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 For those who want to invest in the future, but still want a
little extra left in their savings, and are willing and able to work
with their own two hands; these ideas gravitate towards a smaller
price range.
Outdoor Painting
The seasonal transition is a good moment to check for anything
around the home that needs a touch-up, starting with the outside.
It’s important to check around the home and be sure that paint is
not bubbling or flaking or starting to fade. If left unchecked,
cracked paint can leave material underneath exposed to winter
elements, including excess moisture, which will only be a bigger
problem later on.
Luckily, outdoor painting doesn’t require anything more than a few
necessary tools and some handiwork. Outdoor paint may be a little
more expensive than indoor paint, but doing it on your own should be
more than worth it in terms of labor costs. Besides, depending on
how a home rests on the property, you may only see a need for a
light touch-up, not a full new coat.
Power Washing
After a summer of gathering grime and dust, the exterior will need
to be cleaned before painting anything on the outside of the house.
Fortunately, power washers are no longer just a tool of the
commercial world.
While the cheapest models are still an expensive purchase, it’s
still typically something you only need to purchase once. As long as
it’s properly used and stored, a power washer can last for quite a
while.
It’s also possible to rent this equipment, if you really aren’t one
hundred percent sure your use would justify the cost.
The cheapest pressure washers spray water at around 1,200 PSI. This
is enough to cause serious damage to a person, so remember: Safety
first. A pressure washer is like any other powerful tool; it may
look like fun and games (and it may be fun to use), but safety is no
laughing matter. Remember to turn off any external electrical
sources, and be careful near utility lines.
Pressure washers are typically loaded with detergent, depending on
what sort of cleaning you need to do. Mildew may call for a bit of
bleach, depending on how much is found on the house.
The great thing about a pressure washer is that it can wash more
than just the walls. Pressure washers are good for cleaning decks
and porches as well. While cleaning may take a few passes, it’s a
relatively fast way to clean, and definitely not boring.
Window Sealing
While you’re outside, now is a good time to check around the windows
for any leaks in the seal. This is important for two reasons.
First, there’s nothing more frustrating than finding that one leak
in a window that’s letting in the cold air in during the dead of
winter. Once you find it, no amount of heat can make one forget
about it.
The second reason to check window seals is one of health and safety.
Much like cracking paint, holes in a seal can lead to excess
moisture building up and turning to mold. Moisture can lead to
bigger damages in the surrounding structure altogether.
 Luckily, caulking a seal is still easy to do with the right
equipment, although the type caulking gun can be a cheap or
expensive purchase. Then again, a good caulk tool is built to last,
so consider this a worth-while expense, even if you (hopefully)
don’t need it as much in the future.
There are also a number of adhesive foam substitutes and filler
substances that work well for smaller repairs, or for specific
places that need sealing, like a window AC unit.
Prepare Yard Equipment
While you’re outside checking on the walls and windows, be sure to
put away and prepare yard tools for storage. This is probably one of
the cheapest things to do in maintaining a home, since it really
only requires you to move things and take them apart. Now is the
time to drain the lawn mower of oil and use up the rest of the gas
in it. Roll up any garden hoses and disconnect them from a faucet.
Bring any sprinklers you have inside as well. Then you can put all
of that away, likely trading places with the winter equipment, and
you won’t have to think about it again until the spring.
Declutter with Pegboard
A pegboard is a giant piece of wood full of small holes that
everyone’s grandfather has in their garage. A pegboard provides a
space to hang tools that are held by nails, hooks, hangers, and all
sorts of extra fasteners that one has lying around. A pegboard is
the easiest form of do-it-yourself organization. There’s no overly
complicated set of instructions; it’s just a piece of wood with
holes in it.
With fall approaching, certain tools will need a place to hang until
the winter passes. But you may want to keep them accessible just in
case, and a pegboard is good place for that.
Removing and
Replacing Plants
While the weather is still agreeable, now is the perfect time to
consider removing or replacing any old plants in the yard. Removing
old plants, while tiresome, should prove cheap enough. All you need
is a good shovel, a pair of branch cutters, or possibly a hatchet
for thicker roots. By the time fall arrives, it should be easy to
tell which plants might not grow back at all during the spring. Replacing plants or bushes can wait until the spring, unless you
want to plant something new that will help block the winter winds.
