2020 was a year we spent at home – and a year we spent on our homes too! According to this report, Americans spent an average of $13,138 on home services last year, a $4,000 increase from previous years. And that’s a good thing. Home maintenance is important for improving the value of your property, making it more enjoyable to live and more suitable to your lifestyle, and it helps save money by preventing more costly repair jobs. Here are some essential home maintenance tips from our cash for houses team in Dallas on where to focus your efforts to make the most of your home.
#1 – Repair Your Doorbell
Check your doorbell and make sure it’s in good working order. If it isn’t, it’s an easy and affordable job to replace or repair it. A working doorbell is a great welcome into your home, whether it’s for guests, deliveries, or buyers. Consider upgrading to a more advanced doorbell if you can. Some of the best doorbells on the market don’t just ring but have additional security features like smartphone connectivity, live video feeds, integration with Alexa and Google, and more, making them a great selling feature!
#2 – Regrout and Recalk Tubs, Showers, and Fixtures
Over time, the grout and caulking around tubs and other bathroom fixtures start to wear and crumble. This doesn’t just look bad, but it also allows water to seep in. This creates a home for mold, causes cracking and peeling, and can cause tiles to eventually loosen and fall.
The first thing to do is to clean it thoroughly with a bleach solution to get rid of any mold. Then, if you need to replace it, remember to use the appropriate caulk or grout from your local DIY store. Here’s a handy DIY guide.
#3 – Clear Out Your Drains and Garbage Disposal
Noticed slow draining, stinky smells, or dirt around your drains? It’s a good idea to clean them out every 6 months or so to help keep them clear, smell-free, and prevent serious clogging and a costly call-out fee. While drain cleaner works well, it can be corrosive to your pipes, so rather use a drain snake to manually clean out the mess. Here’s a good DIY guide to safely cleaning your garbage disposal, and one on how to use a snake to clear a drain. Once you’ve done that, pour some lemon juice or a mix of white vinegar and water down the drain to sort out the smell. You can grind up some whole lemons in your garbage disposal too.
#4 – Trim Your Trees
Overgrown trees can damage roofing, sidings, power lines and fences, and cause around $1 billion in damage to homes each year! If you have very large trees, then it’s worthwhile to get in a professional arborist to trim them and maintain them, but taking care of smaller trees and the occasional branch is an easy task that can help you save a lot of money as well as keeping your yard looking great. Remove branches that are close to your home or fencing, think about removing trees that dump leaves into your gutters, remove old and dead growth, and plan where you’ll plant new trees to avoid compromising structures and piping.
#5 – Clean Your Air Conditioning Filters
Another easy and essential job is cleaning out those air filters in your home’s air conditioning or HVAC system. These filters get very dirty over time, especially if there’s a lot of pollen, dust, or air pollution around. It’s best to clean them at least once a year, in the spring. Check your manual, as it will have instructions on how to remove and clean them properly, but most can benefit from gentle vacuuming. Here’s a video to show you exactly what to do. If your filters are not washable and look pretty grimy, it’s easy and affordable to replace them.
#6 – Remove Lint Buildup from Dryer Vents
It’s an easy job to put off or forget to do, but a build-up of dryer lint is very dangerous, causing around 29,000 home fires each year. The small fibers from your clothing are caught by a lint trap, but if this becomes clogged, the dryer vent hose can get blocked and the heat from the machine can start a fire. Cleaning your lint trap will also help your dryer last longer, slowing down wear-and-tear, and preventing expensive components from overheating and breaking down. Ideally, you should clean the lint trap each time you use the dryer – here’s how.
Sell Your Home Privately in Dallas the Easy Way – No Home Maintenance Needed!
If you want to sell your home fast and privately without the hassle and cost of deep cleaning, repairing, and upgrading your home, then your best bet is to sell directly to cash home buyers in Dallas. We also have plenty of homes for sale if you are looking to buy investment properties!
Our cash for houses Dallas team is happy to buy it for a market-related price – sight unseen and no home maintenance needed. It’s completely COVID-safe because we don’t need to visit your home for viewings, and you can sell your home in 24 hours. Here’s how our process works:
- You enter your information on our website. We’ll contact you directly to discuss an offer for your property (you can also get a free property evaluation from our website)
- You can accept or reject the offer
- You can also call us directly on 469-858-0088
Our team is compassionate and highly motivated to offer you the best possible market-related price for your home, so you can sell your home in 24 hours. Not only does this cash go straight into your bank account as soon as the sale goes through, but you also pay zero real estate agent commission. It’s all about making selling your home as fast and as rewarding as possible!
At Shiny Key Properties, our trained consultants have years of experience in helping homeowners to sell quickly. To find out more about our cash for homes Dallas service or to speak to our cash home buyers directly, please contact us today and speak to one of our friendly team members.