Pearland Real Estate Expert

You always hear about all the advantages of homeownership, like tax breaks, accumulation of wealth and other less tangible, social benefits. But is there a downside, too? Well, that depends on your perspective. I find one the biggest adjustments for renters-turned-homeowners is that you now own the place, so if something breaks or needs some TLC, there is no longer a landlord to lean on and ignoring it doesn't make sense - as a homeowner, you are responsible.

Home maintenance is part of homeownership and can, sometimes, be expensive, frustrating and tedious. Finding a good time to perform even small, routine repairs can be challenging and Murphy's Law seems to apply with big problems - they seem to happen at the most inopportune times. For this reason, it is to your advantage to have a sum of money earmarked for home maintenance. Problems will definitely arise, even in new homes.

Maintaining your home is an ongoing project. But despite the expense and the aggravation, it's worth it to stick to a maintenance schedule and make repairs as needed.

From top to bottom

There's an extensive list of things you must do to protect your investment and keep it looking sharp and in sound condition. Here are just a few ideas:

Perform an annual visual inspection on your roof or pay a reputable company to inspect it for you, especially if there's been severe weather. Hail is particularly damaging.

Head up to your attic, or again, hire someone if you're not comfortable with the task, and check for signs of water leakage from the roof. Also look for any sign of termites or rodents. Squirrels or rats nesting in your attic are not particular about what they chew, and they sometimes gnaw electrical wiring, which can lead to damaged infrastructure or fire.

Does the exterior of your home have peeling paint? It seems cosmetic, but paint is a first line of defense against the weathering and aging of wood. You should also know that it's less expensive, less difficult, and less time-consuming to paint before the existing coat begins to peel. Brick, stucco and siding should be inspected as well.

Depending on the level of traffic, hardwood floors should be refinished every five to 10 years. If they get too worn down, you're risking permanent damage to the wood.

You'll want to check for leaks in any room that has lavatories, commodes, showers, or any other water-based amenity. Remember to feel under sinks for dampness.

In some older homes, cast iron was used for the wastewater lines. These pipes eventually corrode and leak. If the seepage is under the foundation, you'll probably never notice, but it may be worth it to have a professional plumber come check it out. If the leak gets bad enough, it can cause your foundation to dome, which can definitely lead to big problems.

Speaking of foundation issues, maybe your house isn't showing signs of problems, but are you taking steps to keep it that way? The main cause of foundation problems, whether pier and beam or slab, is fluctuations in the moisture content of the soil. If all soils beneath a foundation swells uniformly or shrinks uniformly it is unlikely to cause a problem.  When only part of the foundation moves, though, you're likely to see signs of damage.

Reputable foundation repair companies will evaluate your problem and let you know your best course of action. If you don't see cracks in walls, door frames askew, ceiling separated from walls or floors that slope, you probably do not have a problem. Even so, they may recommend some preventative measures to maintain the moisture content of the ground, like gutters, downspouts, or watering around the perimeter of the home, especially if there are some large shrubs or trees growing next to the house.

This is just a partial list, and perhaps every single thing I mention doesn't necessarily apply to your house. That doesn't change the fact that all homes need maintenance. I encourage you to perform your own research on home maintenance and to come up with a list of priorities for your situation.

Your efforts pay off

One of the best things about homeownership is that your investment typically appreciates over time. In order to support that appreciation, though, the home must be well maintained.

If you plan on selling the house at any point, you need to face reality. Defer repairs and maintenance for whatever reason, and sooner or later you're going to have to deal with it - either by actually doing significant work prior to sale or by reducing your asking price to compensate for the needed work. At that point, it's better to have just kept up with the repairs - at least that way you'd have gotten some enjoyment out of the work.

My advice to you is this: Don't ignore little problems. They tend to grow bigger and get more expensive to fix due to the damages that may result. Protect your biggest asset by diligently maintaining your home.

Maintenance and repairs are like a trip to the dentist - not many of us really look forward to it, but it's necessary, it pays off, and not doing it will definitely cost you in the long run.

Whether you're interested in buying your first home, your next home, or just want to know more about home-ownership in general, I encourage you to check out a couple of great online resources: http://www.texasrealestate.com/ or http://www.har.com/ and for all of your Pearland TX and Northern Brazoria and Galveston County real estate needs, please visit my site at http://www.danfrankrealty.com.  All of these sites offer tons of useful, real estate-related information geared specifically for Texans.

Danny Frank is a local Pearland TX Real Estate expert

This column was published in the 18Jan09 edition of the Galveston County Daily News