incur costs for things such as fertilizers, mulch, new plants, lawn seeds, and other landscaping materials. Choosing a landscaping theme that is favorable in drought areas is helpful in reducing expenses. If you prefer not to use pesticides, you can explore and invest in plants that deter certain pests from invading your garden. Also, you will need to hire someone to trim tree branches and limbs periodically, so remember to be prepared for that.

Hazard Prevention and Control

Preventing and preparing for various hazards is essential for property owners. Your budget should include expenses such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as fire extinguishers. If you have traditional fire extinguishers, be aware that these need to be recharged if they are old or have been used. Also, many homeowners do not know that their home insurance probably doesn’t cover a burst water line outside the home, so you may want to purchase insurance that covers such an occurrence (which can result in thousands of dollars in damage).

California Home Inspections, Roof Inspections, & Termite Inspections

Being a homeowner can be a wonderful experience, particularly if you plan for expenses around your routine home maintenance tasks. If you are uncertain about which areas of your home require repairs or replacement, HomeGuard Incorporated provides a variety of home inspections. Whether you need Roof Inspections, Termite Inspections, or a Home Inspection for your San Jose and Sacramento property, we are ready to help. Give us a call at (855) 331-1900, or feel free to contact us online for more details.