|
|
|
If all you did was read about buying a home you might suspect that closing is where the story 
ends. This couldn't be further from the truth. Earlier we talked about the factors that go into deciding to buy a home or not and one of those factors was if you are socially, mentally and economically ready to own a home.
Also as mentioned earlier, all houses are in the process of falling down. That is their basic nature. It's your home vs. the elements and except for the fact that your home will have you fighting in it's corner, nature would win every single time!
When you rent, part of the deal is that the landlord will take care of the property. When you own, you are the landlord and it's your responsibility to keep the property up. There is no such thing as a maintenance free house.
So, what can you expect? Well, let's start at the top and work our way down:
The Roof
Roofs have a wide range of styles, types of construction and materials. Depending on what it is made of and how it was made you will have different maintenance considerations.
The most common type of room consists of plywood nailed to the roofing joists and covered with asphalt shingles. These singles are designed to last between 20 and 30 years in average use and for the most part, barring anything physically damaging the shingles such as a hail storm or a tree limb falling on it, you won't have to worry too much about this type of roof.
Maintenance consists of making sure that tree branches are not allowed to rub against the shingles, the gutters are kept clean so that water doesn't back up onto the shingles, that debris is kept off of the roof and if keeping the shingle clear of any types of growth or contamination such as mold and mildew.
The other kind of roof that is common on residential real estate is the flat roof. It is made up plywood covered by roofing paper and then covered again with tar. These roofs require routine maintenance in that they need to be inspected at least yearly to make sure that there is no bubbling or cracking and that the flashings are tight and secure. About every five years you can plan on "hot mopping" the roof to add another layer of tar to keep the roof sealed.
Gutters
Gutters need to be kept clear of debris and firmly attached to the building. Also be sure to provide a place for the water to run out and away from your foundation. It's not a bad idea to have tubing attached to take the water away and then to disperse it away from the foundation.
Fascia Boards
Fascia boards are the boards that come down from the roof line to which the gutters are attached. They need to be kept painted or if they are covered with siding, made sure that the siding material is firmly attached can sealed around the fascia boards.
Siding
Most houses today are frame built and covered with siding or a facade of some sort. For the most part this siding and the facades are indeed maintenance free except those that require painting. In the case that it requires painting, the old navy saying "that if it moves, shoot it. If it doesn't paint it!" rings true. Paint is relatively cheap and if you keep the things that need to be painted, painted. They will last and preform better for you.
Windows And Doors
As long as the windows are functioning as they were designed to, you don't have to worry about them too much unless they get broken. The biggest concern about windows is leaking air. The older the windows in your home are, the more that they are going to leak air. Air that you have paid to heat or cool or are going to have to pay to heat or cool. Either way, if your windows are older make sure that they are still sealing tight. If not, you might want to start considering replacement windows.
Foundations
Foundations need to be inspected to make sure that water is not being allowed to rest against it at any time. The ground should be kept sloped away from it and the gutters above it need to be kept clear so that water is not allowed to run down the side of the building and over the foundation. Any significant cracking should be referred to a foundation expert as soon as it is noticed. It's a lot cheaper to catch a foundation problem early and have it fixed than it is to wait until it becomes more serious.
Attics
Every once in a while you need to go up to the attic to examine the roofing deck from the underside to look for signs of leakage. It's also important to make sure that your home is property insulated. While in the attic look for signs of rodent infestation. Squirrels love to chew into a nice, dry and warm attic to make nests.
Walls and Ceilings
Watch for cracking (this could be a sign of your house settling or worse) All houses settle with time, but you need to make sure that the cracking is being caused by normal settling and not by something more serious. Cracking aside, most walls and ceilings don't require all that much attention other than to be kept painted or wall papered for cosmetic reasons. Pissed off spouses have been know to cause holes in various walls by punching or an errantly thrown can of peaches.
Fixtures
All fixtures need to have an eye kept on them to make sure that they are not leaking. Not only will leaking cause you higher water bills, it can cause damage to the house and invite mold and mildew.
Floors
Floor coverings serve both a cosmetic purpose and a functional purpose. That said, styles change and antiquated floor coverings can cause your home to appear dated. Worn floor coverings can cause damage to the sub-flooring that might need to be replaced before new floor coverings can be installed.
Plumbing
Your home's plumbing consists of the various fixtures, the pipes and drains attached to these fixtures, the drain stacks that these drains flow into and the water service coming into the building. Depending upon the age of your home, different materials have been used at different times. If you still have a cast iron stack, you will need to keep it painted and be aware of any rusting that you notice.
Pipes need to be inspected to look for any leaking. All leaks must be fixed immediately!!!! Leaking water can lead to mold which can lead to serious health problems.
Electrical
Electricity can kill you! It pays to leave this one to the professionals. Yeah, your Uncle Jimmy is pretty handy, but I can't tell you how many building inspections that I've been on where the building inspectors points out that an Uncle Jimmy did that could have burned the house down!
If you don't know the state of condition that your electric system is in, then have it checked out by a licensed professional. Follow their maintenance recommendations.
HVAC
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning is a collection of systems that make your house comfortable throughout the year. They are also another thing that can kill you! Have your system checked and cleaned on an annual basis. Not only will it cause your systems to run more efficiently the inspection can catch things before they become dangerous.
Keep your furnace filters changed often and in the summer keep your air conditioner coils free of debris.
Sewers And Drains
Leading away from your house are the sewers and drains. They give a place for waste water and rain water to be directed away from your house. For the most part they are, "out of sight, out of mind". That is until they back up!
Not a bad idea to have a plumber or sewer company come out every few years to snake your drains and sewers out to keep them running free.
Landscaping
Landscaping is suppose to add to the appearance of your property and it generally does as long as you keep up with it. You will need to make sure that fence lines are kept free of weeds and vines. That your grass is kept trim. That side walks and driveways are kept in good repair. Trees need to be kept trimmed and to have their dead leaves removed in order not to accumulate and possibly kill your grass.
For safety's sake, snow needs to be removed as soon as possible and driveways and sidewalks treated to melt ice.
Click Here To Go To Buying Investment Property (Next)
Click Here To Return To Buyer's Information And Tools
Click Here To Return To Main Page
Click Here To Return To Top Of The Page