There are a lot of responsibilities that come with owning a home. You want to protect your investment and keep your home in good condition. Additionally, you want to make sure that any potential hazards or safety concerns are remedied quickly, before they present a threat to you or your family members. Below, you will find a list of four home inspections you or a trained professional should be performing on your home each year.
Check Your Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are a very important, life-saving device in our homes. We need to make sure that they are always in working order. Each year, you should test your smoke detectors to make sure that they still work. You should also ensure that you have enough smoke detectors on each floor of your home and that you have a carbon monoxide detector in your kitchen. If you don’t currently have lithium ion smoke detectors, you should consider in investing in some. These smoke detectors will last for 10 years, so you won’t need to worry about changing their batteries (though, you should still check that they are working each year).
Inspect Roofing, Siding, Gutters and Windows
Water leaking into your house can cause a lot of damage. Water damage can be expensive and can also damage your belongings. Additionally, if water damage isn’t handled appropriately, it can lead to mold and air quality issues. When water damage or mold occurs in your home, there can end up being safety and health hazards as well. These are the types of issues you will need to always leave to a professional.
Each year, you should inspect, or hire a professional to inspect, your roofing, siding, gutters, and windows to ensure everything is in good shape and that no water is getting into your home. If you find that there are any issues that may cause a problem down the road, it is a good idea to get them fixed to avoid any leaks. If you discover that water has already made its way into your house, you will want to fix the area that is leaking as soon as possible. Once you have fixed the problem that allowed water into your house, you will want to have a mold test done. If mold turns up, then you will want to have mold remediation completed to remove the threat from your home.
Inspect the Locks on the Windows and Doors
Once a year, it is also a good idea to walk through your house and confirm that all the locks on your windows and doors work properly. You want to be sure that your family members and your belongings are kept safe, so if a lock doesn’t work properly, it should be repaired or replaced. You can also update your locks and use new technology for better security. Updates like surveillance cameras or security alarms can be a good idea for added safety.
Inspect and Service Your HVAC Machine
Each year, or ideally twice a year, you should have your HVAC machine inspected to make sure it is running efficiently. You will need both your heating and your cooling working during the right months. If you have a technician out to inspect your machine, they can also service it to optimize its operation for the coming season. This will also end up helping you with potential breakdowns or decreased efficiency. In the long run, this maintenance service will end up saving you money; even on your monthly energy bills.
Owning a home is a real commitment. There are numerous tasks you need to do to keep your home safe and in working order. Hopefully, this list has provided your information about a few of the tasks you should complete each year. It will help you prevent a disaster and keep repairs from adding up.
