2/03/2018

Home Disasters You Want To Avoid



It can be one of those things in life that you truly aim for. Owning your own home is a big step to take, and is by far, one of the biggest financial decisions, and perhaps the most expensive one, you ever make. Owning a home can fill you with excitement. You can often be buzzing with inspiration and ideas on what you want to do with the place as soon as you get the keys. But it isn’t all roses and plain sailing.

There are times in your home ownership life that you can feel that your house is a hindrance and not a fun place. Things can go wrong, and often they will, even if you think you are as prepared as can be for every possible scenario. I wanted to share with you some of the most common home disasters anyone of us can face at some point, and hopefully, offer you some insight on how you can move forward or better prepare for them in the future. 
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Plumbing issues

When was the last time you paid attention to the pipework in your home? I can imagine quite some time ago. The thing is unless something is going wrong, you are less likely to actually check these things because out of sight out of mind. However, when there is an issue with your pipes, it can cause you a whole host of problems. If in doubt always seeks some professional advice from experts like ABC Home & Commercial. One of the most common things, especially at the time of year, is the sudden drop in temperature which can cause outside and exterior pipes to freeze. Once they thaw as the temperature rises or the sun shines, they can burst and cause big leaks. A quick tip to avoid this would be to protect exposed pipework with an outer case of foam to ensure that the temperature inside the pipe doesn’t reach freezing point. You should also check regularly for any damage that could be caused to the pipes. A burst pipe or a leak can end up causing you other issues with damage to your property. If in doubt, call a plumber to rectify any smaller issues to avoid any big disasters in the future. 

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Heating problems

Heating is always going to be something we might take for granted, especially during the winter months. But boy do we know about it if there is a problem and all of a sudden the house feels cold. It’s not pleasant, and it can be quite alarming, especially if you have younger children in your home that you need to keep warm. Any heating issues should be dealt with by a proper engineer who is an expert in the type of heating system you have. Often the heating issues can be an easy fix, but if you do need to replace something larger like a boiler or any radiators in your home then it can end up being quite pricey. A good tip would be to save a small amount each month to put aside for family and home emergencies such as this so that you are protected should things go wrong in the home and need replacing quite quickly.

Creepy critters

Not many of us are fans of the creepy crawly kind, are we? But if you are not too careful your home can become their haven. Some of the most common pests tend to be things like bees or wasps, cockroaches and flies and even things like mice and rats. None of which are pensent to deal with. If you start to find evidence that you may have a problem with these sort of critters then the best advice would be to get the pest control in as soon as possible. A quick search online should highlight a local company who could deal with this for you. What you should also do si check to ensure that you are doing all you can to avoid the problem in the first place. Holes near where pipes enter your home are a prime entry point, filling them in as well as things like cracks could also be a good idea. 

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Drainage issues

We all have those yearly chores that go on the “to do” list and some of them are not exactly the easiest or funnest jobs to do. One of the big things can be to do with drainage. Such as clearing out the gutters or getting rid of garden debris near drains when autumn and winter have caused havoc in your garden. However, failing to keep up with those chores could mean that drainage can get blocked, which then causes issues as water from rain or drainage from your home has no way of escaping. It is always best to schedule in time to get these chores done once and for all, providing you with peace of mind once they are done.

Problems with the exterior

There will always be problems at some stage with the exterior of your home. Cracks in brickwork or cladding, issues with holes or foundation problems. It isn’t always something you can predict, but it is always a good idea to make sure that you spot the signs of problems and get them resolved at your earliest convenience. Leaving things like that to prolong could cause you a more expensive repair in the future.

Renovations gone wrong

Finally, you may have plans to renovate your home, and this could be a great way to improve your home and also increase the value. However, it can also be a problem when things don’t always go to plan. Renovations are a big deal and they cost a lot, so if you end up running low on the budget you run the risk of not finishing a project. Other issues could be hiring the wrong building firm to do the work and end up with issues that cost you more in the long term. The best advice with projects like this is to budget and plan carefully, covering yourself for every eventuality.

I hope that this has highlighted some of the home disasters that could go wrong and offered you some ideas on how to avoid them.

3 comments:

  1. Very good tips, especially for procrastinaters like me. It's always important to have and emergency fund. The easiest for us is a credit union account that comes directly out of our check.

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  2. This is so true! We do have a plumbing and heating service that comes by and does preventive maintenance on our home. We currently have a couple of plumbing issues that we are going to have our home warranty cover.

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  3. We had to repair cracks in our foundation that left too long made large holes. It awas a mess and would have been less trouble fixing right away.

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