Five Fall Fix-it’s
The other day my stepdad called because my 18-year old brother wants to come and visit me for a few days. We were trying to figure out when this could happen and he started talking about needing him for the weekend because they were going to be working on the roof. Now, this immediately sparked my curiosity: Had something happened to the roof? He explained that no, it was just old and they were replacing the shingles before winter came around.
My stepdad is a do-it-yourself kind of guy. In the 21 years that he has been a part of my life, we’ve only ever called the repairman for the phone, internet, or cable. Now, not everyone is as handy as he is, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be considering some projects to get ready for winter. Doing these five things will increase the value of your home and/or keep it from decreasing because of damage during the winter and it will save you money and grief during the cold winter months.
- Repair that roof! Like I mentioned above, the condition of your roof is important. Whether it’s replacing the shingles like my stepdad did, fixing leaks, or adding insulation of some sort, you should do it before winter hits. If your roof is in poor condition, you could be wasting money on your heating this winter.
- Gut the gutters. If you have trees around your house, make sure that you’re cleaning out your gutters regularly. If your gutters are a mess when winter comes around, it could make your spring cleaning a bit of a mess. Melting snow needs somewhere to go if it’s on your roof, and the gutters will help make that process a little less messy.
- Don’t dismiss the deck. We had a nice deck out front when I was growing up and we worked it hard during the summer. Between dog claws, our feet, grilling, and everything else we did, by the end of summer the deck looked like it had seen better days. Make sure to fix what needs to be fixed and to winterize the deck in order to keep it in the best condition you can.
- Service the snow blower. The last thing you need is for the snow blower to be broken during the first huge storm of the winter. Bring it out, make sure it works, take it to a repair shop to be serviced or do it yourself before winter even comes. If you don’t have to shovel, you’ll save money on doctor bills.
- Prime the plumbing. Last but not least, make sure that any exposed plumbing is insulated properly. Frozen pipes are the last thing that you need, whether they’re for your heating or for your water. Having to tear apart your house during the winter because of frozen pipes is both expensive and really inconvenient.
So, there you have it. Five fix-it’s that you should deal with this fall before the cold winter hits. These will both save your sanity and your savings account. Until tomorrow, spend smart, save smart!