In that case, if one has the space for it, now is the time to plant
evergreen trees. Evergreens are relatively expensive, but could
ultimately be worth the cost.
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Check the furnace
The furnace will certainly see its use once winter arrives in full
swing. Now is the right time to be sure it will still work properly
when winter comes. It’s one thing if a small leak lets in the cold;
it’s another level of annoyance altogether when the furnace dies in
the middle of December.
The easiest parts of maintaining a furnace are still relatively
cheap. Be sure to check the furnace filter; it’s likely time to
replace the filter anyway after a summer or more of gathering dust
and filth.
Additionally, depending on the age of a given furnace, you may be
able to clean some of it yourself. What seems like a troublesome
pilot light, for example, may really just be a case of excess carbon
buildup. In that case, all you need is a wire brush, some gloves,
and a stiff metal file. Be sure to turn off the gas or electrical
first; no need to blow up the house just because the furnace is
dirty.
Drain the Water Heater
If your home is like most homes, the water heater likely sits right
next to the furnace. Since you’re in the basement or the utility
closet, now is a good time to check on the water heater as well.
Most experts recommend draining the water heater once a year to
remove built up sediment. A buildup of sediment doesn’t hurt
anything per se, but it forces the water heater to work a little
harder, which uses more energy and costs more money in the long run.
Luckily, draining a water heater only requires a little time and a
garden hose. Shut off the water beforehand, and the power if you
have an electrical heater. Attach a garden hose to the drain valve
that should sit at the bottom of the tank. Run the hose outside, and
open the pressure valve, which is likely on the top of the tank. The
water will drain for a few minutes, and then all you have to do is
turn the valves back and disconnect the hose. If you do it right,
you’ll have new water in the tank and extra money in your pocket
that you didn’t have to spend on energy bills.
Outlet and Switch Covers
This suggestion is more for the sake of decoration, although it can
be a good idea to replace your outlet and switch covers for the sake
of safety as well. Covers can be purchased at any hardware store,
and all you need to install them is a simple screwdriver. For
safety, be sure to shut the power off first, especially before any
new installation. If you’re feeling confident and you have the
skill, now is the time to install new outlets or switches,
especially if you’re just moving in. But that is a skill that not
everyone has, and a hazard you may not want to take a chance on.
Replacing covers is important for two reasons. The first reason, as
mentioned, is one of safety. Old covers crack and wear down over
time, which can possibly expose the electrical components behind
them. This can be a problem if anything creeps in to the wall, like
moisture.
The second reason it’s important to replace covers is an aesthetic
one. While the outlets and the switches should definitely stick out
and be apparent, you don’t want them to be eyesores. Luckily, covers
can be painted; so if you can’t spend the money on new covers, you
can at least paint them a different color (just be sure you take
them off the wall first).
Check the Pipes
Plumbing can be a very intimidating and confusing thing. However, it
can also be quite surprising to check and see just how much of a
plumbing can actually be fixed with a strong pair of hands, a
bucket, and a wrench. Admittedly, plumbing might not be the first
thing one thinks of when transitioning from summer to fall, but a
lack of frozen pipes in the winter is worth an inspection now.
An inspection might be the most expensive thing on the list, as
certified inspectors should provide the most informed opinion on
plumbing.
For anyone moving into a home, it’s too easy to imagine this
scenario. You get moved in, all the furniture is inside, the power
is on, and the water is ready to go. Then you hear the dripping
under the bathroom sink.
Luckily for the new homeowner, fixing the leak is as easy as turning
off the water, disconnecting the pipe (and take a moment to clean it
out- you never know how many months of filth have built up in it),
and tightening it back on as strong as possible. Sometimes even a
leaky faucet just needs the same thing. The various parts of a
faucet are coated in grime as time moves on, and sometimes the best
thing for a sink is to take it apart and wipe everything down. This
is easy, so long as you remember how it came apart so you can put it
back together.
In the world of home improvement, sometimes the best way to save
money is just do it yourself. It can be all-too tempting to call a
professional in for what, in all reality, can easily be fixed or
adjusted with one’s own two hands, the right tools, a little elbow
grease, or maybe just a little imagination.
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