When fall rolls around, it’s time to think about getting your home ready for cooler weather. Much of the routine maintenance that needs to be done this time of year will not only help keep you cozy this winter, it will also help to save money on your heating bills and protect your biggest investment – your home.

While most of these routine maintenance tasks are fairly simple, make sure they are completed before the cold weather arrives to prevent damage to both your home and your wallet.

Seal Up Cracks And Gaps:

If you added up all the small cracks, gaps and holes around the outside of the average home, it would equal the area of an open window! To reduce the loss of heat, carefully inspect the perimeter of your home and caulk or weather strip where needed. Both caulking and weather stripping can reduce the flow of cold air in and warm are out – lowering your energy costs substantially.

Inspect Your Roof:

Check your roof for signs of minor damage such as missing, broken, cracked or curling shingles, as well as bare spots where granular coating has worn off. Be sure to make the necessary minor repairs now to prevent further damage. When moisture is able to seep up under loose or damages shingles, far more extensive damage can occur. For extensive repairs, consider having a professional perform the work. However, if you are fairly handy and are comfortable climbing a ladder, you should be able to take care of most minor repairs.

Clean And Repair Gutters:

Dirty, clogged gutters can cause a myriad of problems during the winter months, including flooded basements and damage to your foundation and landscaping. To clean, simply remove all debris so that water can properly drain and consider installing gutters guards to prevent additional debris from building up.

Fertilize Your Lawn:

Fall is a great time to fertilize your lawn as it provides grass with the nutrients required for the winter when the top layer of grass is dormant but the root systems continue to grow. During this period, roots easily absorb and store the nutrients a good fertilizer will provide and fall fertilizing will also help your lawn “green up” faster in early spring.

This is one thing that you, the seller, have the most impact on. It’s important to point out that these items should be done prior to listing your house and it’s also important to maintain these items until the house has sold.

The following are a list of things to do just prior to having a scheduled showing.

Spot Clean-Up:

You will want to make sure that everything is put away and cleaned up. This means all the kid’s toys go back into the toy boxes, all the dishes are put away, countertops are clear of extra items leaving about 70% of the countertop visible, carpets and floors free of debris and any pet droppings in the backyard are picked up.

Smell Of The House:

This is something that potential buyers are going to notice as soon as they walk into your home. Ideally, you don’t want any strong smells. Smells to watch out for are items like cigarette smoke, animal urine or the smell of animals in general. Strong smelling foods like fish and garlic, powerful smelling candles and garbages that need changing are also things to watch out for. Smells that would have a positive impact on the showing would be smells such as freshly baked desserts, the soft scent of a candle, lemon cleaning products and odour neutralizers.

Avoid Distractions For Buyers:

There are actually several things that could distract the buyer’s attention away from your home. For me, the most frequent thing would be pets. I suggest to my clients to remove the pets, if possible. For those buyers that love animals, their natural instinct is to play with them. For those who dislike animals, they could lose interest in the home knowing that animals have lived there. The other large distraction is children’s toys. If the toys aren’t put away, the buyer’s children will gravitate to them; which forces the parents to focus more on their children than on the house.

Store Valuables In A Safe Place:

By removing any items of value, you remove any temptation from potentially dishonest buyers. Some items to be more cautious of are things that could easily fit into someone’s pocket. Fortunately, missing items are a rarity but you should never let your guard down.

When it comes to pools, there seems to be as many advantages as there are disadvantages. So, when people ask me about owning a pool, it really comes down to personal preferences. Here is a small host of advantages and disadvantages that could help you in deciding whether or not to put one in.

Advantages:

Owning a swimming pool is like being on a permanent vacation.

There’s nothing better on a hot day than to go for a swim.

It’s a great way to have the family come together and bond (around the pool).

Most kids just love to swim. The memories created will have a lifelong impact on them and that’s what they will always think of when summer arrives.

For some of those who suffer from arthritis or sore joints, the pool offers comfort and helps with rehabilitation of the muscles. Make sure you consult your doctor to ensure this would be right for you

Swimming is a great workout

Disadvantages:

Cost is substantial depending on the type of pool you get. The range is obviously wide depending on if you want an above ground or an in-ground, heated or not heated, big or small, etc.

When you go to resell your home, it may turn buyers away. Some people in the market to purchase a house don’t want a pool, therefore, they would not pursue your home.

The return on your investment is between 5 and 40%, depending on age, size and quality of the pool.

Maintenance of the pool could also be a concern. Keeping track of the water quality, water temperature, skimming debris and general maintenance of the accessories could be both time-consuming and costly.

What do you do with the pool once it’s past its life expectancy? You could dig it up, fill it in, if it’s below ground, but all are costly.

Children must be supervised at all times. This means having enough adults present to ensure everyone is safe and some people also install a fence around the pool to keep pets and children safe, but nothing should take the place of adult supervision.

Often when we talk about reducing energy costs involving appliances, we are specifically referring to the energy efficiency of the specific model. Whether you have high efficiency appliances or not, there are several things you can do to lower your energy usage:

Stoves:

Use flat bottom pans for greater contact with your burner

Use lids to conserve heat and to decrease cooking time

Turn down the burner once the liquid has boiled

Ovens:

Defrost your food before baking to cut energy use by one third

Don’t preheat your oven if the cooking time is more than one hour

Use your cooking timer and window instead of opening the door. Each time you open the door, 20% of the heat escapes

Never line your oven with aluminum foil. It can reduce hot air flow, lower the inside temperature or block a vent. Use a cookie sheet to catch drips and spills instead.

Make sure the seals and hinges on your oven fit tightly and don’t leak heat

Washer:

Wash full loads only, but don’t overload your machine

Adjust water levels to suit your load size

Use cold water: 85 – 90% of energy used to wash clothes goes to heating the water

Dryer:

Put heavy items through a longer spin cycle in the washer to get rid of extra moisture

Clean your dryer lint filter with every drying load

Make sure the flapper in the exhaust moves freely and remove any lint build-up

Hang your clothes to dry outside 0 they will last longer and smell fresher

Hot Water Tank:

Insulate the first two metres of the hot water pipe and one metre of the cold water pipe leading from your hot water tank. Keep the insulation 15 centimeters away from your water heaters draft hood.

Once a year, drain 4 litres of water from the valve at the bottom of your tank to remove any sediment that may collect over time

Keep your hot water tank at 54 degrees Celsius to save energy and avoid scalds

Saving Hot Water Throughout The House:

Fix dripping faucets right away. Hot water that drips for a month could add up to 3600 litres

Install aerators on your taps

Don’t run water continuously when hand washing dishes

Wait until your dishwasher is full before running a cycle

Lower the hot water tank temperature when you are on vacation

Open your dishwasher’s door to let dishes air dry instead of using the drying cycle

Don’t leave your hot water running while you shave or your cold water running while you brush your teeth

Install low-flow shower heads

Take showers instead of baths, as they use much less energy

Heating Costs:

Use a programmable thermostat to adjust your home’s temperature around your schedule. Focus on reducing your temperatures when you are at work and at night

Install a thermostat with a zoning system to stop heating areas of your home that you aren’t using

Try do-it-yourself zone heating by closing doors and heating vents in rooms that are rarely used

Improve Air Circulation:

Keep curtains and furniture away from your heating vents

Circulate heat with the use of electric ceiling fans

Keep your basement reasonable warm, the heat will rise

Close your chimney damper when not using your fireplace