You may think that once you’ve moved into your brand new home in a new retirement community that your work is done. This is only partly true. There are several things you should do after you move in to keep your home looking and operating like new.
Periodic Maintenance
These include monthly maintenance like changing your air filter, cleaning your disposal blades by running ice cubes through it, and checking for leaks around toilets and under sinks. Periodically check all grout and caulking for any cracks, as this can occur due to shrinkage. Of course, you’ll want to maintain your appliances and have them repaired at the first sign of trouble.
Twice a year you should have your roof (please don’t try to do this yourself) and the exterior of your home inspected. Check the operation of all windows and shutters if you have them. You should have your heating and air conditioning system inspected and serviced twice a year as well, once at the start of summer, and again before the winter heating season.
Your home warranty information provided by your builder may have additional hints and tips for keeping your home in tip-top shape year round.
Pest Control
In some states like Florida, having a pest control service company come to your home regularly is essential in keeping your home both comfortable and free of insects and other pests. Without it you may have some unwanted roommates. Most non-natives, especially Northerners are surprised at the amount of pests in the south, but unfortunately the climate helps them thrive. The great weather might be what brought you here, and the bugs like it just as well.
The pest control company will usually start you off with an initial “kill everything in sight” type of service and maintain regular visits every 60 to 90 days. If you are still seeing bugs in your home, most companies will come out in between scheduled visits to try and get rid of the problem. Look in the phone book under “pest control” for companies providing service in your area.
If you are having a new home built, another pest control option is to have pest tubes installed in your walls. This is done after the framing stage, and before the insulation and drywall are put in. In the future, when the pest control company comes to your home, they service the tubes inside your walls from a base station outside, eliminating the need for you to be home when they come and eliminating the need for them to come inside. These tubes aren’t something normally offered by most builders, so you might have to ask. They should not be very expensive, because pest control companies that work with them will install them for next to nothing in the hopes of making up for the expense when they sign you to a service contract. Not all pest control companies service these pest tubes, but more and more are doing so as they gain popularity.
Photo credit: aresaauburn on flickr