Maintenance responsibilities come with being a homeowner. Some first-time homeowners may not realize this at the start, which can lead to a host of short-term and long-term issues.
Make sure to avoid these common first-time homeowner mistakes.
Ignoring growth of nearby trees
Trees are a nice addition to your home. They can help provide outdoor shade and improve the overall look of your property. But if they are too close to the house, large branches may fall off and land on the roof. Tree roots of nearby mature trees can also weaken the foundation of your home.
Additionally, squirrels and another animals may use tree branches as a bridge to get to your home, where they can chip away at wood and electric cables. You could find yourself calling an electrician to fix power outages.
Best to trim any nearby trees so that they won’t cause any headaches.
Postponing the gutter cleanup
Those leaves and twigs in the gutter may seem harmless, but once they start building up, they can lead to a number of issues.
Rainwater won’t flow properly in a clogged gutter. Instead of easily flowing down to downspouts, water will overflow and pour into the fascia and soffit. When this happens frequently, it can cause your roof to leak.
If you don’t have time to routinely clean up your gutters, you can always hire professional help.
Leaving piles of wood on the porch
As the colder months start to close in, you might be thinking of gathering firewood in advance. Just make sure to avoid piling them by the porch or anywhere near the house. Why?
Wood can attract unwanted pests like termites and roaches. Once they find where you’re keeping your firewood supply, they will most likely find their way inside your home.
It’s standard practice to store firewood approximately 20 feet away from the main house. A shed or an outhouse is a good place to store your firewood supply.
Not mowing the grass or doing other lawn work
Speaking of unwanted pests, long and overgrown grass makes for a suitable dwelling for rodents.
Grass can grow fairly quickly and you may have a number reasons to keep postponing the chore, but do so at your own risk. And if the pests aren’t enough motivation, city officials could also slap you with overgrowth fines.
In addition, fallen leaves in your lawn can cause mildew growth. If you just leave them there to gather, these dead leaves will prevent the grass from getting essential nutrients. Come fall, make sure to take out the rake and keep your lawn in good form.
Ignoring cracks in the driveway
When left by itself, a crack in the driveway can grow bigger over time. This can cause puddles of water to form — an unsightly image.
When winter comes, snow can seep through the cracks and freeze. When this happens, the ice expands and can cause an enlargement of the cracked area.
Use a concrete crack filler to fill in these gaps. If you have an asphalt driveway, you can use a pourable or tubed asphalt patch.
