Home Maintenance Jobs Worth Booking Before the Seasons Turn

The best time to fix a house is when nothing is broken.

It seems backwards doesn’t it? Yet every contractors phone rings starting the week the weather changes. Prices go up, wait lists get longer, and a small problem suddenly turns into an emergency issue.

Here’s the thing…

Most household budget wrecking jobs give you months of notice. A drain that starts to slow down. A furnace that takes three starts to turn on. A gutter clog that dumps water over every time it rains.

Ignore them and they’ll wait for the worst possible weekend to fail.

OK, schedule away. Book your mundane shifts today when it’s nice out and you have lots of time.

Let’s get into it…

What’s coming up:

• Why Sewer Line Repair Belongs At The Top
• Heating Checks That Pay For Themselves
• Roof, Gutter And Drainage Work
• Small Leaks That Turn Into Big Claims
• How To Time Your Bookings

Sewer Line Repair Should Be First On The List

Nobody wakes up excited to think about their sewer line.

Of all of the jobs on this list, sewer line repair suffers the most if you wait. Underground pipes develop cracks slowly. Roots sneak into joints searching for moisture. Soil heaves as the temperature changes.

None of it shows until wastewater begins to back up into the lowest drain in the home.

And once the ground is frozen or waterlogged, digging becomes slower, messier and much more expensive.

Think of scheduling a camera inspection while the weather is nice. They send a camera down the line and literally show you what is going on beneath your yard. Locate that small crack or root intrusion now and the repair is minimal. Wait until it’s too late and you are looking at an entire dig-and-replace. Many reputable companies like United Heating and Cooling offer sewer and drain services in addition to yearly system tune ups, so both a line inspection and furnace servicing can be completed with one trip.

Watch for these warning signs:

• Multiple drains running slow at the same time
• Gurgling toilets when the washing machine runs
• A patch of lawn that’s suddenly greener than the rest
• Sewer smells in the yard or basement
• Backups that keep returning after a snake

That last one matters most.

When a drain clears up but clogs again in a few months, the issue isn’t with the drain. It’s the line. And sewer line repair scheduled in mild weather will always beat an emergency dig in January.

Get The Heating System Looked At Early

The furnace has been sitting unused for months.

So one cold night it’s asked to run twelve hours straight. That’s when the weary ignitor, the plugged filter and the worn blower motor all decide to make their presence known at once.

By catching these problems before winter starts, you can keep your family safe and cozy. A pre-season tune-up means technicians have open slots on their calendars. It also allows your system to run smoothly and efficiently, which you should care about. EIA projects average winter heating costs at $642 for natural gas homes, and about $1,133 for electricity homes.

A misfiring system uses more fuel to reach the same temperature. That means a tune-up not only prevents a breakdown, it saves you money for five months’ bills.

Ask the technician to cover:

• Filter replacement and airflow check
• Burner and heat exchanger inspection
• Thermostat calibration
• A carbon monoxide test

That last item is never optional.

Roof, Gutters And Where The Water Goes

Water is patient.

It finds that one loose shingle, that one plugged downspout, that one place where the ground slopes toward the house instead of away. And then Mother Nature attacks that weakness every time it rains.

Clearing gutters is a Saturday morning job. Replacing a rotted roof deck is not.

Climb up there before the leaves stop falling and inspect the entire run. Check for drooping brackets, seams pulling apart and the black streaks on siding that indicate water has been running over the edge for some time. Scan the roof itself for lifted shingles and cracked sealant around vents and flashing while you’re up there.

Circle the house and spot downspouts sending water directly towards the foundation. Extensions are very cheap and redirect that water away from the basement — and away from the dirt on top of the sewer pipe. Wet ground around a pipe is how tiny cracks become broken pipes.

Don’t Ignore The Small Leaks

Here’s a number that should bother you.

Water damage and freezing ranks as one of the most frequent homeowners insurance claims nationwide. According to the Insurance Information Institute, each home insurance claim costs around $12,514 on average. One out of every 60 insured homes submit one annually.

And yet fewer than 20% of homeowners do anything preventative at all.

That gap is where the money disappears.

Twenty minutes this weekend covers most of it:

• Check the braided hoses behind the washing machine
• Look under every sink for a damp cabinet base
• Flush sediment out of the water heater
• Shut off and drain outdoor spigots before the first freeze

None of that is glamorous. All of that costs less than drying the floor.

But do remember this….insurance companies hardly ever payout for damage that they deem to have occurred slowly, gradually and could have been prevented. A hose dripping for months is looked upon much differently than one that ruptured overnight. Tend to the little things to protect the claim you may have in the future.

Time The Bookings Properly

Contractors have seasons too.

Phone during the slow times – early fall, early spring – and you’ll find more availability, more attention and often times better pricing. Call after the first freeze and you’ll be standing in line behind every other homeowner on your block.

A booking order that works:

1. Sewer line inspection and drain work
2. Heating system service
3. Roof and gutter clearing
4. Small plumbing fixes

Always tackle projects from the top down. Things that require digging or ladders should always be done first, because Mother Nature can stop those tasks instantly.

Pretty simple, right?

Let’s Tie This Off

Home maintenance isn’t complicated. It’s just very easy to postpone.

Every job in this list has one thing in common: inexpensive if you’re proactive, catastrophic if you wait too long. Fixing a sewer line before it clogs costs way less than an emergency dig. Tuning a furnace before it breaks will save you the price of a new one. Extending a cheap downspout prevents your basement from flooding.

Quick recap:

• Get the sewer line inspected before the ground hardens
• Service the heating system before it’s needed
• Clear the gutters and push water away from the foundation
• Fix the small leaks that are already visible
• Book everything during the quiet months

Winter will come whether you are ready or not. Call them this week.

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.