Here’s an easy, doable preventive maintenance checklist to keep your heating and cooling system in top shape.
Image: Amy McBennett for HouseLogic
It’s a good idea to hire an HVAC company to inspect and do maintenance on your system every fall and spring. They’ll do things like inspect and clean the wiring and mechanisms of the air conditioner and furnace, which are a bit more challenging for the average homeowner.
But you can prolong the life and increase the efficiency of your system if you follow this simple HVAC maintenance plan:
Image: HouseLogic
Some things you should do immediately; other tasks only need to be done seasonally or once a year.
10 Steps That’ll Prolong Your HVAC’s Life
1. Buy a better filter if you haven’t already. The new high-efficiency pleated filters have an electrostatic charge that works like a magnet to grab the tiniest particles — even those that carry bacteria.
2. Replace the filter at least every 90 days. But check it monthly. If it looks dark and clogged, go ahead and change it. If you have pets, you’ll probably need to change it monthly.
3. Make sure there’s at least two feet of clearance around outdoor air-conditioning units and heat pumps.
4. Remove debris, such as leaves, pollen, and twigs weekly during spring, summer, and fall from top and sides of outdoor air-conditioning units and heat pumps. Don’t allow the lawn mower to discharge grass clippings onto the unit.
5. Monthly, inspect insulation on refrigerant lines leading into the house. Replace lines if missing or damaged.
6. Make sure unit is level. Annually, ensure that outdoor air-conditioning units and heat pumps are on firm and level ground or pads.
7. Stave off clogs. Annually, pour a cup of bleach mixed with water down the air-conditioner condensate drain to prevent buildup of mold and algae, which can cause a clog.
8. Shut off the water supply to the furnace humidifier in summer. In fall (or when you anticipate turning on the heat), replace the humidifier wick filter, set the humidistat to between 35% and 40% relative humidity, and turn on the water supply.
9. Never close more than 20% of a home’s registers to avoid placing unnecessary strain on the HVAC system.
10. Replace the battery in your home’s carbon monoxide detector annually.
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
Help your deck field what winter throws at it by re-staining it this month. September’s cooler temps and lower humidity make it the ideal time for this project.
Check Fire Extinguishers
Image: CSA Images/Mod Art Collection/Getty
According to the Red Cross, fires increase in the fall and winter. Keep your home fire safe by getting your fire extinguishers checked by a certified professional. Fire extinguishers do break down and malfunction. In fact, after six years they need to be emptied and reloaded. If you haven’t already, buy one for each floor — and the garage.
Aerate your lawn, reseed or fertilize it if needed, and plant perennials and shrubs (often on sale now). Your lawn will green up faster after winter, and the shrubs and perennials will have a chance to establish roots before the first freeze.
Spending money on roof repairs is no party, but neither is handing out buckets to the family to catch leaks in a winter storm. Inspect your roof — and other big-ticket items, like siding, grading, and gutters — before you’ve got problems. You’ll cut costs by fixing them now and stay dry and warm all winter long.
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
It will make it harder to sell when the time comes. You’ll flat-out lose buyers who love a good soak or need a tub to bathe little ones (both human and four-legged).
#2 Leave Cabinet Doors on While Painting
Painting your kitchen cabinets pays off big at resale — it’s a small investment for a big wow. But the job’s time-consuming, so it’s tempting to leave the doors on.
Resist. At all costs.
Because no matter how hard you try, it’s not going to look good. Even the pros don’t do it. That should tell you something.
#3 Put Starchy Food Down the Disposal
Today’s garbage disposals can handle more challenging foods than earlier models, but starchy comestibles like potatoes, rice, and oatmeal still stump them.
Fun fact: Every Halloween, plumbers see an increase in calls because people are dumping pumpkin guts into the disposal.
Starchy foods clump when they hit water, clogging disposals and pipes. Instead, put them in the garbage can or, even better, your compost pile.
