Simpson
If you’ve taken the time to find the right home for you and your current or future family, you know how daunting and rewarding the process can be. You might be tempted to dive into all the changes you want to make at one time, instantly overwhelming yourself with the possibilities. The following will help to ease a little bit of that feeling by looking at the major improvements that should be thought about if you’re looking for long-term use out of a home.
Of course, every home is different, and this means that you might have some glaring issues that demand your attention upfront. You can use this list in tandem with a report given to you by a home inspector. Anything that is not up to code in your area will need to be addressed at some point if you want to use it.
Permit And Zoning Issues
First and foremost, if the property you’ve bought needs a permit or zoning changes, you need to get on these before you tackle other things. Sometimes something as simple as tearing down a fence can require a permit. To make this category of your work more irritating, often permits and zoning changes can take a bit of time to get approved—days but occasionally weeks or months if the issue is a hotly debated one. Most of your work can’t start until you deal with this, so get the permit ball rolling as soon as you can.
Foundation Is Fundamental
There are a few pretty serious foundation problems you might have to address before doing anything else. This is because, often, foundational work can result in the need to dig, tear apart, or tear down other areas of your property. It’s better to work with foundation first so that you don’t find yourself redoing something you’ve already redone. Further, foundation issues can cause other renovations to degrade faster as shifting and water damage both become possibilities. Improper foundation can result in frozen pipes and winter damages as well.
Roofing And Weatherproofing
Next up on your list should be any tasks that are required to keep the interior of your home weatherproofed. This means resealing doors and windows, repairing holes in walls, and addressing the roof of your home.
You can do all the gorgeous interior work you want, but unless your home is weatherproofed, you’re likely going to find that dampness creeps in and causes swelling, distorting mold, mildew, or other damages. Roofing and siding professionals at www.tsimpsonroofing.ca emphasize the importance of thinking about the warranty that comes with the choices you make in this department. You want to ensure that the money you’re spending is going to continue to protect your home for years to come.
Fire Safety
Another thing to think about is the fire safety of your home. This means ensuring that all fireplaces and woodstoves are up to code and cleaned out properly before they’re used. It also means ensuring that all your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning.
Drainage And Landscaping Issues
Of course, water isn’t only a problem inside your home. Drainage issues in the yard (particularly surrounding the driveway) can wreak havoc on the curb appeal of your home but also your enjoyment of the yard. Before any gardening or aesthetically-focused landscaping changes take place, be sure to look into whether any drainage work needs to be done. You don’t want a flooded, muddy yard for one quarter of the year.
Plumbing And Electrical Work
Plumbing and electrical work should be looked at before you get into the decor part of your home maintenance and care. Sometimes drywall needs to be cut open if there are major issues, and it’s much better to deal with these issues before you add a fresh coat of paint or spend hours meticulously aligning a gorgeous wallpaper that you love.
Dampness
Any areas of your home that are damp, wet, leaking, or feel a little too moist need to be addressed before you get into the beautification process. This might mean installing a dehumidifier fan in bathrooms; it might mean tearing out damp drywalls or carpets. Mould and mildew are serious health threats, and you won’t be doing yourself any favors by covering up waterlogged elements.
The above list includes some of the major areas of focus you need to have if you’re planning on working on a home that you’re going to live in for a long time. These sorts of repairs, while not always glamorous, make a big difference in how hard it is to maintain your home, the cost of keeping it running, and whether any additional improvements you make last.
