December 30, 2021
If you, like many, have lived a long pandemic mostly indoors, it can be overwhelming to look at your exterior and realize that maybe your home needs a little extra love. This is very common, but of course you want your home to look fresh and put together. If it’s gotten away from you, or if it’s just in need of a little refreshing, there are some small changes which can make a huge difference in your curb appeal. What are some of the exterior maintenance tasks that you need to double check this spring?
Pressure washing your home should be happening every few years, but it’s easy to have let this slide while nobody could come over or visit! Just like a person might need a great post-pandemic haircut or facial, your home needs a fresh beginning. A pressure wash keeps both pests and damage away from siding. It makes it easier to see if there is damage to paint or concrete. And, it makes your home look it’s best, and allows in more natural light as your windows are cleaned and fresh as well.
After you’ve pressure washed, it’s very normal to find some spots on the exterior of your home which need a little extra love and care. If you have pieces of siding missing, you need to make sure they are replaced promptly. This not only prevents pests and insect damage to the interior of your home, but helps with moisture issues. Missing siding can allow water to get in, and this is a mold danger to your family. All worn, broken, or loose siding needs to be treated as a danger to your family’s financial investment in your house, and repaired quickly!
Your landscaping can tell both your neighborhood and potential buyers about your interior. Having great curb appeal, including landscaping, makes a huge difference. You want your landscaping to be fresh, cleanly cut, and well formed. Modern landscaping focuses less on grass than indigenous plants and green options. This includes hardscaping, adding firepits, making sure that bushes are far away from windows. You want weeds to be pulled up, of course, and anything which has become overgrown to be brought back into line, from tall hydrangeas, or vines which have overwhelmed a trellis. Your yard is an exterior room, and making it pleasant to enjoy means that you have expanded your family’s living space!
Replacing your entry door can save you money by reducing drafts. Especially in vintage homes, some doors no longer are up to code needs with materials. Windows for exterior entrances need to be high enough away from a doorknob that the window cannot be broken and the door unlocked by reaching inside. Likewise, exterior doors which are made of metal are much more solid and safe than many doors, which even as exterior structures are often hollow core and easily broken down. With the beautiful colors and designs which are available, your home can be both safe and beautiful!
It’s easy to forget to look up, but you want to sweep off your roof and make sure that no pine straw and leaves or debris are there. Why? Leaving items on the roof and in the gutters can make it more easily damaged. If a roof has leaves and dirt on it, it can collect water and other debris. When the gutters and leaves get saturated with water, and a freeze comes, this can create what is called an ice dam. This not only causes damage to your roof, but gutters can provide a place for snakes and other pests to overwinter. As you want neither a damaged roof, not gutter reptiles, making sure your roof is cleaned off seasonally or when needed is important.
When you can’t see your foundation, it’s hard to protect it, and your financial investment! Since you are going to be pressure washing and cutting bushes away from the foundation, this is the perfect time to inspect your home and make sure it’s healthy and strong. You want to patch cracks and settle damage quickly so that it doesn’t become a larger issue. This helps protect your investment, but also the interior of your home from cracks and damage.
You purchased your home both as a living space and as a potential fiscal investment. You want to be able to protect both goals and build generational wealth for your family! This means protecting the exterior of your home, from replacing worn out siding, painting trim, pressure washing, and protecting your roof. Repair landscaping, replace older doors, and you’re ready for decorating for spring! There’s no better way to show your home is open for visits!
Read this next: Landscaping Tips to Make Your Backyard More Comfortable
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