5 Simple Summertime Home Maintenance Tasks that Boost Comfort Now, Increase Value Later

The point of being a home buyer, of course, is to become a homeowner. And, eventually, most homeowners find themselves becoming home sellers. Using the summertime to tend to routine home maintenance not only boosts day-to-day enjoyment of your home, it ensures that your house will be in tip-top shape when the comes time to sell.

The following five tips focus on tasks that are simple, make your home comfortable now, and preserve equity into the future.

Clean gutters. Getting rid of standing water eliminates the breeding ground for the mosquitoes that can ruin outdoor fun. Removing the muck prevents water from backing up and damaging your roof and interior. A clear flow directs melt-off and rainwater to the downspout, away from your house and out of your basement.

Mulch gardens. Mulching improves the health and beauty of flower beds and vegetable gardens. It also stifles weeds and prevents them from spreading to sidewalks, patios and driveways.

Maintain your deck. Protect summertime’s bare feet by pounding in nails that protrude from deck surfaces, replacing splintered boards, and power washing and resealing your deck. This will prolong the deck’s life and value.

Repair window sills and trim. Touching up chipped paint and replacing rotted window sills and trim doesn’t just make your home more pleasant to look at. Rotted wood exposes your home’s interior to damage from the elements. Meanwhile, fresh paint protects the wood and prevents it from rotting in the first place.

Shampoo carpets. Professional carpet cleaning – or doing it yourself with a rented machine – makes your home more pleasant by reducing allergens and odors. It also extends the life of your carpet by preventing ground-in dirt from damaging the fibres.

Double up on doormats. Protect that newly cleaned carpet with not one but two doormats at every entrance to your home. A coarse mat outside knocks off debris while a cloth mat inside finishes the job.

Sure, summer seems short enough as it is. But, taking a little time to tend to these tasks now ensures that you will be enjoying your home for many summers to come.