Increase your home value with these maintenance tips

Don’t let your most valuable asset lose its potential. Maintaining your home more than pays for itself by increasing your property value. Plus, you’ll reduce the chances of headaches from unplanned and expensive repairs.

Get the Professionals to Handle the Big Jobs

It’s wise to hire contractors for specialised projects such as remodeling bathrooms, installing granite-top counters and any major electrical work.

Hire a professional electrician to inspect your wiring, home alarms and fixtures to ensure everything is safe and working. Repairs that are more complex than merely changing a light bulb or replacing a wall plate should be left to the pros. Even some of the handiest people won’t touch certain electrical jobs, due to the possibility of electrocution.

Keep Basic Tools On-Hand

Whether you’re especially handy or not, you’ll want to at least have a hammer, pliers, measuring tape, caulking, a standard wrench, flat-head screw drivers and duct tape. You can fix many little things and prevent bigger problems with just the basic tools.

Know Your Fuse Box

It’s surprising how many people can’t locate their home’s fuse box (circuit breaker). While you should let a contractor make any repairs to it, you still need to know where it is and how to use it. Remember that the fuse box may be doing precisely what it’s meant to do when your home’s power goes out,; such as preventing a fire. Maintain it and learn how to reset it.

Look out for Wall Damage

Take a good look at your walls every once in a while, for any signs of cracking. Minor blemishes can either be very easy fixes or a sign of greater problems. Take care of them before they get out of hand. Also, check inside walls for dampness or dry rot, especially in areas near bathrooms and basements. A good inspector will spot this and alert potential home-buyers, which could result in no deal.

Keep Up With Your Windows

Windows provide more than just a physical barrier to the outside world. They can reduce outside noise levels and provide energy efficiency for your home. Examine them for leaks. It’s easy to caulk openings between the window and frame, but for long-term value, consider replacing your problematic windows altogether.

Be Your Own Plumber

A toilet that’s not working properly may simply need a new stopper, which is cheap and very easy to install. Learn at least the very basics so you can repair little things right away without needing to call the professionals. Periodically check your pipes for deteriorating rubber washers or other small problems.

Make the Right First Impression with Your Doorways

A broken doorway presents an immediate safety and security concern. Repairing one is extremely expensive, so make sure all doors are in good working condition and be ahead of the curve. If a door works well but has cosmetic damage, repair it before you try to sell your house. You don’t want a blemish being the first thing potential buyers notice.

For a tailor-made household insurance quote, talk to Indwe Risk Services today. Call 0860 13 13 14, visit www.indwerisk.co.za or email indwe@indwerisk.co.za