What Home Improvements Help Save on Insurance Rates?
With children now heading back to school the signs of the end of summer are nearing and fall will be hear right around the corner. Many families find themselves spending much more time indoors and at home during the fall now that school is back in session and the days are starting to get shorter and slightly cooler. The in between summer and fall phase is a perfect time to get started on your fall home maintenance projects and start to prepare for the holiday seasons that will come just shortly after. Here are a few great home maintenance projects to tackle before fall sets in:
Trim The Trees
The fall season falls right in the middle of hurricane season, so if you haven’t already trimmed the trees yet this year now is the time to do it. You should look for and remove any dead branches and tree limbs as well. Trim back any trees that are close to your home or to power lines to keep them from becoming a falling hazard during a major storm.
Other Landscaping
Most people think of the spring and summer seasons when it comes to planting the perfect home garden, but there are also many flowers and plants that are great for the fall season. Fall is also the best time of year to fertilize and reseed your lawn. Fall will present you with many opportunities to rake leaves – a common favorite fall activity for children, but a necessity for homeowners to keep their homes looking their best. Those falling leaves will likely also fill your gutters and downspouts, so be sure to check them and clean them out as needed as clogged gutters and downspouts can cause water to pool and damage your roof and siding during a storm.
Inspect Your Roof
Another important area of the home to check for damage is your roof. If you are comfortable using a ladder to get on your roof you can check for and fix minor repairs yourself, otherwise hire a roofing professional to do a check for you. Check for normal wear and tear such as shingles curling, buckling, or cracking and replace them. This is another important maintenance task to ensuring your home is properly prepared to withstand the winds and rains of major storms.
Maintain Your Heating Systems
With summer ending, we will soon be switching our AC’s off and our heating on. So now is an important time to check and maintain your heating systems. Consider hiring a heating professional to perform an annual check up on your heating system to ensure your system is operating at maximum efficiency, clean out your air ducts, and repair any minor issues before they become a major costly repair.
Improve Outdoor Lighting
Fall and winter seasons bring with them shorter days, meaning it starts to get darker earlier. This is the perfect time to check your outdoor lighting and make sure it is all working properly. If bulbs are low or dim now is a good time to switch them out with new bulbs. It is also a good idea to consider adding lighting along walkways, if you don’t already have it. Make sure your home’s outdoor lighting is enough to prevent accidental trips, slips, and falls.
Prevent Pests
With cooler weather on the way rodents, bugs, and other pests will be looking for a way indoors to warmer, cozier homes. If your home has an attic or basement these are great places to start checking for any current rodent or pest infestations. Ensuring your home’s attic has proper ventilation and the attic and basement are both properly sealed off will help keep rodents and pests outdoors. After you have checked the attic and basement, you should also check in the kitchen under cabinets and appliances for any signs of existing rodents or pests.
Check Windows And Doors
While a few small cracks, gaps, and holes around the outside of your home may not seem like a big deal, but when you add all those small cracks, gaps, and holes together they can cover a large space. During the cooler months of fall and winter you will want to make sure your homes heating system is running as efficiently as possible, so late summer and early fall are the perfect times to start checking the outside of your home for any cracks, gaps, or holes and start filling them in. First make sure your weather stripping is installed and still in good working order and then fill in any remaining cracks, gaps, and holes with caulking. This will significantly help reduce the amount of warm air that escapes your home and the amount of cool air coming in which will help keep your energy costs low.
Safety Precautions
The most important thing you can do for fall home maintenance is to check your safety equipment and make sure it is all up to date and working correctly. Check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors and replace if needed. You should also check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher and replace it if it is out of date. This is also a great time to clean your dryer vents out of any buildup of lint. Lint buildup will make your dryer work less efficiently and can cause a fire. Take the extra time now to check for these key safety measures and you can relax and enjoy the approaching holiday seasons knowing your family is well protected.
Conducting regular maintenance on your home prevents a number of mishaps. A home that is well cared for is less likely to need to file a claim with their homeowner’s insurance to contact repairs. Also, a well-maintained home is less likely to present major safety concerns to family or guests who come to visit for the holidays. You should also review your coverage with your Fear Now Insurance Agent to ensure you have the right amount for your homeowner’s insurance and to discuss additional coverage of an umbrella policy.
