It’s time for some spring cleaning! Usher in warmer weather and brighter days by sprucing up your home. Whether you’re prepping for a move or just happy to crack open some windows, you’ll improve your home by taking a few steps needed to keep things in tip-top shape. In the guest article from our partner REALTOR® Dan Hamilton, he offers up some essential home maintenance tasks to tackle this spring.
Spring is on its way in Greenville, SC! Those first warm days of spring (whether they’re an off-warm day in February or a true warm front in April) make us want to run outside and soak up the sun!
For many people, spring is a season of change. Most of us take some time each spring to clean and refresh our homes, and some of us even plan to sell our homes and move to a new place!
No matter what stage or season of life you are in, taking time to improve your home is always a good idea. For those ready to tackle spring cleaning on a whole new level, we’ve broken down some of our favorite home maintenance tasks below. Considering a move this spring? We’ve included some real estate insider tips throughout the article to help you put your best foot forward on the home market.
Exterior Home and Lawn Maintenance
Your lawn and house’s exterior are your home’s first impression. Make it a good one!
1. Inspect Your Roof and Chimney
Even if your roof has not suffered from hail damage this winter, it is always a good idea to look it over for other issues. If you notice any broken or damaged shingles, contact a roofing professional and get a quote for repairs.
Another thing you should be looking for is moss or algae growing on your roof. Algae is nothing more than an aesthetic concern as it often discolors shingles, but moss can cause shingles to lift, curl, and pull away from your roof on windy days. Thankfully, the solution is simple. Just add a diluted bleach solution (equal parts bleach and water) to the affected areas and wait 15 minutes before carefully scraping off.
If you have a chimney, examine it for any large cracks, growing vegetation, or dusty white calcium-looking deposits. All of these signs point to issues with water infiltration and can be avoided by resealing your chimney. You can accomplish this on your own or consider hiring a professional.
2. Clean Your Gutters
April showers bring cluttered gutters! Get ahead of the summer storms and get your gutters cleaned. Clear away any dirt or debris and patch any holes with caulk. Make sure your gutter downspouts are facing away from your home and take note of drainage patterns during the next rainy day to make sure water isn’t standing. Decide your gutters need a major overhaul? Contact a local gutter professional to get the job done.
3. Give Your AC Some Attention (and maybe save some money in the process!)
HVAC units have different maintenance needs depending on the model, but a good start is to clean the area around your unit. Any debris, branches, or leaves within two feet of your unit should be cleared. A more thorough cleaning can be delegated to a professional or tried on your own depending on how handy you are. Proper HVAC maintenance can increase your unit’s efficiency by up to 30%! Not to mention the major increase in air quality and flow that will result around your home.
4. Inspect Your Deck and Outdoor Furniture
If you stored your outdoor furniture during the cold winter months, pull it out and give it all a good clean. If you have metal furniture suffering from rust, wipe it down and spray it with a coat of enamel to safeguard against sun exposure and that South Carolina humidity!
Inspect your patio or deck if you have one and make necessary repairs. A patio concrete slab may have cracks that need to be filled and a deck may have warped boards or rusty nails. These may seem like small issues that aren’t worth a yearly check, but little problems can add up over time. Make sure your outdoor living space looks top-notch and you’ll be able to enjoy cool spring nights outdoors for months to come.
Hamilton & Co. Insider Tip: Did you know Hamilton & Co. offers home staging as a part of select listing packages? Visit our website or call our office at 864-527-7685 to learn more about what package may be right for you and your home!
5. Spruce Up Your Lawn and Create a Landscaping Gameplan
Finally, move beyond your home and outdoor living areas to your yard. If your landscaping is minimal, you may just want to do a quick walk around your lawn trimming bushes and cutting away dead branches. Spring is also a great time to clear away dead leaves from the winter and redefine any natural areas in your yard.
If you have a larger yard with lots of landscaping, you can hire a professional to help clean things up. Professional landscapers can also help you design and install a more cohesive outdoor landscape if your goal this year is to level-up your outdoor space.
Hamilton & Co. Insider Tip: You don’t have to invest in immaculate landscaping in order to sell your home. However, making sure your home’s exterior is clean and tidy is just as important as cleaning up inside! Make your home’s current landscape look the best it can be prior to listing your home.
Interior Home Maintenance
Now that we’ve taken a hard look at your yard and your home’s exterior appearance, it’s time to turn inward!
