New homes can be an exciting venture for homeowners. If it's your first time buying a newly constructed house, you may be wondering what you can do to preserve that "new home smell". Well, you're not alone! Here are some words of wisdom that the team at WeldenField and Rowe Custom Homes likes to dish to our customers. Grab a pen and make a note!
Water Can Be Enemy #1
As much as we love the refreshing taste and breathtaking views that water provides (just check out our new waterfront property in Chesapeake), water can do some serious damage to your home. The moment you spot a leak, be it indoors or outdoors, get it fixed as soon as possible. Water damage will accrue fast! If you fix a water-damaged area of your house, always look around for degraded items that need replacing. This is because water tends to warp materials, allowing more opportunity for it to weather. For instance, certain types of insulation will stop working once they've been wet.
The same goes for moisture, dampness, and condensed water. If you notice that the windows and other surfaces in a given area of your home are often fogged up, that particular area likely needs more insulation (moisture, dampness), more heat (condensed water), or more ventilation (condensed water).
Maintenance: Indoor vs. Outdoor
While indoor maintenance tends to be about convenience and visual appeal, outdoor maintenance tends to be about protecting your home from the effects of weather. There are certainly exceptions, such as leaks indoors. However, as a rule of thumb you should prioritize your outdoor maintenance over your indoor maintenance.
Routine roof inspections are a great way to ensure your home's exterior is in tip-top shape (no pun intended), and many contractors offer seasonal deals for cleaning out your gutters, inspecting pipes, and so on.
Painting: Be Proactive About It
Keep an eye on all of the woodwork in your home and repaint before the paint begins to peel. Not only is it a good excuse to freshen up the area, but also if paint is already peeling then you're going to have to sand down the entire piece of wood and start from scratch. Repainting while the paint is a bit worn yet not peeling allows you to paint over the top and avoid the extra work.
As with all matters of home maintenance, the quality of your materials is going to play a role in their longevity. High quality paint goes on easier and lasts longer than the less expensive kind.
Respect Moving Parts
Simply put: Anything that moves is usually expensive to replace and difficult to fix. This goes for all of your doors, drawers, and kitchen cabinets. If you have little ones in the home, this can be especially tricky but not impossible to control. Just be diligent about not slamming them, kicking them shut with your foot, or overloading them.
If your locks no longer align, go ahead and realign them. If they stick, take the time to oil them. Trust us, it's worth the time. Replacing hinges may be a chore but it's one you can avoid having to do so long as you treat your moving parts well.
Keep Your Plants Down To Earth
Sure, climbing plants can look pretty growing against your house, but they can also cause serious damage to it! The most common varieties of these plants use climbing methods that wedge little suckers into the tiny gaps in your walls, between shingles, and underneath rain pipes. As the plants grow in size, their little arms will start to force parts of your house apart.
Also, getting rid of these sorts of plants can be a pain since the little suckers are near impossible to remove from your wall without sand blasting or burning them off.
Critters: Know What Is Harmful vs. Harmless
They enter your home uninvited and always overstay their welcome. No, we aren't talking about your neighbors. We're talking about insects, vermin, and other critters on the outside trying to get in. If you live near greenery, there are going to be bugs. Bugs in the house don't necessarily indicate improperly sealed windows; it just means the nature in your area is thriving! The key to preventing any issues with your home is to learn to differentiate between harmful and harmless critters.
A lot of critters entering your home are harmless, including *most* spiders, flies, and beetles. If you can't accept the shared space between you and these harmless but otherwise unwanted guests, you can look into plants that deter them and plant these near your doors and windows. Mint, for instance, is known to deter ants.
Harmful critters are a different story. Vermin, such as mice and rats, are attracted to food. Cleanliness is your best defense against these guys. That means no dirty plates, no open containers, and no crumbs lying around.
Start An Emergency Savings
If you can, start an emergency savings fund for your home. Sometimes things happen that are out of your control. You are better off fixing the issues immediately before they cause more damage.
Maintenance in general can save you a lot of money in the long term. It can be difficult to get a routine going, but doing a little work often means you can avoid having to do a lot of work at any given time.
Contact Us
If you have questions about home projects, maintenance, repairs, or even buying your first home, WeldenField and Rowe Custom Homes is here for you! Contact us today to discuss your new home project.