Top 7 Maintenance Tips in 7 minutes of less…

You’re probably noticed that this month we’ve been focusing on the importance of maintenance. It’s something we’ve built the foundation of our company on. However, let’s be honest, we all get busy and things often tend to get lost in the shuffle.

However, your house should be like your car and regular tune ups are required. If you’re not prepared to spend the money on your investment property, this may not be the right investment strategy for you. We decided to put together a list of  Welcome Home’s checklist of 7 things you can keep on top of, each in 7 minutes or fewer.

1. Replace your furnace filters on a quarterly basis

I’ve preached on this many times before – just do it!

2. Vacuum the condenser coils at the back of your fridge annually

This is a good one too and one we are all guilty of. The more it clogs up the higher the likelihood of burning out the motor on your fridge

3.Clean the air conditioner grill and register

On the topic of cleaning it’s a good idea at the beginning or end of the season to do this for your air conditioner as well.

4. Inspect your furnace

Any signs of rust or scale? Any weird noises? If so, book a professional inspection.

5. Dust and test your smoke and monoxide detectors (twice a year).

Did you know that legally it’s the Landlord’s responsibility to test these and ensure they are working. You could end up with a big fine, if you don’t.

6 Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (annually)

7. Pick a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet (GFCI) and test it

Push the Test button, check that this has popped out the Reset button and that anything hooked up to the outlet will no longer power on. Push Reset and you’re good to go. Test a different GFCI outlet next time.

Spend the time now, especially as we creep closer to the winter months to ensure your investment property is performing at peak efficiency. Trust me – you’ll thank me now and not on that cold January night when something fails!