#4 Plant a Tree Close to Your House
Image: Blend/Offset
That young sapling just a few feet from your door seems so harmless. Until it grows up.
In addition to the risk of falling limbs, tree roots from mature trees can weaken your home’s foundation and clog plumbing and sewer pipes.
Plant medium and large trees at least 30 to 50 feet from the house. Put small trees (30 feet tall or less) at least eight, preferably 10, feet away.
#5 Flush ‘Flushable’ Wipes
Sewer systems are facing a growing menace: flushable wipes. Despite the name, most don’t disintegrate, even after 10 minutes (compared to a few seconds for toilet paper).
Until a truly flushable wipe exists, don’t flush them — or anything nonorganic, for that matter. Stick with good ol’ TP instead.
#6 Cover Wallpaper With Water-based Paint
You don’t have to remove that dated wallpaper — simply paint over it. Just don’t do it with water-based paint. It can reactivate wallpaper glue and cause the paper to peel. Instead, use oil-based primer, let it dry completely, then apply latex paint over it. Oil-based primer has long been the industry standard and works well with oil and latex paints.
If you’re itching for a new exterior look, try new shutters, paint the front door, or update your landscaping. Those moves can scratch your itch and boost your curb appeal. If you just can’t live with your brick color, try brick stain, which bonds with the brick, allowing it to breathe.
#8 Skip the Last Mow Before Winter
Tempting as it is to skip that last mow before winter, leaving the lawn too tall in cold months gives mice and other rodents good cover from predators, like hawks. Which means they’ve got safe passage to work their way into your warm and cozy home for the winter. Plus, keeping grass short keeps it healthier.
#9 Let Ceiling Fans Run Forever
Ceiling fans don’t decrease the temperature in a room; they increase how quickly your sweat evaporates, making you feel cooler.
Since it’s only beneficial to run ceiling fans when people are in the rooms to enjoy their breeze, save money by turning them off when you’re out.
#10 Tear Out Original Architectural Features
Image: cerro_photography/Getty
Custom millwork, tin ceiling tiles, and mid-century modern brick give your home its character, so keep them if you’re remodeling (assuming they’re not in awful condition). Buyers appreciate these one-of-a-kind details, and preserving them sets your home apart. They can put your house at the top of house hunters’ lists when it’s time to sell.
#11 Change Your Mailbox Without Checking With Your HOA
Or make any other change to your home’s exterior, such as replace your front steps, add shutters, etc. Homeowners associations work to keep neighborhood elements maintained and consistent in an effort to protect everyone’s home value.
That often includes seemingly small details, so let your HOA know of your upgrade plans. Otherwise, you could risk a citation or fine. Or worse, be told to undo it.
#12 Leave Hoses Connected in Winter
When you retire your lawnmower each fall, disconnect and store hoses, too. Leaving them attached during cold weather can trap water in the pipes, causing them (and possibly the faucets) to freeze. BTW, leaving a hose connected in winter also ruins the hose.
Maintaining a cozy home temp while you’re at work or sleeping wastes money and energy. If your house came with a nonprogrammable thermostat, you’ll have to manually change it multiple times a day to avoid all that waste. (Like you need another task on the way out the door.)
Install a programmable thermostat, stat. Spending about $200 for a single smart thermostat sounds pricey, but most homes can recoup that investment from energy savings in less than two years. Plus, many energy companies offer rebates that greatly reduce the price of a thermostat. Some may even provide one for free.
#14 Put a Brick in Your Toilet Tank
To decrease water use and save money, many people put bricks in their older, high-water-use toilets. But bricks crumble in water and can damage or clog pipes.
Replace the toilet ($350 or less) or fill a half-gallon milk jug with sand and drop it in the tank instead (saving about half a gallon per flush).
#15 Water Grass at Night
It may seem smart to water in the evening — especially if you have a sprinkler system — because electrical rates are lower. But without sun to evaporate it, water is more likely to cling to grass at night, promoting fungus. Instead, water in the morning when the air is cool, the sun is arriving, and there’s less wind than at midday.
