We all agree, how nice it is to live in your own home! But this does not necessarily need to be a new building, because a converted or older house can just be as good that, maybe even be better. At the same time, however, you should pay particular attention to older real estate to enjoy it for many years to come – and get its value in case you want to resell your home someday.
Let’s look at 10 tips on how to do this.
Tip 1: Do repairs without delay
Maintenance is key. Take care of necessary repairs immediately. Whether a drain is clogged, the gutter is leaking or the shutter is stuck… Do not postpone such supposed trivialities, but tackle them before they become a bigger problem. It does not always have to be a costly craftsman. Many things can be done by yourself or by friends. And if you ever need a professional you might be able to include his bill as an expense in your tax declaration.
Tip 2: Ventilate and heat properly
Even if the insulation has already been improved during the renovation, you can do even more to prevent condensation and mold. Do not place the windows in a tilt position for hours. Instead, it is advisable to have a breather once or twice a day, during which you open the windows for 5 to 10 minutes and turn off the heating. By the way, a cross ventilation is recommended for a complete exchange of air, in which the air flow pulls through the whole house. Open the intermediate doors and anchor them with a doorstop to prevent them from slamming.
Tip 3: Turn off water in winter
If you live in a climate with freezing cold winters turning off the water is a must. Maybe your house has pipes that lead to the garden or some unheated rooms like a garage. These should be turned off in winter, especially if there is a risk of frost. Otherwise a pipe break threatens because frozen water, meaning ice, needs more space in the pipe than liquid water. By the way, you should also completely empty the garden hose in winter, as it can also cause water damage.
Tip 4: Avoid moistening the wall
With heavy showers accompanied by heavy wind, you can usually wait for the walls to dry again. But not with snowdrifts: Anyone who does not actively remove the snow here risks damaging the walls. Then the mortar may crumble, and algae and mold can settle there. Therefore, you should always be mindful in winter. Even when snow clearing be careful to don’t shovel the snow directly on the house and garage walls.
Tip 5: Protect your parquet and laminate floors
Delicate floors should be treated gently. Dirt and moisture on the footwear damage parquet and laminate. Take off your shoes before entering or lay a runner where you cannot avoid entering with wet or dirty footwear. Be careful with potted plants and their irrigation water with these floor coverings. Place the plants in a saucer so that no soil or moisture reaches the floor of your home.
Tip 6: Use balcony plants sparingly, but pour more frequently
Many people when watering their balcony plants water so generously that the irrigation water runs down the balcony floor and walls. But watch out, here too will happen moisture damage. Keep in mind, it is better to pour a little more frequently, but well dosed, so that the water does not permanently damage the walls. By the way, frequent watering but with less water is also better for most plants.
Tip 7: Only burn dry and untreated wood in your wood stove
Some people dispose of lacquered or impregnated wood in their wood-burning oven. Not only does this cause harmful fumes, it also does not go well with your heating. It creates soot deposits in the exhaust pipe and chimney. Gloss is particularly dangerous as a result of too moist wood or too little oxygen. Because it can ignite and cause a chimney fire with temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Celsius. Therefore, only fire your stove with untreated, dry wood.
Tip 8: Do a spring check
And again, we talk about maintenance for your home. Fall and winter are regularly causing some damage to a building. There might be clogged gutters and downpipes, cracks in the plaster, roof tiles loosened by storm or peeling paint. Here, fast action is often required! Best you get a checklist of what to look out for. In some areas this checklist can be found at the Association of Private Builders.
Tip 9: Where water vapor is generated, air immediately
In dry rooms it is sufficient to ventilate once or twice a day. Not so in rooms where steam is created. We are talking about the bathroom after bathing and showering or in the kitchen during and after cooking. Even if it is still cold outside, ventilate the steam immediately. By the way, the bedroom should also be well ventilated, because steam also gets into the room air during sleep by respiring. And you know, when water vapor sets on cool walls, mold quickly turns up.
Tip 10: Ask chimney sweeper for advice
A heating system usually offers a lot of optimization potential. However, if you ask your heating engineer about this, you will not necessarily receive neutral information – because as an entrepreneur, he may have an interest in selling you something new. The chimney sweeper comes into the house anyway. And if you ask him, he can certainly give you a lot of good advice for the right setting of your heating system or for ideal heating behaviour in your property. Try it, it can be worth it!
An existing property can be a lot of fun!
Are you still dreaming of your own home, but have not found one that suits you and your needs? Look no further.
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