Summer Home Maintenance

Summer is the best time to do a lot of work in and around the house.


You'll obviously be doing gardening and landscape maintenance, and there are a number of things you'll want to do while windows and doors can be left open and there are things you'll need to do that are specific to this season. Plan your projects. Because our summer days and weekends are busy with fun things, you might want to save some for the fall, when we often have surprisingly warm days.

Painting, work on windows and doors, driveways and walkways,  roof repairs, and carpet cleaning are all things that are best done while the weather is good.

Keep your investment in top shape during the summer. Here's a checklist to inspire you:

  

Summer  Home Maintenance

Taking Care of Your Investment

(adapted from CMHC by Harry Naghavi, Your Friendly Realtor)

• Use a dehumidifier to maintain relative humidity below 60 per cent in basement.
• Clean or replace air-conditioning filter, and clean or replace ventilation system filters if necessary.
• Inspect basement pipes for condensation or dripping and, if necessary, take corrective action; for example, reduce humidity and/or insulate cold water pipes.
• Check the basement floor drain to ensure the trap contains water; refill with water if necessary.
• If you have a plumbing fixture that is not used frequently, for example, a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run some water briefly to keep water in the trap.
• Deep clean carpets and rugs.
• Disconnect the duct connected to your clothes dryer, and vacuum lint from duct, the areas surrounding your dryer and your dryer’s vent hood outside.
• Check smooth functioning of all windows, and lubricate as required.
• Inspect window putty on outside of glass panes of older houses, and replace if needed.
• Sand and touch up paint on windows and doors.
• Lubricate door hinges, and tighten screws as needed.
• Check for and replace damaged caulking and weatherstripping around mechanical and electrical services, windows and doorways, including the doorway between the garage and the house. 
• Lubricate garage door hardware, and ensure it is operating properly.
• Lubricate automatic garage door opener motor, chain and other moving parts, and ensure that the auto-reverse mechanism is properly adjusted.
• Repair any damaged steps
• Check all guardrails and handrails.
• Repair driveway and walkways as needed.
• Check exterior wood siding and trim for signs of deterioration; clean, replace or refinish as needed.
• Remove any plants that contact — and roots that penetrate — the siding or brick.
• From the ground, check the general condition of the roof and note any sagging that could indicate structural problems requiring further investigation from inside the attic. Note the condition of shingles for possible repair or replacement, and examine roof flashings, such as at chimney and roof joints, for any signs of cracking or leakage.
• Check the chimney cap and the caulking between the cap and the chimney.

Harry Naghavi, Your Friendly Realtor, is one of the best Realtors in Newmarket, in York Region, and in the GTA. Check out his website www.harrynaghavi.com to find this list and other important information about buying and selling homes, and try out the interactive property search feature!

Gardening: Good for You and Your House

Gardening is good for you and for your house.

A beautifully landscaped property adds to the value of your home and improves your well-being.

Flowers make you feel happier, don't they?

There's a lot of talk lately about how we need to spend more time in nature. Just looking at nature has been shown to reduce stress and improve brain function. A beautiful garden is truly rewarding. Getting your hands dirty and doing the gardening yourself has even more benefits. You get outdoors and have some physical activity, and you feel connected to nature. You can plant fruits and vegetables to improve your diet. Here's an article from CNN Health that discusses the mental and physical benefits of gardening. You can practise Horticultural Therapy in your own backyard!

Not only is gardening good for body and soul, but it's also good for the bottom line. The value of your home depends on it. In fact, a study by Money Magazine has shown that good landscaping increases the value of a home and bad landscaping decreases the value of a home. Money spent on landscaping is very well spent indeed:  "landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100 to 200 per cent at selling time." Everyone talks about "curb appeal" and when they do, plants and flowers are always mentioned. Add a pot of flowers to the front step and you've got better curb appeal. Create a beautiful flower bed, and you get much, much more.

Your neighbours will benefit from your beautiful landscaping too. Their home value goes up with yours, and they will enjoy the increased natural elements in their lives.

Now is a great time to work on your landscaping. Garden Centres are full of plants and tools and most will even be open on the Victoria Day holiday so that you can take advantage of the perfect planting conditions.

Spring Home Maintenance

These warmer days remind us homeowners that it's time for some important Spring Home Maintenance, and I've got a checklist for you.

As soon as the snow melts, it's time to check on your real estate investment, to see how it survived the winter. Your house and property need your attention.

Furnaces and fireplaces will soon be out of commission for a while, and air conditioners will need to be put into service. They will need some attention. Look at the exterior of your house and around your property to see if anything needs to be repaired or replaced. Plan a project for a nice weekend or for the summer. Will you need a new deck or fence, should you add an awning or a gazebo for some shade? You'll want to do your Spring Garden Maintenance too.