1. Do a Deep Clean
This first one should be obvious. Open your windows and doors to let that wonderful spring breeze in, get rid of that stagnant winter air, and get to cleaning!
- Go beyond your typical vacuum and dusting routine, taking advantage of the changing seasons to give often-neglected parts of your home some attention. Dust ceiling fans, window casings, and baseboards.
- Clean grease stains off kitchen cabinets and soap residue off bathroom surfaces.
- Vacuum upholstery and consider hiring a professional carpet cleaner, especially if you have pets. Most people don’t invest in carpet cleaning until they are ready to sell their home, but a routine carpet cleaning ensures you and your family are breathing in clean air free of common allergens that build up in dirty carpets.
- Deep clean your appliances like your dishwasher, laundry machines, coffee makers, and more. There are dozens of great cleaning tutorials on YouTube to guide you through the process.
If you typically handle your home’s cleaning routine on your own but the concept of a deep clean is overwhelming, don’t be afraid to get some professional help! In addition to routine cleaning services, most professional cleaners offer one-time deep cleans to help you get on the right track.
Hamilton & Co. Insider Tip: There are a lot of things to do to get your house on the market. Don’t let cleaning be one of them! Cleaning is an easy task to delegate; hire a professional cleaning service to get the job done well for you and focus on other important tasks.
2. Check Attics and Basements
Not many South Carolina homes have full basements, but if your home does, be on the lookout for signs of moisture, mold, or mildew. Odd smells and water stains should be noted immediately and sources of moisture or water should be sealed off completely. You can seal basement cracks on your own, but we suggest seeking professional help for some larger foundation and home structure issues.
Attics can be prone to moisture as well, so be aware of similar conditions when examining these areas. In addition, check for drafty corners or any sign of poor insulation. Often holes in the room may be the root cause of some of these drafts. Scan the floor for signs of common pests, and contact local pest control immediately if you notice any signs of animals.
Hamilton & Co. Insider Tip: As a home buyer this spring, carefully examine basement and attic areas in the homes you visit for these common issues. Often an inspection will discover any concerning issues, but it’s better to find out about them before putting in an offer!
3. Perform Routine Safety Checks
Make a list of the small homeowner to-dos that slip your mind throughout the year and knock them out in an hour or two! Our list usually includes checking batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, replacing water filters, changing home locks (as necessary), and restocking medicine and first aid supplies. Make sure you have a first aid kit in both your home and your car!
4. Examine Kitchen and Bathroom Caulking
Inspect faucets and pipes, tile and tubs, and all other watertight seals in your bathroom and kitchen. Look for signs of water penetration, mold growth, or dried and cracked caulk. Where necessary, recaulk to create a new, strong seal and protect your home against mold and leaks! This Youtube video shows you a simple way to caulk a bathtub, and lots more tutorials like it exist for all areas of your home.
5. Consider Home Upgrades
After sitting inside our homes through the cold winter months, that first warm breeze just makes us want to get up and change something! Spring is a great time to consider a home upgrade or two. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Add insulation to your basement or crawl space. Insulation will seal in your home, keeping your living space cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Not to mention save you money on your energy bill each month!
- Paint your walls! A fresh coat of paint can liven a home, make your space feel cleaner, and completely transform your outlook on a room.
- Install a smart thermostat to increase energy savings. Programmable thermostats will adjust temperatures while you are away, and some brands even let you install multiple sensors throughout your home so you only heat or cool occupied rooms.
Hamilton & Co. Insider Tip: Most new appliances include energy-efficient features that keep energy bills down and are good for the environment. Making sure your home has a number of new, energy-efficient updates will not only save you money each month, but it will also really help your home stand out on the housing market, especially compared to newer homes that were built with energy efficiency in mind.
Springtime in Greenville, SC is a great time to shake things up and improve your home. Download our home maintenance checklist and knock out your spring to-dos in no time!
Eager to get help with some bigger projects? At Hamilton & Company, we work with local home professionals every day and would be happy to share our recommendations. Give us a call at 864.552.0350 and we’ll help get you in touch with the best person for the job!
If one of your “bigger projects” involves selling your home this spring, we’d love to hear from you! As the best-ranked real estate team in Greenville, we have the experience, passion, and top-of-the-line marketing program you need to get your home sold for top dollar. Call us at 864.527.7685 or fill out our seller’s interest form to request more information (we have a form for buyers too!).
