Save yourself time, money and headache. Bad habits can be hard to break—especially if you don’t even realize what you’re doing is harmful! When it comes to caring for your home, it may not be because you’re lazy about chores; you just may not know the right way to care for your appliances, fixtures, and other parts of your home. The preventative tips here provide some guidance for properly caring for your home, so you can avoid the damage these bad habits can cause.
The Bad: Slamming doors, especially heavy doors, not only damages the hinges and handles, but it can also pull the door out of alignment, which can lead to a damaged frame.
The Good: Replace the hinges. You’ve seen those soft-close kitchen drawers, but did you know you can get soft-close hinges for your doors? Bonus: You won’t have to yell at the kids to “Stop slamming those doors” anymore!
The Bad: Letting gutters stay cluttered. Your gutters should be cleaned out at least twice a year, but many of us just never seem to get around to it. Unfortunately, that sets us up for water damage on the roof and even the foundation of your home as water spills out and down along the sides of the house rather than being directed away from the foundation.
The Good: Clean gutters regularly or cover them. For DIYers, be sure you use a ladder that does not need to lean against the soft metal gutters for support, which could cause more damage by bending or warping them. Want almost maintenance free? Check out gutter guards and screens.There are many varieties and prices. Do your homework before choosing one. And never walk on your roof to clean your gutters. You could damage the roof and void any warranties.
The Bad: Dumping everything down the drain. Even though you have a garbage disposal, it’s not meant to chop up half a plate’s worth of spaghetti or the peels from a pound of potatoes. And never put anything down the toilet except toilet paper, not even flushable wipes. When in doubt, throw it out.
The Bad: Letting filters get dirty and clogged. That includes the filter in your clothes dryer; build up there can actually cause a fire!
The Good: Regularly clean and replace all the filters in your house every three months, more often if you have pets.
Just like with your own health, taking preventative steps to keep your home in good working order can save you time, money and headaches down the road.
Until next week….
Jill Santandrea, Broker Manager, EXIT Homestead Realty Professionals LLC, 1070 E Chestnut Ave, Vineland, NJ 08360; 856-692-EXIT; Cell: 856-362-0967; Direct: 888-856-5455; TheJillTeam.com; E-mail: [email protected]; Text JillS to 85377 for my mobile business card. Listen to Jill on 99.9FM SNJ Radio Today. Source: 2019 Buffini & Company
