With warmer weather having arrived in the Wilmington area and the hottest months of the year coming up, now is a good time to ensure that your investment property is prepared for the extreme temperatures ahead. Taking some preventative maintenance measures can not only save you money in the long run but also have your home looking its best during the most active time of year for rentals in our area.
HVAC Preventative Maintenance (PM) Visit - These should be done twice per year and prior to the peak hot and cold seasons is typically the best time. During a PM visit, an HVAC tech will thoroughly clean the unit, check for leaks and do an overall inspection of the unit. Ensuring that your HVAC system is performing optimally and ready to be running frequently throughout the summer will help catch any potential issues that could lead to expensive repairs down the road.
Clean your dryer vent - Spring is another great time to be reminded to clean your dryer vent. The buildup of lint in dryer vents can easily cause house fires but fortunately is one of the easiest things to remediate. An HVAC professional, handyman or even some general cleaning companies can easily take care of this project for you.
Change the direction of ceiling fans - This is a very simple one that many people might not think of but can save on cooling costs in the summer. Most ceiling fans have a small switch on them to change the rotation direction of the blades - you want them to go counterclockwise in the spring/summer so that air is being pushed down into the room. Be sure to dust and clean the blades first though or else you'll end up with the dust that has collected on the blades blowing all over the room!
Lawn Care - With warm humid climates like the Wilmington area has, grass, weeds and bushes grow rapidly during the summer. A thorough spring cleanup of your lawn will include mowing, edging, trimming bushes and overhanging tree limbs, freshening mulch in beds, and fertilization of the lawn. If this isn't work you're up to doing yourself, consider getting on a regular schedule with a professional landscaping company to ensure that your lawn is well maintained throughout the warmer months.
Gutters - Though having these items cleaned in the fall to ensure they're able to handle falling leaves and debris is always a good idea, having them checked again in the spring is advisable too in order to be sure that they didn't get clogged with debris in the fall/winter and are ready to handle spring and summer rainfall.
Check smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries –
Spring and fall (think when the time changes) are easy times to remember to check the batteries on these items to make sure your home is prepared in case of a fire or carbon monoxide buildup.
Check window screens - Even the smallest holes and tears and screens can easily allow in pests on those milder spring days where you may want to enjoy some fresh air in the house. Doing a run through of all the screens in your home and repairing any damages can be an easy way to prevent pests from entering your home and these repairs can easily be done by a general handyman.
If you have questions regarding what maintenance might be needed at your investment property or help with coordinating repairs, give the experts at Sweyer Property Management a call at 910.256.3031 or reach out on our website. With years of experience, our team is well-versed and handling every aspect of maintenance and upkeep at your rental home.