#16 Clean Windows on a Sunny Day
Doesn’t a warm, sunny day seem like the perfect time to wash windows? Counter-intuitively, it’s the worst, because the sun dries windows too quickly and causes smears. Instead, save this chore for a cloudy day.
#17 Pour Bleach or Drain Cleaner Down Pipes
Bleach seems like a great agent for keeping pipes unclogged and smelling fresh — and drain cleaner is literally for pipes, right?
Unfortunately, bleach can react with substances in your pipes and cause more clogs than it prevents. Even drain cleaner is rough on pipes — and both are environmentally awful. (Plus, as little as a teaspoon of drain cleaner can destroy a septic field.)
Instead, use a pipe snake (also known as an auger) to keep pipes running smoothly.
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
Consider age, repair cost, pricing, energy efficiency, and whether to modify your kitchen to accommodate a new unit.
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When an appliance is old and isn’t working efficiently, it may seem natural to decide to replace it rather than repair it — may it rest in peace.
But appliances often break before their time, making the repair-or-replace decision harder. Also, the replacement cost may give you second thoughts.
If money is tight, you may have to repair the appliance and hope for the best. But if you’ve got some coin, replacing with a new, energy-efficient model may be the better way to go.
Those are a lot of ifs, and the repair-or-replace dilemma is often hard to resolve. Here are some guidelines to help you decide.
Is It Really Broken?
When appliances stop working, we get so rattled that the obvious escapes us. Before you panic, make sure:
The appliance is plugged in.
Circuit breakers haven’t tripped. (I once replaced a blender only to discover that the circuit needed resetting.)
Flooring hasn’t become uneven, which can stop some appliances from turning on.
Vents and filters aren’t clogged with lint and dust.
Check your owner’s manual or records to see if the sick appliance is still under warranty. Most appliances come with a manufacturer warranty that will cover the cost of repairs anywhere from one to three years after the initial date of purchase. If it’s still covered, schedule a service call.
Appliances have an average useful life — the typical lifespan after which the machine is running on borrowed time. The closer your appliance is to its hypothetical past-due date, the wiser it is to replace rather than repair.
Here are the typical lifespans of major appliances.
Appliance
Average Lifespan (Years)
Compactor
6
Dishwasher
9
Disposal
12
Dryer
13
Exhaust Fan
10
Freezer
10-20
Microwave
9
Range, electric
13-15
Range, gas
15-17
Range/oven hood
14
Refrigerator
9-13
Washer
5-15
How to Follow the 50% Rule
In 2021, the cost to repair an appliance ranged from $100 to $300. Should you pay it?
If an appliance is more than 50% through its lifespan and if the cost of one repair is more than 50% of the cost of buying new, you should replace rather than repair.
To do the math, you’ll have to know the typical lifespan (see above) and get a repair estimate. Most service companies charge a “trip charge” to diagnose the problem. These charges vary widely, so be sure to ask when you arrange the appointment. If the company repairs the appliance, it usually waives the trip charge.
DIY Whenever Possible
If you know your way around a socket wrench, you may be able to make simple appliance repairs yourself and save labor fees. YouTube has lots of DIY repair videos, and user manuals can help you troubleshoot.
Can’t find your manual? Search online for “manual” along with your appliance brand and model number. Most manufacturers provide free downloadable PDFs of appliance manuals, and several websites specialize in nothing but manuals.
However, there is a downside to repairing appliances yourself.
Many electrical replacement parts are nonrefundable, so if you misdiagnose the problem, you’ve wasted money.
Large appliances are heavy and bulky. You risk injury if you don’t know how to move, open, and lift the machine properly.
Some appliance warranties are voided when you mess with the machine yourself.
If you forget to unplug the machine before making repairs, you can electrocute yourself (making savings a moot point).
How to Calculate Whether Energy Efficiency Is Cost Effective
New water-saving and energy-efficient appliances can be cost effective: An old refrigerator uses about 33% more energy than a new model with ENERGY STAR certification, according to Energy Star.
