You might have noticed all the little tedious items on your home to-do list pile up. Somehow “I’ll get to it tomorrow” has turned into months, possibly years. Maybe it’s due to financial or time constraints. Whether it’s a squeaky door, loose floorboard, or peeling paint, you figure you’ll get to it someday, right? Well, let’s turn “someday” into today. Grab a notepad and pen, take a tour around your home, and let’s get started. Why? Because small deferred home maintenance can quickly turn into something big and expensive.
I remember buying my first home. It was a rollercoaster of emotions. From excitement to anxiety and then relief. Now it was finally time to move in. I got some great advice that in hindsight, really helped start me off on the right foot. It boils down to patience and planning. Before you jump in, if you can take a step back and focus on setting yourself up for success as a new homeowner first, you’ll thank yourself later.
The trauma of watching TV news about seasonal storms can send me mentally packing straight back to Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012. The sinking feeling returns, that I experienced watching what looked like Niagara Falls cascading down our long, downward sloping driveway, heading straight to the basement-level garage.
Doing a home maintenance project on your own seems like a great idea…until it’s not. Things that looks simple on Pinterest can become complicated, cumbersome and sometimes even dangerous tasks. Not only can a DIY-gone-wrong cause more problems in your home than you started with, but it can also put your health at risk.
Emergency rooms have seen an increase in power tool injuries due to home DIY projects inspired by TV shows and internet tutorials. These projects could cause injury simply because the average person doesn’t have the know-how or training to operate power tools. Some accidents might be covered by homeowner’s insurance, but not all.
While some of these injuries are small enough to not require emergency attention, it doesn’t take away from their impact: any injury, big or small, can throw a wrench into daily life at its best and potentially be life-altering at its worst. To avoid this, you may want to consider hiring a pro to help with the riskier projects, and look for a handyman near me before you get started.
Imagine coming home from a long day, ready to relax, unwind and spend an evening with your family, only to find that something has gone seriously awry in your home. Anything from a burst pipe to a broken door to an can cause a gigantic mess, and these unpleasant surprises are downright stressful or even panic-inducing.
Sure, we may expect home damage or broken appliances during a thunderstorm or hurricane, but home emergencies aren’t just related to the weather outside. Pushing off less-urgent repairs, lack of regular care or just plain old age: any and all of these will contribute to the “perfect storm” that might send any element of your home into a tailspin. What’s worse than the problem itself, however, is being caught without a plan in place.