The cost to maintain a home has risen sharply over the past few years. On average, homeowners are paying $1,180 a month in hidden home maintenance costs, according to research from Zillow and Thumbtack. These increases are due in part to the rise in material costs as well as labor shortages across the trades.
There are ways to hedge against these price increases, however. The key is to be proactive. Preventative maintenance can help keep systems and building materials functioning effectively, so as to avoid larger issues from occurring when they fail. The Duffy Home Solutions Greenwich property management program offers a range of preventative maintenance solutions to homeowners across Greenwich, CT. Hear are a few of them:
One of the preventative maintenance tasks that our Greenwich property management team provides is seasonal roof and window inspections. Careful review of these surfaces will help identify any missing or damages shingles or flashing, rot on windows and trim, and any other issues that could allow water to enter the house. Since many of these surfaces are out of site, inspections are key to accessing high and out of reach areas.
The idea is to fix problems before they become bigger issues. For example, cracked flashing, if left unattended, can allow water to enter the house. Once this happens, mold can grow and wood can rot. And since water issues are often out of site, behind walls, or in the eves, catching issues is critical.
Servicing generators and HVAC equipment on a yearly basis (once for heat and once for AC) provides our Greenwich property management crew the opportunity to inspect the system closely. By doing so we can help identify worn out parts that may need to be replaced to avoid the system from breaking down and causing larger issues. In addition, tasks like cleaning the evaporator coils, changing out the filters, and clearing blocked drain lines will help the equipment run at peak efficiency.
When basement flooding occurs it’s important that your sump pump is functioning properly. Regular inspections can help identify issues to ensure that the equipment is always in proper working order. If the sump pump was to fail, the cost and inconvenience of water damage to the home could become a major problem.
Although cost is a factor when it comes to fire events, the real concern here is safety. A single spark from the heating element can ignite lint that’s built up inside of a dryer vent. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), dryer fires are responsible for approximately 15,600 structure fires, 400 injuries and 15 deaths annually. Furthermore, dryer fires are responsible for over $100 million in property losses each year. The Duffy Home Solutions Greenwich property management team deals with dryer vent issues regularly. Having them cleaned is a critical part of any preventative home maintenance plan.
Smoke detectors do their job well; however, they will not perform their critical duty if they are not in working order. 3 out of 5 residential fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarm, or smoke alarms that fail to operate, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Many of us don’t think about them. As a result, years can go by without testing or replacing smoke detectors.
As part of our Greenwich Property Management program, we check fire and carbon monoxide detectors regularly to ensure they are functioning properly. And we will replace the equipment when needed. Alarm sensors can wear out and so it is recommended that they be replaced every 10 years, and checked at least once per year.
Managing the numerous trades required to handle preventative maintenance tasks is often a time consuming and frustrating process. This is why Greenwich homeowners rely on Duffy Home Solutions Greenwich property management program. We handle all of your preventative maintenance requirements. Having one contact for all of these tasks not only makes life easier, it can also help save you from unexpected costs in the future.
Managing a home in Greenwich, CT can almost be a full time job. Greenwich property management tasks such as power washing the patio, painting the house, or putting away patio furniture are hard to ignore, but there are several home maintenance needs that do. At Duffy Home Solutions our Greenwich property management team has put together a list of tasks that should be done on a regular basis to keep your appliances, mechanical equipment and home working efficiently and effectively.
Enrolling in our property management program can ensure these items are taken care of for you. Following are a few key home maintenance initiatives to keep an eye on.
Tree limbs can cause a lot of damage if they fall on the house, auxiliary buildings, or other plantings or trees. And overgrown shrubs that are too close to the house can inhibit airflow and lead to mold and/or rot on siding. The property management team at Greenwich Home Management can inspect the entire property at least once per year to determine if any trees need to be trimmed or plantings need to be trimmed or moved.
Some homeowners don’t realize that inspecting and cleaning the HVAC system is critical to helping mechanical equipment operate at peak efficiency. In addition, this yearly home maintenance task can help equipment last longer. And finding and fixing minor issues can help avoid larger breakdowns before they become bigger, more expensive problems. AC systems should be inspected and cleaned once per year, around May. Heating system yearly maintenance should be completed around October.
Putting this task off could reduce the life span of your refrigerator. Condenser coils run across the bottom or back of the unit. Over time they collect dust and pet hair. This clogs the vents and limits airflow. As a result the unit has to work harder to maintain the proper temperature. The fridge will then use more energy and more strain will be put on the mechanical components. Cleaning refrigerator coils is the type of chore that homeowners often avoid. That’s where Duffy Home Solutions Greenwich property management services come in. Tasks like this can be part of your regular, ongoing home maintenance plan.
One of the leading causes of hot water heater failure is not draining the tank at least once per year. Sediment can settle at the bottom of the tank. When left in, the sediment can corrode the tank and cause it to leak. When the tank is full of sediment the equipment also has to work harder. This puts strain on the system that can reduce the life span of the unit.
Hot water heaters have a sacrificial anode rod inside the tank. It works by attracting corrosive elements away from other parts of the tank. The anode rod should be inspected regularly and replaced once it becomes significantly deteriorated. The Duffy Home Solutions Greenwich property management team recommends inspecting hot water heaters once per year. During the inspecting we drain the tank and inspect the anode rod.
There’s nothing like relaxing in front of the fire on a cold winter day. Avoiding chimney cleaning, however, could result in a serious safety issue. Over time wood burning fires deposit soot and creosote inside the lining of the chimney. These elements are highly flammable. Too much buildup could cause a chimney fire. We recommend cleaning the chimney once per year.
Most know to clean the dryer lint trap after each run. This allows airflow to effectively move through the dryer. The equipment has to work harder and takes longer to dry clothes when clogged. The same rule applies to the vent pipe itself. Lint can build up inside the pipe. This restricts airflow as it works to push air out. More importantly, a dryer vent full of lint can be a serious safety issue. Lint is extremely flammable and can ignite while the machine is running. The Duffy Home Solutions Greenwich property management team cleans dryer vents by using special brushes with a long extension.
Making sure your home is properly maintained will help the investments that you make last longer, and keep things running more efficiently. Some homeowners keep lists of essential home maintenance tasks to check off throughout the year. For those that would rather spend their free time being with family and friends, Duffy Home Solutions offers full service property management services for Greenwich Homeowners. We provide one point of contact for all of your home maintenance needs.
