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How to Properly set up your Downspout

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Chuck is back with another home maintenance tip!

Today’s tip is about downspouts. Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of rain in the Midwest and if your downspouts are not properly set up you may end up with a flooded basement and a lot of damage. Making sure that your downspouts are connected and going either underground or far away from your foundation is essential.

Checking Your Downspout

In the example that Chuck shows us you can see the downspout is disconnected from the drain. In this scenario, all of the water from the drain will run next to your foundation. This will cause the water to build up and go into your sump pit causing your sump pump to work overtime. If your sump pump needs to work overtime often enough it may burn out and be ineffective when you need it most which can lead to flooding.

Chuck’s Recommendation

What Chuck recommends is running your downspout underground to an underground gutter that then takes the water to a specified place that will not cause any damage.

Thank you for reading this month’s maintenance tip! Check out Chuck’s Maintenance Tips for more helpful tips!

3 Quick and Easy Steps to Fix Cracks in Your Walls

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Here’s Chuck with another home maintenance tip!

Today we are talking about repairing cracks in the wall with caulk. Cracks in your walls typically happen due to shrinkage from dryness in the heat and lack of humidity over the winter. Here’s what you’ll need to get the job done.

What you’ll need:
  • A caulk gun
  • A tube of caulk (Latex or Silicone)
  • A fine membrane sponge
  • Utility knife

First – Using the utility knife cut out any loose paint or drywall and sand it to ensure that the wall is smooth and ready for repair.

Second – Fill the entirety of the crack with the caulk.

Third – Take your sponge and wipe the caulk clean into the crack, let it dry for 24 hours and repaint the wall once you are sure that it has dried completely.

Thank you for reading this month’s maintenance tip! Check out Chuck’s Maintenance Tips for more helpful tips!

Why You Should Get a Home Inspection Before Listing Your Home

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Home maintenance isn’t always easy to keep up with. You live a busy life and have things to worry about. The last thing on your mind is if your home is in perfect condition all the time. It’s understandable, we all let things slide here and there but now you’re ready for a change and you want to put your home on the market. Which means some of those wall cracks or leaky pipes need to be fixed. Buyers are picky (rightly so) and they will hone in on all of those little and not so little problems to try to lower your asking price. Luckily hiring a home inspector will help you to keep your profits and fix those problems.

Hire a Home Inspector Before You List Your Home

Most people who are selling a home typically don’t think about hiring a home inspector before listing because why would you pay for something you don’t have to? Hiring a home inspector can help you to figure out exactly what needs to be fixed before you list your home.

Potential to Raise Your Profit

Buyers tend to pinpoint problems because they want a better deal but what if you took away any problems to pinpoint? Hiring a home inspector before listing will eliminate any chance of you being blindsided by massive problems in your house after the buyer’s inspector comes in.

A home inspection isn’t free but spending a little money to make more money makes sense in the long run. Having your own home inspection before listing your house justifies the cost that you list at and can give the buyer peace of mind.

You Can Make Repairs on your Own Watch

When the buyer does their home inspection and they find things that need to be fixed, typically you have to fix them or lower the price. Which leaves you stuck between a rock and a hard place deciding whether you should fix the issues within a short timeline or lower your profits.

Having your own inspection done before selling eliminates the chance that the buyer will be the one telling you what to fix and when. You get to fix your home at your own pace which will alleviate some of the stress that comes along with the already stressful process of selling a home.

Thank you for reading this month’s home selling tip! Check out Chuck’s Maintenance Tips for more helpful tips!