Use Time in Down Housing Market to Repair
I need to add vinyl soffits to my house to repair the peeling and rotting framing. The wood columns on my front porch are beginning to show signs of water damage. My gutters are abysmal. And if all that’s not bad enough, I really need to invest in some energy friendly replacement windows (I prefer the double insulated, double paned ones). We are estimating these repairs will cost around $4000 which we definitely can’t shell out at this time. However, this is the perfect time to begin renovations on houses - even if you have to take baby steps to do it.
Don’t wait too long to make repairs because the elements can cause major damage to your home if you don’t act in a timely manner. Call a professional handyman or five to get free estimates. While they are there, GET REFERENCES and then CALL THEM. Then work on a budget to see which repairs would cause the most damage if not made and start there.
For us, we need to get the vinyl soffits done because they will protect the “bones” of the house. After that, we’ll work on the gutters, then the columns. The windows will come last because we do have windows in place right now and waiting won’t harm anything.
What repairs do you need to make?
- Mold in your crawl space? That ranks HIGH on the list of repairs. Get that remediated before you and your family fall sick. Then add the moisture/vapor barrier to prevent further water intrusion.
- Sink dripping? While a drip on from your faucet shouldn’t cause more harm than a higher water bill, a leak in your plumbing can cause major damage. That should be fixed immediately.
- Inoperable smoke detectors are a MUST fix. Why gamble on whether your home catches fire?
- If you have an outlet that’s not working, I’d go online to figure out how to replace it and then head to a home store for a new plug. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, call a qualified electrician.
What repairs are waiting to be made at your home?
