homeownership

New Year Audit

January 11, 2018 By Chris

Now that the whirlwind of the holidays has subsided, the beginning of the year is a perfect time to give yourself and your home an audit. A new year audit should provide you with a full picture of your financial standing and your home’s health, both of which are important as a homeowner. If you’re looking to enter the real estate market this year, an audit can benefit you as well; letting you know what needs improvement before you take the next step.

New Year Audit | Chris Hounchell

Your Budget

Take the time to review your income versus expenses each month. This will help you identify any trends in your expenses and help you budget accordingly for the next year. It allows shows you areas where you can reduce your spending. If you’ve paid off a debt this year, take that money and apply it to your next debt or roll it into your savings.

Your Goals

Take time to set goals for yourself this year. Do you want to sell or buy a home or save for a BIG vacation? Now is the time to decide what you’re going to work towards this year. Once you know what you want, you need to set up the plan for how you’ll reach your goal. If you’re looking to buy, work towards paying off debt, saving a down payment, and researching potential neighborhoods. If you’re aiming to sell your home this year, look around your home from an outsider’s perspective and make the necessary repairs and updates that will help you secure the best price for your property.

Your Insurance

Life is full of uncertainty. Take the time to review your homeowners (or renters) insurance policy as well as your life insurance policy. Make sure your property policy covers not only rebuilding costs but also injury and your personal possessions. Life insurance should cover at least six months’ worth of expenses for each adult in the home.

An audit doesn’t need to become a dreaded task. If you get into the habit of reviewing these items once a year and keep your records, you’ll better be able to predict your needs for future years.

3 What If Situations to Consider As a Homeowner

October 30, 2017 By Chris

You’ve found your dream home, you’ve signed all the paperwork, and the keys are now in your hand. Your only financial obligation is to pay the mortgage on time every month, right? Wrong. While you had a lot to consider during the home buying process, now that you’re a homeowner you have even more things to consider.

What If Something Happens to the House?

Almost every homeowner purchases an insurance policy for the property but does it go far enough? An insurance policy may cover the cost to rebuild but what about your personal belongings? If your home is so damaged that it’s uninhabitable you should either have enough money in savings to afford an alternative place to live or have a rider in your insurance policy to cover your living expenses. Homes in areas such as Florida and California should be protected by flood insurance and earthquake insurance policies, respectively.

3 What Ifs to Consider As a Homeowner

What If You’re Injured?

Accidents happen and while many of us don’t like to dwell on the idea that we could be hurt, as a homeowner it’s something you should consider. Are you eligible for state sponsored disability insurance through your employer? Does your employer offer plans that bolster a state plan? Disability insurance can help provide you with a steady source of income if you’ve been injured and are unable to work. This will allow you to continue making payments of your financial obligations including your mortgage payment.

What If You Died?

The old adage “there’s nothing certain but death and taxes” is accurate. We’re all going to die one day and while we hope it’ll be after a long and happy life, it’s beneficial to your family to consider what will happen to your house when the time comes. If you don’t think you’re mortgage will be paid off when the time comes, it may be beneficial to have a life insurance policy that covers the expected balance. A will is another important item to have. In addition to your immediate last wishes, a will can instruct your heirs to keep the house or sell it and divide the profits according to your directions.

As a homeowner you can’t plan for ever situation that may go wrong but you can plan for the big ones. A little bit of preventative effort can go a long way when you’re in the thick of it. Many of these considerations aren’t expensive either and can save you in long run.

Tips For Closing Your Pool For the Season

September 15, 2015 By Chris

While the temperatures may still be warm, summer is quickly winding down and fall with its cooler temperatures will be here before you know. Don’t let closing your pool become an afterthought. Having a pool is a huge investment in your home and one that needs proper maintenance in order to avoid it becoming a huge problem. Closing your pool isn’t as intimidating a project as many homeowners think either. Follow our tips for a smooth closing and good winter maintenance.

