The State of Your Home Repairs

While most people like to believe they are opened-minded, most of us have been guilty at some point in our lives of making judgments based on appearance. When it comes to home buying and selling, the appearance of a property is everything. But to get a true sense of the quality of the home, people should never strictly judge a home by its exterior appearance. A great deal of work may have been invested into making the home look nice, but an inspection can sometimes turn up major internal problems, which could have been easily taken care of beforehand. Whether you're currently in the process of selling a home are just waiting out the real estate downturn, keeping up with basic maintenance repairs will only help increase your home's value.

Recently, I was on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Web site when I came across a press release from the trade group on the state of the remodeling industry. I was surprised to learn that remodeling projects have been declining since 2005, and that growth within the industry is expected to remain flat for the coming year. Considering that my wife's 'honey to-do list' is ever increasing in scope, I thought that other homeowners would be focusing on revamping their own homes as the real estate market slowly recovers. I guess that I should stop using my wife as a barometer for consumer sentiment.

Affordable repairs
After one weekend of writing several inspection reports, I began to notice that I was making note of the same problems for each house. During the next week, I reviewed some reports produced by other inspectors and found that they had listed some of the same issues. I was taken aback by one report where the inspector noted that the cost to caulk a door would be $75. He gave the same price for a window. I was thinking it would cost me $4 for a tube of caulk, and I could pull out my caulking gun to have the job completed around the house in less than an hour.

With energy and food costs at record highs, people aren't spending the money they once were for basic remodeling and repair projects around the house. To help homeowners cut down cost for basic home projects, I've compiled a repair list detailing some common findings by inspectors, which are all simple tasks that most homeowners can tackle on their own.

Maintenance is a way to prevent major problems with the home in the future. For more helpful repair tips, checkout Ron Haynes's Wisdom Journal blog. Haynes is a veteran in the lumber and building supply industry, his thorough list of common repairs will defiantly help you in your home maintenance. A little different from my own list, but I think they're simple enough to be executed by any determined homeowner.

Take care of your home and it will take care of you. I keep by my calendar a list of items around the house that can use some maintenance, and each week I complete most of those tasks. I find doing a little each week really helps. Don't let repairs pile up. It will only cost you more money and unneeded headaches in the long run.

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, Professional Real Estate Inspector

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