Charleston Info and Real Estate

3 Home Tips to better living:

Well, I just got back from 2 weeks in Alaska and during my trip we had a bit of an air conditioning (AC) issue.  As a resident in SC a functioning HVAC unit is imperative to happiness and good health.  As we arrived in Ketchican, AK I received a text that said the fire department showed up in the middle of the night because my AC unit exploded with sparks.  My dog/house sitter woke up to 86 degrees in the house which is a bit warm.  If you're buying a home make sure you get the sellers to buy you a home warranty.  I can tell you first hand it was nice to make one call and 24 hours later my AC was working again.  This made me think, as a new home owner what do I need to be doing and in turn what do I need to be telling my buyer clients. 

Here are 3 major things to be checking on a regular basis because they are expensive to replace and repair.

     1. Have your HVAC unit tuned up annually.  This make it run smoothly and in turn will keep your utility costs lower.             My AC unit is 23 years old and I know it's gonna go any day now but thanks to my home warranty it'll be covered.  

      It's also lasted that long b/c it's been tuned up 2x/year for the life of it.   

     2. Have your roof inspected regularly.  Some people say annually but I'm not a roof expert so go with what the pro's               say.  I'm about to call a tree company and get estimates on having large limbs that are over my roof removed so there             are no issues down the road. 

     3. Here is SC when it rains it rains.  It's more of a deluge than even a rainfall.  So, keep those gutters clear.  If you have           a crawl space it's even more important to keep them clean so water drains away from your home properly.  I had a                 client lose a home because the FHA loan would not finance it because the crawl space showed too much moisture. 

Well, I'm off to Lowes, again, to update, fix, and repair my downstairs bathroom. This will include filling in holes in the drywall, replacing a sink, changing out the light and hanging a new mirror.  Let the fun begin!