Mission Bay Lake of the Ozarks: Spring Home Maintenance Tips

Friday, February 9, 2018

Preparing Your Home For Spring

Even though 6 more weeks of winter was predicted, spring will be here before we know it - thank goodness! For most homeowners, spring is an exciting time when they get to start opening up and preparing their home for the warmer months. During the cold and winter months, many maintenance tasks are neglected and your home is all sealed up. Mission Bay knows that from the inside to the exterior, getting your home ready for spring can seem like a daunting task. If you’re planning on getting your lakefront home at the Lake of the Ozarks ready for the warmer months over the next few weeks, it will help ease any stress to space out your maintenance projects. Check out some of our recommendations below!

Focus on the Exterior

The outside of our homes have to deal directly with the harsh weather throughout the winter months. Because of this, there is more wear and tear on the exterior than the interior. Do a quick walk around your home to examine the caulking around the doors and windows. You can also check open windows and doors to look at the weather stripping. It’s important to replace old caulk and replace the weather stripping. You should also inspect the roof for any broken or missing shingles or tiles. This is also a great time to clean out gutters and downspouts. Leaves, twigs, and other debris can collect and cause a backup in the gutters if and when it rains.

Landscaping Tips

It may be a little too early to start planting new flowers and watering your lawn, but it isn’t too early to ensure that you will have green grass, your hoses will be ready, and your walkways are clean and clear. Now is a good time to replace old or cracked garden hoses, rake away dead leaves, and clear debris and twigs from walkways and planter beds. It's also a great time to start planning out your spring landscaping ideas. When the weather starts to warm up, you should pressure wash concrete and paver areas that have become dirty.

Turn Your Attention To The Indoors

You should have your HVAC system serviced twice a year. Those two times include spring and fall. You want to have routine maintenance done during these two seasons because it’s right before any harsh climate changes take place. You should also change the air filter in your system.

Spring Cleaning

Now is a great time to clean your windows both inside and outside. You may be surprised how much more natural light comes through your windows once they have been cleaned. You should also clean and dust ceiling fans, and clean out your fireplace if you used it during the winter months. Test your emergency systems in your home. Things like smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, your home alarm, and fire extinguisher should be checked.

Spring Is On Its Way

Spring is just around the corner, and Mission Bay wants to make sure that you are ahead of the game with getting your lakefront home at the Lake of the Ozarks ready for the warmer weather. Once the warm weather rolls around, time will be spent outdoors and out on the Lake, as it should be, so it’s important to get your spring maintenance done early!

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CONTACT US

Phone: (573) 346-6600

Info@MissionBayLakeOzark.com

OUR LOCATION
237 Mission Bay Blvd.

Camdenton, MO 65020

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Keep Your Home Maintained With These Simple Tips

As a homeowner, there are many things you must do to keep your home in tip-top shape. Just like a car, your home needs regular maintenance to ensure it looks and is running its best. When your Lake of the Ozarks home is well maintained, it could also keep you from dealing with big issues, as you can catch problems early on before they become an issue. Mission Bay has created a list of home maintenance tips to help you keep your Lakefront home at the Lake of the Ozarks in peak condition.

Monthly Maintenance

- Inspect or replace HVAC filters. It's best to check your air filters once a month and replace as necessary. The air filters for your HVAC system are an important aspect in making sure your furnace and AC are running efficiently. If you have pets or children, you may need to replace your filters more often.

- Clean garbage disposal. If your home has a garbage disposal, you will want to clean this once a month to avoid pests, such as fruit flys, from invading your kitchen. In addition, it will also help with avoiding gunk buildup that could make your kitchen sink start to smell. Many cleaners that you can buy at the store also perform double duty and help sharpen the blade of your garbage disposal.

- Inspect the fire extinguisher(s). It's best to have a fire extinguisher (or two) in your home in case of a fire. It's best to have one in close proximity to the kitchen, laundry room or any other place that has a source of heat that could catch fire. The inspection process for your fire extinguisher doesn't take a lot of work, but it could help you avoid a fire disaster in your home. Ensure that the extinguisher is not being blocked by anything, the gauge shows adequate pressure and, finally, make sure there are no visible signs of wear and tear.

Bi-Annually

- Test the smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. It's best to check the smoke alarms as well as the carbon monoxide alarms in your home quarterly to ensure they are in proper working conditions. Test your alarms to check to make sure the batteries are fully charged and change if necessary. If the alarm is still not working after replacing the battery, it may be time for a new alarm.

- Give your home a deep clean. While you should be vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, cleaning the counters, dusting on a regular basis, it's a good idea to give your home a proper deep clean at least twice a year. This including cleaning the appliances, windows, dusting every nook and cranny, etc. Keeping these things clean and not letting dirt, grime, dust build up over years and years will help keep your home in tip-top shape.

- Do a once over on your home. Do a walk around your home and ensure everything is looking ok. Check the pipes, faucets and toilets and ensure there are no drips or leaks. Look outside your home and check the condition of the roof for damaged shingles or water intrusion near the windows and doors. While you're outside, cut back trees and shrubs from the house walls, roof and AC unit.

Spring Maintenance

- Clean out gutters. During the fall and winter, leaves and other debris have likely accumulated in the gutters. It's best to clear the gutters now before the summer storms, so your home has proper drainage.

- Inspect the exterior of your home. Check the condition of the paint or if there are any damage to your siding from winter. Take a close look around the entire exterior and make any repairs ass needed. This is also a good time to check the condition of the foundation and look for any cracks.

- Get AC unit serviced. Have your AC unit serviced in the spring to ensure it's in proper working condition before you need it in the summer.

- Repair/replace damaged window screens. Make sure bugs don't have an easy access to your home by repairing or replacing any window screens that are damaged.

- Clear away dead plants/shrubs from the yard. Take a look at your plants, shrubs and trees and clear away any parts of them that are dead. For trees, if dead branches are left unattended, they can fall, which could cause property damage and potential injury. It's best to trim plants before the leaves come out, as it's easy to see the condition of the branches while they're bare.

Mission Bay offers Lake living at its finest with gorgeous Lakefront and Lake view homes at the 32MM of the Osage. Our Lake of the Ozarks homes our beautifully tiered so most of our homes have stunning views of the water. To learn more about our residential development at the Lake of the Ozarks visit www.MissionBayLakeOzark.com.