Here's a checklist of things you can do for your house in the spring:

Spring  Home Maintenance

Taking Care of Your Investment

(adapted from CMHC by Harry Naghavi, Your Friendly Realtor)

 Have fireplace or wood stove and chimney cleaned and serviced as needed.

 Shut down, drain and clean furnace humidifier, and close the furnace humidifier damper on units with central air conditioning.

 Switch on power to air conditioning and check system. Have it serviced every two or three years.

 Clean or replace air-conditioning filter, if applicable.

 Check dehumidifier and drain — clean if necessary.

 Turn OFF gas furnace and fireplace pilot lights where possible.

 Have well water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.

 Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms, and replace batteries (when clocks “spring forward”).

 Clean windows, screens and hardware, and on older homes, replace storm windows with screens. 

 Open valve to outside hose connection after all danger of frost has passed.

 Examine the foundation walls for cracks, leaks or signs of moisture, and repair as required.

 Ensure sump pump is operating properly before the spring thaw sets in. Ensure discharge pipe is connected and allows water to drain away from the foundation.

 Re-level any exterior steps or decks that moved as a result of frost or settling.

 Check eavestroughs and downspouts for loose joints and secure attachment to your home, clear any obstructions, and ensure water flows away from your foundation.

 Clear all drainage ditches and culverts of debris.

 Repair and paint fences and decks as necessary — allow wood fences to dry adequately first.

 Undertake spring landscape maintenance and, if necessary, fertilize young trees.


You can find a version of this checklist and more helpful information on my website:  www.harrynaghavi.com


Harry Naghavi, Your Friendly Realtor, is one of the best Realtors in Newmarket, in York Region, and in the GTA.

Get Ready to Sell! Do Your Own "Staging"

You're thinking about moving. You're getting ready to sell your house.

First of all, call me, Harry, Your Friendly Realtor (416-716-3112).

I'll pop over to your place, give you a free evaluation, and we'll look at what you need to do to get the house ready to sell for the best price possible. Don't worry, you probably won't have to do much "staging".

There is a ton of information on the internet about staging homes to get the most money. There are companies who will do it for you. Get a quote and see what they'll do. Sometimes they do amazing things. But, you might not have the money to hire a staging company and you might not have the time and money to invest in a big DIY project either right now, and that's okay. You have to consider the cost to yourself in terms of time and money in relation to the effect on the selling time and price. Will it be worth it?

You might end up just doing a major cleaning and just change things around a bit. Maybe you'll have a weekend to do some painting. Even if you have a good-sized budget and a fair amount of time, I believe that you can do it yourself if you can think like a buyer. It's a bit difficult to look at your home and your stuff and think of it as someone else's. But, that's what you've got to try to do. And, I can help you with that.

Here's a link to a blog post that has some good common-sense ideas for things to do before inviting buyers in to your house. You won't have to spend too much time on the projects that they recommend. It's on a Blog called The Sweet Spot Blog.

The most important thing is also the easiest to do: declutter and clean. 

Have a yard sale to get rid of things you don't need, give things away, recycle, and then throw things out. Pack away stuff that you won't need until after your move. Store it, and maybe even a few pieces of furniture that are crowding your spaces, at someone else's house or rent a storage space.

Then, clean thoroughly. If you hate cleaning, then you can easily hire people to do it for you.

Don't forget the outside of your house! Curb appeal is actually a big deal. People do judge based on appearances, on first impressions.

The next blog post in the series on the Sweet Spot Blog is about getting the outside of your house ready for sale. I recommend that one too if you want to see some good tips.

I can also help you decide what you need to do to boost your curb appeal, if you need to do anything at all. 

You've been taking care of your investment all along, right? I'll tell you what it's worth "as is". You might be surprised at how little you really need to do.

I will help you make your move as stress-free as possible.

And, you'll save money: you'll get the best deal selling and buying with my help!

Focus on Kitchens and Bathrooms

Bathrooms and Kitchens: 

Keep these spaces up-to-date and clean to take care of your investment. 

Never underestimate the importance of bathrooms and kitchens. If they're tired and dirty, you'll turn buyers off. If you've been neglecting these areas in your home, you'll want to spend some time and money here before putting your house up for sale. 

At the very least, clean thoroughly and clear the counters and all surfaces of clutter. Pack away some of your stuff so that storage areas look organized and spacious. 

A weekend project can have a big impact. Some paint can do wonders, and there are tons of great ideas for fast fixes for kitchen cupboards and bathroom vanities. 

I love sitting around the kitchen table with my sellers figuring out what they can do to get the most for their homes. If you're thinking of selling. Give me a call. I'll come over and we can talk. 416-716-3112