Friday, January 30, 2015

Home Upkeep

This may not seem like a financial type post but it is.  If you do not stay on top of your home upkeep it could cost you in the long run.   This is my opinion and what my hubby and I do to take proper care  of our home.
We have a contract with a local heating and cooling company.  We pay a yearly fee and they come out twice a year to give our heat pumps a check up.  If anything needs fixing they do it then and we get a discount on parts.  If something emergent should happen we get priority over someone that does not have a contract.   We have had a couple incidents where our heat pumps have had issues at bad times and they we were taken care of quickly.   Like the air not working in 100 degree weather.  
Here is another issue nobody wants to think about but, you better.  Termite inspection.  Our bug guy comes out once a year for a nominal fee and checks our house for termites.   They inspect and say if you are clear or not.  If there is no evidence of termites and at some point within the year you have termites they treat for free.  I feel like we live on an ant and termite hill.  We have termites in our garden because they eat our tomato stakes every year.   I am relieved that they have not made it to the house.  This is why our bug guy comes every year to check.   You may think these things are useless and not worth wasting your money but, I believe you keep your car in good working order with oil changes and tire rotations. You have invested far more money in your home so you should make sure everything in it,  is in good repair. 
With all of this being said, one more item you should check on yearly.  Do you have gas logs?   These should be checked and cleaned out yearly to ensure they are in proper working order.   So many things could happen if your gas logs are not working properly;  carbon monoxide leak, explosion, house fire, and a gas leak to name a few.  Each of those are very dangerous and worth having someone come out and inspect your logs. 
I believe each of these are worth looking into and well worth the money based on my experience.   

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