Owning and taking care of a home is a lot of work, especially if you have a spouse, kids, or even pets running around all of the time. Sometimes, keeping up with your house can be difficult, but having a roof over your head is a privilege. Let’s make 2018 the year to step up your game as not only a homeowner, but also a neighbor. Here are some tips to help you conquer your job as a better homeowner in 2018.


Go Green

As a homeowner, it is important to realize the impact that having a home has on the planet. Many people probably want to take a step towards greener living, but may not know how to do it and may be afraid of their wallets being emptied in the process. We can’t deny the landfills that we see overflowing and the water sources that are contaminated, so one action a homeowner can take is to simply recycle.

Next, take a trip to the lighting aisle in the nearest home improvement store and you will find a variety of compost fluorescent light bulbs or CFLs. These will simultaneously save you money and help the environment. Finally, you can install green products in your home.  This will obviously cost more money than the first two options, but if it’s time to purchase a new dishwasher, oven, etc., search for appliances that are energy-efficient. These will save money and the environment at the same time.


Step Up Your Backyard Game

Have you ever taken a moment to ponder the appearance of your backyard? Your yard doesn’t require all of the fancy fertilizer, herbicides, etc., but it is important to take care of it. During the mowing season, try to not cut the grass below two inches. This will allow a healthy root system to grow to help your lawn to resist heat and drought. Also, you can apply a slow-release organic fertilizer to increase biological activity and help the grass’ roots grow stronger.

Make sure to keep bushes and shrubs trimmed away from foundation walls so that you can be aware of any cracks that appear in the foundation. If you and your family enjoy spending time outside, try placing a few lawn or deck chairs outside.  This will make your yard more appealing and will encourage you and your family to get outdoors. One important note to add is pet cleanup. If you have a pet that goes to the bathroom outside, make sure to clean up after him or her. This will make your neighbors happy and will eliminate the possibility of stepping in a surprise when walking outside.


Learn Home Maintenance Skills

When something in your house needs some attention, have you ever thought about figuring out how to fix it yourself? Sometimes, doing it yourself can save you the hassle of finding a trustworthy repairman as well as save you money. The Internet has essentially all that you would need to know about how to fix pretty much anything. Along with home repairs – furnace filters, fire alarms, sprinklers, and many other imperative household functions can be forgotten. Make a calendar to plan out home maintenance tasks like checking fire alarms, blowing out sprinklers, cleaning out gutters, checking for exposed wires or signs of wear in the fuse box, etc. A quick search on Google will provide you with a checklist of home maintenance upkeep.


Evaluate Your Mortgage and Stay on Top of Payments

It’s possible that current rates are lower than what you’re paying, so always take time to refinance before the rates go back up. One of the easiest homeowner resolutions is to make your mortgage payment on time. Making payments on time will help to maintain a good credit score. This will not only help with refinancing, but it will also be beneficial if you’re considering buying another house anytime in the future.

These are only a few of the major resolutions that you could initiate in the coming year to become a better homeowner. Be creative with ways that you can be a better neighbor. Take a meal over, agree to babysit the kids for a few hours, or simply offer to mow the grass for them. There a myriad of ways in which you can take your homeowner game to the next level, so don’t be afraid to take the next step toward becoming a better homeowner in 2018.
Posted by Parks Compass on

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