As someone is driving by your home for
sale or checking out your house on the inter-net — where's their focus? On how great the home looks or is it in the gutter . . . your home's gutters that is!
As home owners, gutters aren't something we notice - but potential buyers will! It's one of the first impressions your home gives.
Do your gutters appear grimy – streaked with dirt or algae?
Showing signs of age – saging or with peeling paint?
Or maybe they shout out – maintenance 911!!! Are they full of leaves, debris – or worse yet – growing some new follage?
Now if you have beautiful copper or brand new gutters – no need to
read further, but for most homeowners – gutters need to be maintained
prior to selling your home!
The importance of maintaining your gutter system cannot be underestimated as reinforced by this blog
from an inspector. As he puts it, “Gutters and downspouts however have
an absolutely critical role in moisture management.” If your gutters
are in poor condition, they are relatively inexpensive to replace or
repair.
If they are in great condition, are they free of debris? If not, it
can lead to damage and also shorten the life of the gutters and other structural components of your home.
Here is a
great step by step guide on how to clean out gutters.
This photo shows a gutter that has rotted on the bottom. Think that
is the only problem? Nope – since the water wasn’t redirected from the
house now there is dry rot on the lower portion of the home as well.
Making sure gutters are cleaned regularly would have prevented these repair issues.
Most gutters I see on my consultations are in good condition, but
are stained or dirty. This is an easy problem to solve without
pressure washing. The first time we saw 30 Second Cleaner
I could not believe the results. Those stains that you think will have
to be painted over probably will be removed just by spraying on this
product and rinsing with a garden hose. It’s a product we recommend frequently with
tremendous success.
When
buyers come to see what your home has to offer; clean, well maintained
gutters will keep their focus on the positive and amenities. It’s a
tiny part of curb appeal, but key to presenting a well maintained home!
Creative Concepts and Contracting
is a home staging and contracting business located in Salem Oregon serving the Willamette Valley areas.