But replacing energy clunkers that still have miles left on them may not be a money-wise move. You might spend thousands on an appliance in order to save hundreds (if you’re lucky) on your energy bill.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers says if you’re planning to stay in your home for 10 to 15 years, upgrading appliances is a good idea. However, if you’re planning on moving soon, you’ll save money by keeping your older appliances and letting the new owners upgrade to energy-efficient models.
What Are the Hidden Costs When Replacing Old Appliances?
The cost of replacing an appliance may include more than just the price of the machine. In fact, the price tag could be the least of the money you’ll spend to upgrade an appliance.
A new refrigerator may not fit in the old spot. You could have to modify cabinetry to fit the new appliance. Be sure to measure accurately.
Gas ovens and ranges will save money only if your home already has gas connections. If not, you could spend thousands bringing a gas line into your home or hundreds rerouting the lines you already have.
Upgrading from a simple gas range to one with all the bells and whistles may require upgrading or adding electrical wiring and circuits.
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
Here are two ways to nix ticks in your yard to keep your dog — and you — healthy.
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Ticks may be one of the smallest summer pests in my neighborhood, but they’re also the scariest because they carry Lyme disease. I’ve had Lyme; my daughter had Lyme; her BFF two doors down had Lyme; and my dog, Spot, got it twice.
I blame the herd of deer that live in my side yard for giving us all Lyme, a bacterial illness carried by ticks. We tend to think of deer as being the usual carriers and the woods as being the danger zones, but other wild animals carry ticks, too. Think opossums, raccoons, squirrels, birds, lizards, mice, and even rats. (Look out, urban areas.)
Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some ticks — like the American dog tick and the brown dog tick — even specialize in dogs. And Lyme disease is a big deal for our fur babies, because the organism can travel to many parts of their body and localize in joints or kidneys.
My War on Ticks
I’m warring with the ticks by:
Targeting the ones shacking up with field mice
Creating a tick barrier on the edge of my yard
How to Make DIY Tick Tubes
To get at the ticks living with the mice, I sprayed cotton with a permethrin (costs $11 to $16), a pesticide that kills ticks but not mice, and stuffed the cotton in toilet paper tubes. Then I put the tubes in the brushy undergrowth in the woods edging my lawn.
My plan is that the field mice will use the cotton to build little tick-killing nests in my yard.
If that sounds like too much work, you can buy premade tick tubes for $22 to $45.
Create a Tick Barrier
To make it hard for the ticks to walk into my yard, I cleaned the winter leaf debris from the edge of the woods surrounding the lawn.
If your yard is small enough (or your tick warfare budget is big), you can create a tick barrier by putting a yard-wide swath of mulch, stones, or gravel between the wooded areas of your yard and your lawn.
I also moved my daughter’s play equipment (a field hockey goal) to the center of the lawn to keep her away from the tick-filled woods.
This may sound like a lot of work, but your family’s health, including your dog’s well-being, are well worth the effort.
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
Your dog will love these features, which will look awesome in your home, too.
Image: Image Source/Getty
CONTRIBUTED BY
This article was contributed by Sarah Fogle, a DIYer, self-professed power tool addict, and home renovation blogger, who writes “The Ugly Duckling House.”
Life with pets. They frustrate you, and they make things messy. But you can’t help loving them anyway.
I’ve spent years DIYing with the world’s greatest sidekick, who likes to be in on the action at all times (even when I’m on a ladder or using an air compressor). Even so, I pause whenever I see a cool idea to make Charlie feel more at home in the middle of chaos.
Image: The Ugly Duckling House
I have a long list of favorite ideas for pet-friendly home features, but these are at the top.
Pet Feeder
I used to think having a fancy food bowl setup was one of those nice-to-have things that I would get around to making eventually. This was one of the more impactful tweaks I made this past year, and it really changed some of the everyday annoyances I’d been dealing with for years.
