You may not be planning to sell your home in the near future. In fact, it could be 20 or 30 years down the road that you want to sell. Wouldn’t it be nice to know some ways to keep value in your home and prevent expensive repairs when the time does come to sell? By doing some of these quick fixes (all for under $25!) you can save a lot of money in repairs, and it helps put your home in prime condition for a buyer. I got these tips from this great Chicago Sun-Times article. 
View the article to find some more.
1. Regularly change the filter on your furnace and air conditioner. I wrote in my last blog about how changing the filter lets the air flow through and saves you money on your utility bills. The other bonus is that it prevents the units from working so hard by trying to get the heat and air out. This way the appliances will last a lot longer. Check them every month to every 3 months for a replacement.
2. Another appliance that you don’t want working extra hard is the clothes dryer. By cleaning the dryer vent (not just the filter in the machine, but all the way through to the wall), you’re keeping it running smoothly to dry your clothes. Extra lint in the vent also poses a fire hazard, so make sure to clean the entire vent.
2. If you have a wood deck, make sure to use a preservative on the wood. It prevents rot and deterioration down the road. If you have a beautiful deck, the last thing you’ll want to have to do is replace the entire deck with a new one. Do you have other wooden parts to your house, also? Like a set of stairs outside one level down to the next? Make sure you use preservative there, too.
3. If you have a wood-burning fireplace and you keep extra wood for it outdoors, make sure to keep it away from the foundation. This prevents any wood-destroying insects from getting into your house and walls. I hate to be a cliche, but this easy (and free) tip keeps the termites away! Another tip to keep termites out is to cut tree branches that are hanging over the roof or near the house. Plus, a trimmed tree looks so much more appealing than one that is out of control.
4. One item that often comes up in home inspections is in regards to the toilets. They need to be secured to the floor. Make sure the toilets in all the bathrooms are properly secured. While you’re at it, make sure there aren’t any cracks in the bowl.
5. Test the auto retract feature of your garage door. You want to make sure that it will automatically come back up if something is blocking its path, whether it be a car, bicycle, or even a person.
6. Buy a bottle of Drano and clear those clogged drains! Over time, clogged drains can cause damage to pipes and allow for leakage. You can also cheaply purchase a drain cover to collect excess hair, lint, and soap particles for your showers and sinks. This is an added barrier to anything going down the drain. They do sell ones that even prevent mold from growing on the cover.
I hope these tips will help you, and could even add a To-Do to that Honey Do List of yours. Do you have other easy and cheap tips? Please leave me a comment or visit me online.
