The sun is finally beginning to shine (every once in a while a least…)! Now that the cold of winter is fading, it’s a great time to evaluate how your house fared this winter.
Winter can be tough the exterior of homes, especially if you live in an area with heavy rain or snow. Where we are located, in Seattle, rain takes an incredible toll on homes over the years. Taking half an hour on a sunny day and doing a quick exterior inspection of your home is a great way to find out if anything needs to be fixed up during the summer months.
Take a walk around your house and pay attention at these things:
- The roof. Look out for cracked or missing shingles, nail pops or failing fasteners.
- Exterior walls. Inspect to see if there are any water stains (indication of failing gutters), damaged areas, or knots that have popped out.
- Foundation. Be sure to examine the foundation from top to bottom for masonry cracks.
- Windows. Check to see if the caulking and weather stripping you have in place has remained intact. Also — it’s a great time to clean them!
- Chimneys. If you have a masonry chimney, check the joints between bricks or stones to see if there are any cracks, missing stones, water infiltration, or growing vegetation.
Routine care of your home is the best way in which you can maintain your home’s value. Many aspects of home valuation are out of your control (location, market, size, etc.), but the condition that you sell it in all comes down to you. Plus routine care keeps costs down in the long run. Now get out there and take a look at your house!
If you have any questions about care for your home, reach out to us! We have plenty of great resources and an expanse of home knowledge we would love to provide you with.