Charlie had a long-standing habit of constantly flipping over her food bowl before eating. I hated the way stray bits of food would wind up scattered across my floor in the process. But once I built her a food bowl stand that also fit my design style, the house was so much cleaner.
It was like, boom! She stopped flipping, and I stopped flipping out. There are lots of DIY feeder options out there. They can suspend from the wall, have food storage below the bowls, or just look nice in the kitchen.
Image: The Ugly Duckling House
https://www.youtube.com/embed/kg__1nuy2js?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1First-Time Buyer by NAR
Outdoor Lounger
I filled in my backyard this past year and now have lots of DIY outdoor projects on my task list. I’m adding one more.
I used a retractable baby gate when Charlie was a pup. It was useful to help train her, but not all that aesthetically pleasing.
Image: House of Wood
I’d rather have had something that suits my style a little more, like this gorgeous custom-designed gate over at the “Yellow Brick Home” blog. Unfortunately, Charlie’s a little too big to be deterred by a gate anymore, but this would still be a great build for owners with small pets.
Charlie has a bed of some sort in virtually every room of my house. She likes to follow me around. And I like to have a place where she can be both comfortable and out of the way.
Still, though, why do dog beds have to be so ugly? I like the idea of making them more tied into furniture, such as with an ottoman or side table. That’s pretty much what Mindi from the “MyLove2Create” blog did with an old crib turned dog crate.
That wooden top is perfect for making it look like the rest of the furniture in her home.
Ultimately, it’s important to me to make Charlie feel just as at home in our shared space as I do. While some design choices are made just for me, taking her needs into account can help us both. There’s less clutter, fewer messes to clean up, and a house that can still be beautiful while addressing my biggest pain points of dog ownership.
Win-win is always better, right?
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
Landscaping for dogs is easy with these tips about what to do and what NOT to.
Like choosing the right mulch.
Mulch
DO: Use gravel, shredded hardwood mulch, or wood chips; they won’t stick to longhair coats. DON’T: Use cocoa mulch, which may contain theobromine, the same ingredient that makes chocolate poisonous to dogs.
DO: Create a water feature so your dog can cool off on hot days. DON’T: Install a pond or pool that’s hard for your dog to enter and exit.
Plants
DO: Use organic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides on lawns and plants. DON’T: Spread toxic lawn and plant care products, which can harm dogs. Studies have shown that exposure to pesticides may affect dogs similarly to how it affects humans. Scientists have linked lawn chemicals to canine cancer, according to EcoWatch.
DO: Select plant species that reduce fleas, such as lavender, rosemary, and mint, and others that are good for dogs to eat — blueberries, strawberries, wheat grass, and oat grass. DON’T: Select plants that can make your dog sick, like foxglove, iris, monkshood, and lily of the valley.
DO: Landscape with urine-resistant plants, such as Euonymus japonica (Japanese spindle tree) and Burkwood osmanthus. DON’T: Freak out when you find yellow and brown spots in your lawn caused by urine. Reseeding is a simple and easy cure for those spots. Or create a potty station.
Boundaries
DO: Create paths or walkways along routes your dog already travels. DON’T: Think you can redirect your dog away from areas they’ve already claimed. Don’t resort to planting thorny shrubs or other plants to deter them. You’ll both be sorry.
DO: Edge flowerbeds with rocks or foot-tall shrubs to protect your posies. DON’T: Use a metal edging that can cut your pooch.
DO: Give up the idea of having a perfect yard — a place that’s perfect for you and your pet is better. DON’T: Let your dog rule the roost. Train them to respect boundaries and do their business in a designated spot.
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
Creative patio lighting ideas add a nighttime glow to keep you outside.
Image: Jakub Mazur/Getty
Outdoor patios are an extension of your home, perfect for gathering with guests, getting lost in a good book, or even working out. But the fun shouldn’t stop when the sun goes down. You can spend more time doing what matters most by adding the perfect patio lights to your space (dinner under the stars, anyone?).
