4 Home Exterior Repairs You Shouldn’t Neglect

Your home is so much more than a building; it’s where you unwind at the end of the day. It’s where you support your family throughout the trials and tribulations of life. It’s an investment—maybe it’s even part of your retirement plan. It might be part of what you hope to leave for your children. Your home is your safe space. It’s where you don’t need to perform for the world. All this being said, your home can also be a source of endless tasks and projects. It can be overwhelming to come home and find yourself faced with dozens of things that need to be done. The following will help focus your list of potential home projects; here are four exterior repairs you shouldn’t neglect.

Why Focus On The Exterior?

There are three reasons to focus on exterior repairs when you’re prioritizing your home project list. The first is that your home’s curbside appeal is a huge component of your home’s value. People’s first impression of your home (what they see from the curb) dramatically impacts their final impression; if they have a great first impression, they’re more likely to overlook problems inside. Likewise, big closets and lots of counter space can’t completely eradicate people’s initial feeling of “meh.” Money put into the exterior has a higher chance of earning the homeowner money in terms of home value than many other efforts.

The second reason is that the exterior of your home is functionally designed to protect the interior of your home. If you need roof maintenance, for instance, there’s a much higher chance that the weather, particularly moisture, can get into your home and damage your property. Mould and mildew growth often results from moisture getting into a home and can cause a myriad of health problems for people and animals that live within.

Finally, the exterior elements of your home are often major factors in your utility expenses. If there are roofing, siding, or window sealing issues and you’re heating or airconditioning your space, all that ideal-temperature air is escaping costing you way more than you need to be spending. Having proper insulation can also protect you from pest problems and faster wear and tear from exposure to the elements.

Drainage Issues

If you’ve noticed that patches of your yard are thriving while others are parched or if your yard gathers pools of water after the rain, this is a good indication that you have drainage problems. Drainage problems can cause foundation issues as well as make maintaining a garden or yard extremely difficult. It’s a good idea to address drainage issues as soon as you notice them in order to reduce possible damage done to your home but also to avoid wasting gardening efforts. If the ground won’t properly hold or drain water, it doesn’t matter how much time you spend tending to your plants; they’re probably going to struggle.

The Roof

Your roof is one of the most essential parts of your home. As mentioned above, it helps protect your interior from moisture as well as keep your utility bills manageable. The roof is also one of the major components that people think about when looking into a home’s value.

Weatherstripping

One very inexpensive repair that can work wonders for your utilities and pest control efforts is weatherstripping. This involves applying a self-adhering foam strip on the edges of windows and doors to prevent light, air, moisture, and bugs from easily entering or exiting your home. You might be shocked to discover how much easier it is to keep your home at an ideal temperature once weatherstripping has been employed.

Gutter Repairs

If there are issues with your gutters like clogging, holes or lack of attachment, it’s a good idea to fix this quickly. Having gutters helps keep your roof in ideal shape, but it can also keep your home’s siding and foundation from being damaged by pooling water. Gutters guide water to an ideal location where drainage is optimal. Without this guidance, water can pool in problematic places causing further issues that are expensive.

The above information should have given you an idea of a few critical exterior repairs for your home. Of course, every home and every climate is different, and this means that there might be things not on this list that are of vital importance for your property. For the best results, speak to a local real estate professional; they’ll be able to tell you what elements people in the area tend to value when home searching and which repairs best improve your home’s worth. You can also talk to local contractors who will let you know about any weather or climate-specific steps you should take to keep your home in pristine condition.