1. Change Your Furnace Filters
This will cost you $5.00 and 60 seconds now, and save you hundreds of dollars later.
When it's cold outside and you turn up the thermostat in your home, your furnace kicks into gear to blow warm air throughout your house. A dirty filter means that your furnace has to work harder and run longer to heat your house up, costing you money. The extra strain on the furnace also shortens the lifespan of the furnace, meaning you'll need to pay to replace it sooner. Trust us, swapping out your filter every 90 days will save you BIG MONEY in the long run.
2. Clean Out Your Sewer Line
Don't worry, we won't show you a picture of this item, but in short, it's worth your time and $100 to get your sewer line cleaned out every couple of years. This is especially true if you have a lot of trees on your property or your sewer line is very old. The last thing you want is your sewer line backing up when you have all your family over for Mother's Day lunch. #fact
If you need a recommendation, this list of companies provided by the Better Business Bureau can be a great place to start.
3. Install Extended Rain Spouts
One of the best things a homeowner can do for their home is KEEP WATER AWAY FROM THE FOUNDATION!
One of the cheapest and easiest ways to do this is to ensure all your downspouts are in place and directing water several feet away from the foundation of your home.
Continued water flow near the foundation of your home can lead to water intrusion to your basement or crawlspace and/or eventual pressure on your foundation walls that can lead to cracking shift in the walls of your home.
Repairs to structural problems in a home can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
So take our advice, and keep a close eye on your rain spouts to ensure water is being directed AWAY from your home foundation.
4. Clean out your gutters
This is an easy one (and FREE!), but because of "out of sight, out of mind," this project can be easily forgotten. Take a few minutes a few times through the year to grab a ladder and inspect your gutters. Keep your gutters free from sticks, mud, leaves, and the occasional tennis ball your neighbor's kids through onto your roof that's now lodged in the downspout hole and forgot to tell you about.
This will save you the headache of running outside during a thunderstorm because water is pour over the edge of your gutters and not flowing out the downspout like it should be.
5. Upgrade Your Attic Insulation
Speaking of "out of sight, out of mind," when was the last time you evaluated the efficiency of your attic insulation? A great way to help your home stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer is to have adequate insulation in your attic. This will lower your energy bills and help keep a more consistent temperature throughout your home year round.