If you’re ready to shine some light on your outdoor space, we’ll dive into five great options for outdoor patio lights. Then, we’ll explore different approaches to setting up your patio lighting for all you DIYers. Let’s jump in!
Patio Lighting Ideas
Image: mtreasure/Getty
How you illuminate your patio can depend on the overall design you’re going for, your patio’s purpose, and the amount of lighting you need. Some of the most popular outdoor patio lighting ideas include outdoor pendants, string lights, and floor lights.
1. String Lights and Rope Lighting
String and rope lights are small electric lights placed along a cable and used indoors and outdoors. They’re ideal for stringing along your patio and deck railing, in your tree branches, or along the walls of your home. You can purchase string or rope lighting with heavy-duty wiring and sockets for outdoor use.
2. Outdoor Pendants
Outdoor pendant lights, also called drop or suspender lights, are hanging pendants suspended by a cord or chain. They can instantly enhance your outdoor patio with little effort. Outdoor pendant lights are available in many sizes, including full-length, large, mini, and lantern.
3. Outdoor Table and Floor Lights
Outdoor table lights and floor lights are decorative and functional ways to illuminate an outdoor living space. These lamps provide the perfect ambience for a family get-together or an intimate dinner — without blinding you.
4. Pathway Lighting
Image: volgariver/Getty
Pathway lighting is best for illuminating a walkway that leads to your patio (safety first!). You can also use pathway lights to brighten driveways and footpaths or as a simple and affordable way to accent your patio steps or highlight shrubbery and flowerbeds.
5. Uplighting
Uplighting is the effect when you place light fixtures on the ground and point them up to enhance specific landscape or architectural features. It’s a great way to emphasize your manicured landscape and garden in your backyard and shine a light on your patio area, too.
Consider This: DIY Patio Light Techniques
There are almost limitless creative techniques for setting up your patio lights, from DIY projects to energy-efficient lighting. Today’s top trends include high-level lighting with prestrung and pendant lights, tabletop lighting with candles, DIY lanterns, and tabletop fireplaces.
DIY Patio Lights
Image: Image Credit: Nuno Valadas/Getty
Lighting your patio doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. There are plenty of DIY patio lighting ideas to help you get the same aesthetically pleasing outcome you see on Pinterest.
Ideas include wire basket lighting, mason jar lanterns, recycled wine bottles, and even tin cans. Since the size and shape of lighting will vary, these creative touches can make the space your own.
Use Solar
Solar lighting is energy efficient and uses sunlight to recharge during the day, so there’s no fuss with unsightly cords or wiring, or need for outlets. You can incorporate solar with a solar path light, solar LED deck post caps, solar LED floodlights, or solar string lights.
Illuminate Your Garden and Shrubbery
Image: AHatmaker/Getty
There’s no reason you can’t enjoy your garden and shrubbery when the sun goes down. Consider decorating your garden and shrubbery with small touches of lighting. You can weave soft lighting within your bushes, shrubs, and tree branches to create a warm look in your outdoor living space.
Consider Candles
Candles are a simple yet decorative patio lighting option that can add romantic ambiance to any occasion. You can place them on your outdoor tables or alongside the steps and walkways. Candles come in so many different sizes, shapes, colors, and scents that the possibilities are almost endless.
Outdoor Patio Lights: Simple Upgrades to Improve Your Comfort and Safety
Image: Image Credit: bruev/Getty
Although the purpose behind patio lights is mostly to create a more pleasing environment, you’ll want to stay safe while enhancing and using the space. That means you’ll need to:
Consider all safety measures before you start screwing in your light bulbs.
Check your power cords and inspect the lights before installing them.
Choose only lights rated for outdoor use to weather the elements.
Avoid placing your patio lighting next to flammable materials.
Turn off your lights when you’re not using them.
