Posted by camgere on March 28, 2008 at 18:53:09:
In Reply to: Spring cleaning posted by flip-itmag.com on March 27, 2008 at 16:55:00:
I live in a mild climate so this isn't really "spring cleaning".
The eternal maintenance dilemma. If everything was working when you got there, you can only break stuff (fail). When you succeed nobody notices. When you fail, tenants never forget. Do routine maintenance but be aware that the perception will be that you break stuff.
This is the stuff I usually do at rental vacancies.
Clean or replace Furnace Filter.
Clean Furnace air inlet area (usually behind big indoor floor level screen nearest furnace).
Clean bathroom exhaust fan filters.
Check bedroom and bathroom lights, exhaust fans and ceiling fans.Replace battery in smoke alarms yearly.
Replace battery in sprinkler controller yearly.
Replace battery in digital furnace thermostat as necessary.
Look for cracked or missing caulking around showers, baths and sinks.
Does water stand in sink or shower when on full? Clogged drains.
A fishhook barb strip can uplug hair from sinks and drains.
Check toilets to make sure water isn’t up to overflow outlet. A worn inlet valve that won’t turn off can cause this. Or float isn’t set deep enough.
A leaking outlet valve can cause toilet inlet to turn on repeatedly when not in use.
Check all water spouts for drips.
Check under all sinks for evidence of leaking pipes or fixtures.
Check ceilings for water spots (plumbing or roof problems).
Check (bathroom) GFCI units. They may need to be reset or replaced.
Check to see if any electrical breakers are tripped.
Check microwave oven heat with wet paper towel.
Check for broken steps and railings. Any slip and fall hazard.
Trim bushes and tree branches away from house. You do not want wet bushes on house paint every day. Paint damage and mold ensues.
Trim the trees. Especially trim trees away from touching the roof.
Dead lawn spots are a sprinkler failure indication.
Keep grass from overgrowing lawn drains.
Keep grass from overgrowing sprinkler master cutoff valve.
Trim shrubs away from sprinkler pop ups.
Lawns and driveways should slope away from house, not into house. You don’t want water puddling against house. Lawn levels tend to rise over time with fertilizing.
Use water meter cubic feet meter to check for leaks. With no water being used this should show no usage for 10 minutes or so. Checking for 10 seconds can be misleading. Refrigerator ice cube maker could affect this. You can usually shut off sprinkler system separately to isolate leak.
Check water pressure past pressure regulator to make sure regulator is still OK. Houses are regulated pressure. Water heater may have place to check regulated pressure. Sprinklers are usually unregulated pressure.
Put up a big sign by water cut off valve (usually in garage). When you need it, you need it now. Don’t let junk block or hide water cut off. Or realistically don’t let junk block the sign. Tenants never have enough junk or enough space for it.
Consider tile/stoneware cleaning and sealing. Don’t seal if you can’t get it sparkling clean. Careful, sealer can destroy cabinetry finish.
Call chimney sweep if fireplace has been used a lot.
Lube garage door opener mechanism.
Clean closet and sliding glass patio door runner tracks. Lube with silicon spray if you want. Wheels often jam and just slide on flat spots.
Check that all doorstops are still functioning and not broken off.
Always lock the tenant’s house, garage and gates when leaving. Make it a habit to never start your car if you aren’t sure you did this.
- Re: Spring cleaning flip-itmag.com 16:36:01 03/30/08 (0)
- excellent list n/t 15:18:52 03/30/08 (0)