Preserve your home's value with these tips
Regular maintenance of the home is one of the most important things the property owner can do to preserve the value of the home. Even a valuable property or home loses its value if it is not properly maintained. Regular home maintenance involves small maintenance tasks, many of which you can do yourself, to keep your home clean and safe to live in. In order for your home to be comfortable and remain in the best condition for as long as possible, it is good to carry out maintenance work that helps maintain the value of the property at regular intervals, while maintaining a better resale value when the time comes.
How to best preserve the value of your home?
- Avoid water damage - detect water leaks in time and react immediately
Keep water traps and floor drains clean
Check the connections to household appliances at regular intervals
React quickly to changes in odor
Replace the seals on the windows regularly
Keep your insurance cover up to date
Create a maintenance plan
Keep your home's file up to date and request reports and documents on maintenance actions
Detect water leaks in time - monitor water consumption
A water leak can be detected by monitoring the movement of the water meter when no taps or appliances are using water. If the water meter keeps moving, water is leaking somewhere. It is good to have a table for monitoring energy and water consumption. Through the table monitoring, energy and water consumption can be easily followed annually or even monthly.
Clean water traps and floor drains regularly
Food residues build up in kitchen drains over time, as do hair and dirt in the shower. Regular cleaning helps prevent water damage. Clean the traps, especially if they are not draining properly or if the floor drain starts to smell bad. The recommendation is to clean them 2-3 times a year. If the floor drain repeatedly drains badly, you should call a plumber to investigate the situation.
Check the connections to washing machines
The cause of water damage is often the failure of connections in dishwashers or washing machines. Keep an eye on the condition of the connections and turn off the tap when the machines are not in use. Remember that the installation of washing machine hoses and connections should always be done by professionals.
Use your senses - identify stale and damp smells
Regularly monitor both the inside and outside of the house. Observe the foundation and water drainage system of the house, the roof and the chimney outside. Indoors, smells, ventilation, pipes and damp areas. Ventilation in dwellings is done through exhaust and supply air vents. Keep vents clean so that ventilation works properly.
Replace the seals on the windows regularly
The seals on the windows need to be changed several times during the life of the windows, how often depends on the quality and durability of the seals. It is good to check the seals once a year. When you seal windows and doors properly, the room temperature can be lowered to 20-21 degrees without affecting living comfort and at the same time save energy on the heating bill.
Check your property's insurance cover
In the event of damage, it is important that the damage is repaired quickly to prevent the extent of the damage from increasing. With insurance in place, you can carry out repairs and renovations faster without financial worries.
Create a maintenance plan for the future
Consider the lifespan of electrical appliances as well as the condition of electrical wiring and pipes. The value of your home is better maintained when necessary updates and renovations are done in good time. For example, the condition of pipes and drains should be examined at the latest at the age of 35, while water pipes should be examined earlier, at around 20 years of age. Even the lifespan of electrical wiring reaches its end at 50 years, at which point it is often time to replace the electrical cabinet and check whether the amperage is sufficient for current use.
Keep your home's documentation up to date
Each single-family house should also have a use and maintenance guide, also called a home folder. The folder should list all renovation and alteration works carried out in a sufficiently comprehensive manner. The list of actions can include, for example, annual repairs, basic renovations, room changes or repairs of unexpected damage. Added value in a sales situation can be achieved if the use and maintenance guide includes information on building components, surface materials, systems and appliances, so that the user can get an overall picture of the maintenance requirements of the property. The maintenance and care of technical appliances and systems and surface materials are specified in separate instructions.
Ensure documentation of maintenance actions
To preserve the value, it is important that the necessary maintenance and renovation work is carried out properly and by a properly licensed operator. Make sure you get all the necessary documents and keep them in a safe place, as you may need them in case of claims for the insurance company or in the future for the sale or valuation of the house. The contractor's task is to provide the necessary operating and maintenance instructions, including information on building elements, materials, substances, accessories and appliances used, as well as the necessary protocols, but it is the property owner's responsibility to check that the documents are adequate.
Simple maintenance tasks that should be performed once a year
If you have a fireplace in your house - order a sweep once a year
Clean the grease filter of the cooker hood
Vacuum behind the household appliances
Clean the valves for ventilation
Check the resistance of the heater and the condition of the sauna stones
Lubricate hinges on doors and windows Clean gutters
Order emptying of the grease trap
24 Center helps you maintain your home's technical systems 24 Center is an on-call service center for your home's technical systems, offering high-quality service for technical problems regardless of time and place. You can get help with a single phone call, both in emergency situations and in non-emergency everyday work. From our extensive network of technical experts, you can find the best technical professionals in your area. Find the nearest available plumber, electrician, locksmith or even vacuum cleaner easily - one call is all it takes on 020 74 24 70 or you can order non-emergency work by using our website here.