Use your creativity to make your patio shine with outdoor patio lighting ideas like pathway lighting, string lights, and solar lighting. In no time, you’ll transform your simple outdoor patio space into something extraordinary that reflects your personal style.
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
Grout can be a real problem because it soaks up pet odors.
Image: Meredith Novario/Offset
Oof. Houses that smell or look like pets have lived in them are just harder to sell.
To avoid that happening to you, de-pet your house before putting it on the market — and keep it that way while you sell. Here’s how.
#1 Steam Clean Everything Fabric
Job No. 1 is to take care of the soft surfaces in your house, says Melissa Maker, star of Clean My Space YouTube channel and owner of a Toronto cleaning service. “They hold odors and hair like nothing else.”
This includes carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and even the drapes, she says. Pets rub against drapes, getting oils, odors, and fur on the fabric. Send curtains out for a professional cleaning.
#2 Groom Your Pet
Image: wichatsurin/Getty
Hire a pro to groom your pet before you list your house. You can do it yourself, but a pro can get more hair and dander off than you can — plus, all that gunk is better off in the groomer’s drain than yours.
Brush your furry friend regularly (outside, preferably) while your house is on the market. Any hair you get off on a brush is hair that won’t end up on your sofa or in your rugs.
#3 Clean Tile-Floor Grout
Image: Cavan Images/Offset
Tile resists dog stains, but grout is porous and sucks them up like a sponge. “I had a cat who had an accident on a tile floor, and the pee seeped into the grout,” Maker says. Steam clean grout to lift old smells and stains. If your grout is really cruddy, hire a pro to chip out the old grout and put in new — or DIY it if you have the skills.
#4 Get an Air Purifier Tower
To you, it smells like home. But others may not find that smell so inviting after your HVAC has circulated the same hair and dander again and again (especially in hot and cold weather when the windows are closed).
Add an air purifier tower with a HEPA filter. It pulls hair and dander out of the air before they even reach your HVAC.
Most air ducts don’t need cleaning, especially if you change filters regularly. But if dander and fur seem to be taking over, hire a duct-cleaning company before putting your home on the market.
#5 Use Enzymatic Cleaners
They’re the special forces of odor busters. Enzymatic cleaners are made of beneficial bacteria that eat stains and odors. That means they’re formulated to stamp out a specific type of stain, so a cleanser that targets urine won’t be the same as one for vomit.
“They’re cultivated for a specific mess,” Maker says. Apply them liberally to stains regardless of how old they are, before listing your house.
#6 Get Rid of Scratch Marks
Image: Jen Rogers/EyeEm/Getty
Pet toenails leave telltale marks on doors and walls. The material used will dictate how you treat the scratches. Paint over marks on walls and doors made of synthetic materials. But repair scratches on a wooden door with a wood-filler pen. For hardwood floors, rub out small scratches with steel wool or fine sandpaper followed by mineral spirits, wood filler, and polyurethane. If damage is major, refinishing the hardwood is a good investment; it has a stellar 100% ROI.
#7 Absorb Odors With Charcoal
Charcoal pulls moisture and odors out of the air. You can get inconspicuous little bags of it to hang in places your pets love most. Or, just strategically stash some charcoal briquettes around the house.
Just be sure to get the ones that aren’t presoaked with lighter fluid.
#8 Spot Clean Furniture Daily
Image: Meredith Novario/Offset
If you’re like many pet owners, trying to keep your fur buddy off the couch completely isn’t worth the effort. Instead, cover your freshly cleaned furniture with throws or pet covers, and wash them at least once a week. Vacuum rugs and carpets every day. If that seems like too much, remember that pet smells sink in fast.
For quick hair removal before a showing, wipe down the couch with rubber gloves. The hair comes right off.
#9 Get a Sniff Test
You’ve scrubbed everything, and you think your house smells like a pet has never set foot in the door and a litter box has never been part of the decor. Get a second opinion about whether the odors are really gone, Maker says. “You may be noseblind. Ask your agent to walk through and give you an honest opinion.”
“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”
