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DIY Home Maintenance Guide

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If you’re investing in new construction, renovating, purchasing, or selling a home in Tampa, Florida, having a checklist is crucial to evaluate potential issues. A DIY home maintenance guide prepares you to address problems such as structural damage, water leaks, or exposed electrical outlets. 

With an extensive self-guide, you can prevent potential disasters.

DIY Home Maintenance Guide checklist

DIY Checklist For Home Maintenance

While inspectors address many concerns, there are eight primary components to focus on. 

  • Quick and Easy Repairs

When maintaining your home, great repairs consist of:

  1. Gutter cleaning
  2. Fixing leaky faucets
  3. Repainting exterior walls
  4. Repainting interior walls 
  5. Weatherization upgrades such as 
    • Caulking windows
    • Attic insulation 

  • Structural and Water Damage

Structural issues may include: 

  1. Walls
  2. Ceilings
  3. Staircases or Steps
  4. Concrete or foundation cracks
  5. Compromised structural support beams 

Or it may be as superficial as chipping paint, missing siding, etc. Either way, serious cracks may lead to structural collapse, causing accidents in your home. 

A serious concern to address is water intrusion, since it may be hidden and potentially dangerous. Signs may appear as a toilet dripping water or as dark spots coming through your ceilings and floors. This leak could originate from the roof, resulting in mold and mildew accumulation.

Missing these signs may prevent your home from passing inspection. Evaluating for damage is essential because Florida hurricanes may exacerbate pre-existing structural issues.

  • Roofing 

Your roof should be a priority on your checklist. It can compromise the integrity of your roof if there are any of the following: 

  1. Missing asphalt shingles
  2. Buckling asphalt shingles
  3. Missing roofing tiles
  4. Missing roofing nails
  5. Loose or missing flashing
  6. Holes
  7. Leaks

Inadequate ventilation can also compromise the integrity of your roof by retaining humidity, which can lead to severe water damage and mold growth. This is important whether you’re living in, buying, or selling your property.

  • Plumbing Leaks & Drainage Problems

Part of DIY home maintenance includes looking for plumbing leaks and drainage problems. Your to-do list should include the inspection of 

  1. Corroded pipes
  2. Malfunctioning water heaters
  3. Improper drainage methods
  4. Inadequate water pressure

  • HVAC Malfunctions

If you’re uncertain of what to check, the air filter is one of the first things that will clog on your AC unit. It is the most commonly overlooked parts of a central air conditioner and also the most important. 

A dirty filter puts a strain on the system as it draws in air through the intake vents. 

You should also check the blower motor and condensation drain (also known as drip pans). 

And make sure that nothing is blocking any vents. They should not be covered or hidden behind furniture. 

  • Pest Infestations

Maintaining a healthy environment requires living without pests such as 

  1. Termites
  2. Cockroaches
  3. Bedbugs
  4. Ants
  5. Mice
  6. Rats

A pest infestation is a problem whether you’re renovating, selling, or buying a house. 

  • Mold and Mildew Contamination

Exposure to mold/ mildew spores reduces your indoor air quality and lead to allergic reactions like 

  1. Wheezing
  2. Headache
  3. Sneezing
  4. Difficulty breathing
  5. Watery eyes

Without adequate ventilation, your risk of long-term illness increases. With chronic exposure, you may develop asthma and a weakened immune system. 

That’s why checking for mold and mildew stains is vital to a DIY maintenance checklist.

7. Asbestos

Asbestos exposure can negatively affect your health, increasing your risk for lung cancer, mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the chest and abdominal cavity), and asbestosis (lungs scarred with fibrous tissue). 

With no prominent defining visual characteristics, it’s good to get a asbestos test kit to determine whether your home is contaminated. 

The best rule of thumb is to take samples of frayed, crumbling, or significantly old materials. If you’re uncertain, test it anyway. 

After Your DIY Home Maintenance Guide

Thanks to Divinity Inspection Services, you no longer have to be responsible for performing inspections yourself. Serving the Greater Tampa Bay area, our experienced and licensed professionals will handle all your concerns. 

We perform many types of inspections and will cover your home from top to bottom. Contact us today to schedule your inspection. 

 

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The Holiday Cleaning Checklist

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If you are the one hosting a holiday party, then you might already be thinking about your holiday cleaning checklist. Keeping a home organized, much less clean, during the Christmas season can be very challenging. Especially if you have young ones running around and contributing to the mess. Some may even attempt to de-clutter their home before the end of the year to start off on the right foot. Either way, this checklist should get you moving in the right direction. This holiday cleaning checklist can help you get and stay organized, create a sparkling clean home in time for gatherings, or de-clutter your house before the year is up.

One Up and Two Down

Some holiday gifts can replace something you already own. Unfortunately, many times we forget to get rid of the item replaced. You end up with two coffee makers or five sets of pajamas. This year, when you get one item try getting rid of two. This will not only make sure you replace an item, it also helps you to de-clutter. If your child received new socks, find the old or outgrown ones and throw them out.

Not Everything has to go Up

Even an attic full of decorations doesn’t mean the house has to be full of decorations too. This year, especially if you are showing your home for sale, keep the decorations to a minimum. Keep some decorations put away and just use the minimal on both the inside and the outside.

