Fall Maintenance Tasks Every Homeowner Should Tackle Now

With the arrival of fall, homeowners tend to think about what needs to be done before winter sets in and as the weather continues to be nice. Experts say taking care of routine maintenance tasks now can save consumers aggravation and money down the road. “If you don’t do these things and you end up having to do repairs, it can cost so much more later,” says Leah Ingram, cost advisor for HomeAdvisor.com and publisher of SuddenlyFrugal.com. One year, Ingram says she did not have the leaves removed from the roof of her New Jersey home, which would have cost about $300 for a professional crew to complete, resulting in an ice dam that caused $3,000 in damage from water leaks inside the house. Other home maintenance tasks to tackle now include repairing any roof damage, cleaning the chimney and fireplace, and checking smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Consumers also need to make sure they have an adequate number of fire extinguishers and they are in the right place. They should also change filters in heating and air conditioning units and caulk around the windows to prevent cold air from entering. | Read More