Easy, End-of-Summer Home Maintenance Tips
As we near the end of summer, you may want to make the most of these last few weeks of sunny weather. Below are some end-of-summer home maintenance tasks to check off your list. Start planning what you want to tackle now, so you aren’t stressed, and kick off the fall season with everything prepped and ready for cooler weather!
01 Clean the Gutters: With rainfall on the way, you’ll want to clean any clogged gutters to ensure runoff will be able to drain correctly from the roof.
02 Inspect the Roof: While you’re cleaning the gutters, take a look at your roof. Look for soft spots, loose shingles, and warped or damaged shingles. Any damage to the roof increases the chances of water entering your home.
03 Seal Windows and Doors: Caulk around windows and check the weather stripping around doors. Sealing your home against drafts keeps hot air in and your utility bill down.
04 Change the Air Filter: After the summer, your air filter could be filled with bacteria and debris. This is a great time to put in a new one. Replacements are inexpensive and can be found at any hardware/home supply store.
05 Store Outdoor Furniture: Stow away outdoor furniture in your garage or shed to protect it from the colder weather. Furniture made from wood or wicker is more likely to be damaged.
06 Tidy Up Landscaping and Garden Beds: Remove dead flower heads, pull weeds by the roots, and put down another layer of mulch to spruce up your gardening beds and control weeds.
07 Clean Outdoor Garbage Bins: Small critters look for places to hide out and smelly garbage bins can look appealing to them. So keep them clean by using some dish soap to wash out the inside of the can and hose it down.
___________
Market Update
As you may have heard, we are in the midst of a market shift!
- Regarding inventory, overall levels are still low at just under two months of total inventory in the Portland metro area. This means it is still a seller’s market and will be until we reach six months of inventory. With that said, inventory is continuing to build.
- Looking at trends in the market, we are seeing homes sitting on the market longer and longer before selling, and sales prices are flat, but listing prices are trending down.
Overall, the market remains strong, and right now is just a transitory period where pricing is the number one factor for sellers to move their homes from listed to sold.