Oosoujii

Oosoujii is a Japanese holiday dedicated to de-cluttering and cleaning the home. The last week of the year is spent focusing on the home. In Oosoujii, each year is seen as separate and distinct, the final week of the old year is devoted to cleaning, decluttering and organizing.

We hope these little tips get you moving in the right direction. There are many tasks you can add to your holiday cleaning checklist and these are only a few to get you started. We do home inspections all throughout the holiday season and you can make an appointment with us directly on our website.

Sources:

8 Ways to Keep Your Home Clean Through the Holidays

http://organizedhome.com/seasonal-spin/cut-clutter-after-christmas

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How to Show your home during the Holiday Season

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If you are showing your home during the holiday season it can be a little tricky. Between holiday decorations, parties, and deterring home theft, the holidays can make it all that much harder. Have no fear, we are here to help! Follow some of these tips to show your home during the holiday season and also have peace of mind.

Keep decorations to a minimum

If you love to saturate your home in decorations during the holidays, you will want to hold off on it. A lot of decorations can be overwhelming and distracting for any person interested in viewing your home. Decorating also means leaving out some of your potentially valuable stuff for grabs. Avoid all of this by decorating very little. You can even wait until a week before Christmas to stop showing the home, decorate, and enjoy the season. You still have control and what you do should be what works best for you.

Curb Appeal vs. Curb Safety

You may never have thought about it, but decorations can also be a hazard. This wire lines, extension chords, and decorations across your walk-way can actually be a tripping hazard. The last thing you want is someone who is viewing your home to trip over things as they walk in.

Selling during the Holiday Season

Many sites claim selling your home through the holiday is great timing! But this also means you need to have excellent pictures and videos of your home. As home-buyers start their process doing online searches, you will want your home’s pictures to stand out! Don’t skimp on this area. Make sure your home is immaculate before taking any pictures.

Comfy and Cozy

Have you ever stepped into a home that just feels cozy? The house makes you want to wrap up in a blanket and sit in front of the fireplace? This is the feeling you want to evoke, especially during the winter and holiday season. Light the fireplace, light some candles, bake some cookies, and decorate a Christmas tree. Create that comfy cozy feeling people will enjoy!

We hope this little tips help as you work your way through the holiday season. Don’t forget Divinity Inspections is still working too so give us a call when you are ready to schedule your pre-listing home inspection or your pre-purchasing home inspection!

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What happens if your Home Inspector misses something?

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Finally you are in the last stage of purchasing your home and you are jumping through the last hoop: a home inspection. Many home-buyers find the home inspection process very stressful. The idea of finding something wrong with your new home that could potentially hinder the buying process is not fun. Even worse, what happens if your home inspector misses something?

Start with the right home inspector

Getting through the process calmly has a lot to do with trusting your home inspector. Remember he’s on your side! Not only is Divinity home inspectors going to find and explain any issues in detail, we’re going to do everything we can to offer you advice or guidance in how to fix your home issues. Either way, make sure you choose a home inspector that has a lot of good recommendations and a good reputation.

Attend your home inspection

Attending your home inspection is really important. Not only might it calm your nerves, but attending will also allow your inspector to point out anything they come across that is concerning. If you notice an inspector hesitate at the idea of your presence during the inspection, that is a big red flag! Any inspector should be very comfortable with the home buyer or home owner present during their inspection. Remember, it’s your job to make the most our of your home inspection.

What if your home inspector misses something?

Most home inspectors are not going to miss any major issues with your home, however it could happen. Sellers are required to disclose any major issues with the home before they sell it. If they don’t, proving they did would be more costly than it’s worth. You can bring the issue up to the home inspector. As long as you used one with decent liability insurance that covers more than just the cost of the inspection, odds are decent you’ll be compensated for any damages. Again, you’ll have to prove it. For example, if the inspector said the roof was in good condition, but there was a leak months later during a big storm, you would have to prove that nothing happened in the intervening time that damaged the roof.

Divinity Inspection service not only are fully licensed, but our inspectors are trained not to miss anything. We encourage you to attend your home inspection and we take the time to walk you through everything we do. You can schedule your inspection right here on our site!

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The Face Value of a Home Inspection

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What is the face value of a home inspection? Instinctively you might say the answer depends on who you ask. What you may not realize is the real face value of a home inspection depends on your home and you! Not only that, but your home inspector plays a huge role in the value of your home inspection.

What if I asked you how much your car was worth, retail? Now if I asked you how much you would sell it for, that answer will probably be different. What you are willing to sell for vs. what you know your car is worth are two different numbers. This is the case for most things in life, and a home inspection is no exception. So, what is the real face value of a home inspection?

For any home buyer, the purchase of the home is highly dependent on the home inspection report. A good home inspection can save you from having to replace the roof, replace the water heater or another appliance. It can also help you avoid purchasing a home with potentially disastrous issues, like replacing all of the electrical or plumbing. We are talking tens of thousands of dollars in repairs! You may pay $500 (or less, or more depending on the size of the home) and it could save you thousands and thousands of dollars. Now that is a return on your investment.

Home buyers want the home inspection to report no major issues. Because the goal is to make sure no major issues exist in the home, this somehow has become a reason to expect home inspections to cost less. You get what you pay for and that goes for your inspection. Why would you pay less for a home inspection when the risk is so big? So we come back around to the important question – what is the face value of a home inspection? Now that you have all of this information you may find that your answer has changed.