10 Home Maintenance Blunders to Avoid
Sometimes, what seems like a brilliant idea can turn into a nightmare. Before you start renovating, here are 10 common blunders that new homeowners should avoid:
#1 Getting Rid of Your Only Bathtub
No matter how enticing that walk-in shower appears, if you value your home’s resale worth, hold onto your only bathtub! You could alienate potential buyers who cherish a relaxing soak or need a tub for bathing kids or pets.
#2: Leaving Cabinet Doors On While Painting
While painting your kitchen cabinets can elevate your home’s appeal, resist the urge to leave the doors on during the process. It may save time, but the end result won’t give you the professional look. (It should tell you something when even the pro’s don’t take these shortcuts.)
#3: Planting Trees too Close to Your House
That small tree near your doorway may seem harmless now, but it can pose risks as it grows, potentially damaging your home’s foundation and plumbing. Not to mention having to crouch under it once it’s mature to get to the front door. Plant large trees 30 feet away from the house, and small trees 10 feet away.
#4: Flushing ‘Flushable’ Wipes
Despite their label, most flushable wipes don’t disintegrate and can clog sewer systems. Stick to using toilet paper and dispose of wipes in the trash. Charmin is one of the softest strongest toilet papers around, but that also means that it takes longer to break down.. Stick with the good ol’ Kirkland brand.
#5: Painting Over Wallpaper with Water-based Paint
You don’t necessarily have to remove your dated wallpaper. It’s easily paintable as long as you use an oil based primer, and then once dry, follow with a latex paint. Using a water-based paint directly onto the wallpaper could reactivate the glue and cause it to peel.
#6: Painting Exterior Brick
Painting exterior brick can actually break down the brick and mortar and cause it to crumble, and this would be a costly repair. Explore alternative ways to enhance your home’s exterior such as shutters, a painted front door, or update the landscaping instead. If you must change the colour of the bricks, use a penetrating stain that is safe for bricks instead.
#7. Neglecting That Last Mow Before Winter
Leaving your lawn tall in winter provides shelter for mice, potentially inviting them into your home. Keeping the grass shorter during the winter will prevent snow mould and any matting of the long grass that happens in the Spring.
#8. Keeping Your Original Thermostat
Who doesn’t love coming home to a cozy warm house in the winter? But warming or cooling your home all day while not there does not make financial sense. Invest in a programmable thermostat so that you can schedule perfect temperatures throughout the day and night. You can even adjust many of these from your phone! You’d be helping your pocketbook and the environment.
#9. Remove Original Architectural Features
Preserve unique architectural features during renovations (as long as they’re in good shape) to maintain your home’s character and appeal to potential buyers. There are too many cookie cutter homes nowadays, and any home with original architectural features will set your home apart from the others.
10. Water Your Lawn at Night
In the spring and summer, afternoon heat can evaporate up to 30% of the water as it jets out of the sprinklers. And watering in the late evening doesn’t give the grass enough time to dry, leaving it vulnerable to fungal disease. The optimal time to water the grass is very early in the morning when the wind is down, and the sun is just starting to evaporate the droplets off the blades of grass.