(425) 308-1188 mitzi@camanorealty.com

You’ll often see articles written about how to increase the value of your home, how to up your curb appeal, or tips and tricks to get the most for your buck, but what isn’t as commonly talked about are the simple mistakes that many homeowners make. We aren’t talking about major mistakes, but rather simple mistakes that any one of us could make and not even realize the mistake we’ve made before in some cases, it’s too late.

Test Carpet Cleaners – As a homeowner keeping highly traffic areas clean is always a priority, but unfortunately even by cleaning your carpets, you could be causing more harm than good. Be sure to test your carpet cleaner on a small hidden patch of carpet prior to use to ensure you don’t have a patchy chemical stained carpet as an end result.

New Caulk – When winter hits it is easy to start noticing any drafts that your home may have. Adding caulk to a window seal isn’t a bad thing, however, you need to remove all of the old caulking prior to applying the new caulk. By applying over old caulk the new material won’t be able to get a good seal and you could end up with a visual eye sore and a draft that still hasn’t been fixed.

Replacing Filters – It is extremely easy to forget to replace filters, unfortunately by doing so you are not only affecting the air quality in your home, but you are also reducing efficiency. Set alarms or make your calendar to make sure your filters are changed regularly.

Pressure Washing – Pressure washing seems to be one of the single most recommended ways to boost your curb appeal, and while that isn’t wrong by any means, it needs to be done correctly. Always start pressure washing on the lowest setting or make sure you are far enough back to not cause damage to the surface you are cleaning. By using full force you could be embedding water within the material that can later lead to mold problems.

Light Bulbs – More often than not light bulbs seem to go out in multiples, one after another. Whether you decide to do all your lights at once or wait for bulbs to burn out, switching to high-efficiency bulbs can save drastically on energy bills. Don’t make this simple mistake and toss money down the drain.

More: 5 Easy Fixer-Upper Projects to Add Value to Your Home

Pruning Trees – Once again, it is commonly recommended to prune trees in order to boost curb appeal, however, this also needs to be done properly in order to avoid problems down the line. Wait to prune trees until the tree has gone dormant for the winter and no longer has any leaves, by pruning too early your tree will be more susceptible to tree-borne diseases.

Contact First Fruits Landscaping for Pruning and Lawn Care in Snohomish and Skagit County

Chimney Sweep – It is so easy to forget to have a chimney cleaned, especially because you never see the inside of the chimney so often it reverts to out of sight, out of mind. By ignoring and not scheduling regular sweeps you are at a much higher risk for house fires.

Luckily all of these mistakes can be easily avoided, sometimes we just need to be aware of the common mistakes homeowners may make. As with any home project, be sure to do your research before taking on a project, regardless of how simple it may be to ensure that you complete the project both correctly and accurately, in addition, set any needed reminders to tend to filters, gutters, and batteries to make sure your home is always up to date.