How to Best Prepare Your Rental Property for Fall
If you are the owner of a rental property, you know that it is absolutely necessary that you treat it like the large financial investment that it is, and do what you need to do in order to not only maintain monetary its value but also increase it. With summer in full swing, now is the time to start thinking about what the coming months will bring. Before we know it, the leaves will be turning and fall will be making its annual appearance. But before that happens, there are a few things that need to be addressed, in order to ensure that your rental property is in the best shape possible for the upcoming change in weather. Here are a few basic tips, to ensure that your property is ready for the upcoming autumn season that all landlords should know.
Clean The Gutters: Perhaps one of the most underrated tasks when it comes to the routine upkeep on any home, cleaning your rain gutters is extremely important to the overall welfare and maintenance of your property. It is best to get a head start on this while the weather is nice so you don’t have to do everything again when it is much colder outside. While up there, make sure that you are keeping an eye out for any cracks, loose connections, leaks or dents in your rain gutters. If there is a loose connection along the gutters now is the time to repair it. It is also important that the downspouts are far enough away from the house in order to ensure that all water runoff flows far enough away from the house to avoid any flooding. Cleaning and treating the gutters is much easier to do now as opposed to years past, with the right equipment, such as a strong leaf blower the job does not have to take more than a few minutes.
Check Your Furnace: Depending on where exactly your investment property is located a lot of tenants will end up turning their furnace on at some point during the early fall months. Fortunately, routine maintenance can not only extend the life of a furnace, but also provide you with peace of mind that it is safe, and function correctly. One of, if not the very first things that you need to do each year is changing the filter. This only takes about five minutes, and will help keep the unit running efficiently all year. You should also have a professional take a look at it – especially if it is an older model or if you have any concerns regarding how well it functions.
Windows and Doors: This is the time now to ensure that you have your doors and windows all properly sealed up. Over time, this is especially common in older homes, the seal around windows can begin to loosen causing cold air to enter the house. This can be extremely counterproductive when you think about the fact that you are shoveling out money to heat the house while letting cold air slip in and the heat slip out through these cracks. Depending on your situation this can be a costly fix, however, if caught early it can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run.