Winter Home Maintenance

This guest article has been submitted by Rogers Neighborhood Realty.

Take care of your home and it will take care of you! Harsh Michigan winters can really take a toll on your home, both the interior and exterior. A little routine maintenance will go a long way this season and could extend the life of your home’s systems.

5 Tips for Routine Home Maintenance:

1. Check on Your Heating Systems:

• Replace the furnace filter (do this every season)
• Check that the thermostat is working properly
• Check on your CO detector and make sure it has batteries
• Check on the furnace blower (fan should move freely and might need some oil to do so)
• Schedule a chimney inspection if you have a traditional fireplace
• Clean and drain any sediment from the water heater (tips here)

2. Clean the gutters so they’re ready to carry away melting snow
3. Turn off outside faucets
4. Test your sump pump to make sure it’s ready to pump away melting snow
5. Switch ceiling fan direction to clockwise (this pushes warm air down in your room)

Planning to move in the spring? Make the most of your time indoors and tackle some projects this winter! Research shows that upgrades in the kitchen and bathrooms give you the most return on investment. Not sure what to do? Here are some big and small ideas to get you started.

Interior Projects to Prep your House for Listing this Spring:

1. Kitchen Finishes- If you’re not up for a full kitchen overhaul, consider upgrading the small features to bring modern details into the space (light fixtures, cabinet hardware, faucet, and backsplash).

1. Replace bathroom laminate with tile- If you don’t have the know-how or a handy friend to help you, attend a workshop offered by Home Depot or Lowes. If you have outdated tile already, freshen up the look by cleaning or staining the grout.
2. Install new light switch covers- If your current covers are stained, cracked, or painted over, it’s time for new ones!
3. Add a basement bedroom- Of course this is a bigger undertaking than swapping out your light switch covers. If there is an opportunity to add a legal bedroom in your house, you’ll increase the value of your home and buyer activity. Contractors are in demand all year round, but you might find some companies are looking for winter work before they can break ground for their bigger spring builds.
4. Improve Insulation- You’ll enjoy the lower energy costs this winter and you’ll impress the home inspector when you sell.

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Amanda Rogers is the Broker/Owner of Rogers Neighborhood Realty. Amanda and the rest of the agents in the office are professional, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about buying and selling houses and property in the Lowell community. For more information, visit their website, Facebook page, or Instagram page.