1. Start with Basic Springtime Home Maintenance Outdoors
One way to save on expenses related to hiring contractors is to cut down on labor costs by cleaning the outside of your home. This means all the old leaves are swept away, and any debris left over from winter decorations or last year’s garden are no longer in the way of cleanup equipment like rakes and ladders. Once the old leaves are no longer covering sidewalks or the lawn, other spring maintenance projects have the safe and clear environment they need. Clearing the outdoors also helps keep the indoors cleaner because you’re not tracking debris or mud into your home.
2. Rent Cleaning Equipment for the Indoors
Elbow grease always works for daily cleaning, but deep cleaning might require high-powered tools. For example, many homeowners can safely use high-pressure air to remove mold from the side of masonry, concrete, asphalt or brick. Homeowners can also save money by pressure washing vinyl to revitalize the appearance of their home as long as the windows are avoided. Other cleaning equipment that can be rented includes drill brushes for cleaning tile in bathrooms or kitchens. Renting cleaning equipment is a budget-friendly alternative to hiring cleaners to do the dirty work.
3. Brush and Clean Lower Story Windows
Too often, homeowners end up paying extra money for contractor work because labor for pre-cleaning is included. Instead of dishing out money to have a sub-contractor clean your home, consider adding these tasks to your spring cleaning list. For instance, windows and windowsills could use a dry brushing with an old broom to remove dirt and spiderwebs from the outside of the windows. Although cleaning downstairs windows and windows indoors are safe, consider hiring a contractor for cleaning the outsides of upper-story windows.
4. Find Local Electronics Recycling Centers and Disposal Centers
Each spring, environmentalists celebrate Earth Day, and this is often a good opportunity for homeowners to responsibly dispose of appliances and electronics they no longer need. For example, if your home was recently renovated, you may still need to throw away an old refrigerator, water heater, or WiFi router. In addition to being greener, there are often tax rebates for recycling certain types of electronics depending on current local laws or scholarships.
5. Check the Entire House for Problems
One myth about spring maintenance is that it’s a lot of hard work that no one wants to do. However, a fun project to help ease anxieties is scouring the house for problem areas. After all of the data is collected, the family can organize the issues into work days on a calendar. Most of the time, families find there is far less work to do than first expected. Outside of simple DIY cleaning projects, other tasks, such as electrical improvements or roof inspections, should be delegated to a contractor for safety reasons. Hiring a professional inspector to perform a Home Maintenance Inspection is the most accurate and thorough way to identify problem areas in your home, and while it may seem like an additional expense now, can save you money in the long run.
Outlook Home Inspections offers inspection services to the Greater Charlotte area, Western North Carolina, and Upstate South Carolina. Contact us to set up your appointment.