Treat your water. Five to seven days before closing your pool, test your water and then treat it accordingly to bring the calcium, pH, and alkalinity into the correct range. Shock the pool with chlorine to kill any bacteria. Let the chlorine levels come back down to normal range before proceeding with your closing.
Clean and clear your pool. Scrub the walls of the pool and then vacuum the pool. This will help keep algae at bay and make opening easier. Remove all accessories such as ladders, handrails, slides, vacuums, etc. from the pool and store them in a shed or garage away from the winter elements.
Lower your water level. Using your filter or a separate pump, reduce the water level to below the skimmer. In the event of freezing, this will provide enough room for the water to expand without damaging your pool.
Backwash and drain your filter system. Backwashing the filter will remove all the water in the filter. Drain all of the water lines and blow them out using an air compressor.
Cover the pool. Using a solid, opaque cover for your pool keeps debris out of the water and reduces the ability of algae to form in the water. It also helps keep unwanted guests, namely children and animals, out of the water although you should still practice proper pool safety even in the off season.

Closing your pool the correct way will allow for an easier opening once temperatures warm back up in the spring and allow you to enjoy your pool sooner.

Spring Clean Your Landscape

February 24, 2015 By Chris

While the rest of the country may still be buried under all of that snow, spring is quickly finding it’s way back to Florida. Regardless if you’re attempting to sell your home or not, you’ll want your landscaping to present a maintained look. Not only does a maintained lawn look nice it is also a sign to intruders that someone lives in the property and your home isn’t an easy target for break-ins and thefts. Keeping clutter at bay and pruned lawns, trees, and bushes will also help repel other unwanted visitors like rodents, snakes, and bugs that can get into your home and cause serious damages.

Clear the clutter.

The first thing to do when you spring clean your landscape is to remove all the debris that’s built up over the winter months. Litter, fallen leaves, and dead plants and weeds from last season should be collected and disposed. Now is a perfect time to look around your property and get rid of any pieces of outdoor furniture that is broken or you will no longer use. If you have a shed or other outbuilding, check around it to see if there are any scrap materials that need to be trashed as well.

Raking your lawn is also recommended to help remove thatch build up. Bushes and trees should be pruned back. Bushes should stay clear of windows and entryways both for aesthetics and safety. Any branches that have suffered damage through the winter should be pruned. Branches that hang over any part of the house, a sidewalk, or a fence should be cut back to prevent damage should they fall down. If a branch is especially large or high or the entire tree needs to be removed, we recommend you higher a professional arborist to handle the task.

Make it effortless.

No one wants to be out in their garden all spring and summer pulling weeds. To keep your planting beds weed free lay down landscape fabric. (Experts advise against landscape fabric in vegetable/fruit beds.) Native plants such as leather ferns, century plants, and blue stem grass can fill your beds and require minimal assistance to survive in the Floridan climate. Adding mulch around your bushes, plants, and flowers will help keep moisture in the soil, weeds out, and provide an attractive finish to your beds. Professional landscapers recommend mulch be spread to a depth of at least two inches and replaced at least twice a year.

Have the right tools.

Spring is also the perfect time to have your irrigation system checked if you have one. Look for and replace missing or broken spray heads. Check to make sure all spray heads fully clear the ground when turned on and retract completely after the system has been turned off. Make sure the water pressure is correct and the spray heads point to the grass or bushes and not onto sidewalks or the house. Most systems come complete with the ability to program when the system turns on and off. Refer to your local ordinances for water conservation and schedule your system accordingly, the best time to water is in the evening.

Inspect your lawnmower and any other equipment you plan to use to keep your lawn trimmed. Clean out the undercarriage of the mower. Gasoline powered motors are much like your car’s engine and require regular maintenance. Make sure the oil level is adequate and the air filter is clean. Experts suggest that the spark plug be replaced every year to ensure a swift start-up. The mower blade needs to remain sharp for an easy cut and healthy grass. It’s recommended that you take the blade to a local hardware or landscape store to have it sharpened for a nominal fee. Your blades should also be adjusted to keep your grass at a height of 2-1/2 to 3 1/2 inches.

Much like our fall home maintenance tips, these tasks can be tackled over one weekend, cost very little to complete, and the results will pay off for the rest of your spring and summer.

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