Yearly Maintenance Tips for Your New Home

window washerWhen you have a Greensboro custom home built you will get the peace of mind of knowing that the new construction home is in great shape and won’t require any work. But even when you have a newly built home there are some yearly maintenance chores that you will need to do in order to keep that home in great shape and help ensure that the roof, windows, and other materials will last as long as possible. A few of the most important yearly maintenance chores that you should do on your home include:

Pressure Wash The Roof and Siding

This is usually done in the fall but it can also be done in the spring. Getting your roof and siding pressure washed in the fall will remove layers of pollen, dirt, dust, and other debris from your home that have build up over the summer. It also is a good chance to have a professional check your roof and your siding for damage, cracks, or holes that need to be fixed before the cold weather comes. If you have your home pressure washed in the spring it’s a good opportunity to see if the winter has done any damage to your roof or siding that needs to be fixed in order to avoid problems during the rainy spring season.

Clean the Gutters

The gutters on your home should actually be cleaned twice a year, in the fall and in the spring, but some homeowners prefer to just do it once a year. If you have a lot of trees near your home, it’s better to get the gutters cleaned twice a year to remove all the leaves that fall in the gutters and clog them. Getting your gutters cleaned helps to remove sticks, leaves, and other debris while also dealing with any pests or insects that have taken up residence in the gutters.

Get Your HVAC System Checked and Maintained

During the fall and the spring in North Carolina, it’s not uncommon to need both your air conditioning and your heat on the same day. And during the summer you definitely need your AC to be working as efficiently as possible to keep the hot summer sun at bay. That’s why it’s important to get your HVAC system checked regularly at least once a year and have regular maintenance performed. HVAC problems can be expensive to fix so catching them early can save you money and make sure that you are always comfortable inside your custom home.

Get Your Plumbing Checked and Drains Cleaned

Your plumbing and drains should also be checked once a year to clear out any clogs and make sure there are no small leaks deep in the plumbing that you don’t know about. Small leaks could let water leak into your walls or ceilings for months before you even know they are there. But that water buildup could help mold grow deep within your home. Clogged drains and burst pipes can cause major damage to your home, but if you get your plumbing checked and your drains cleaned on a regular basis you can avoid expensive and potentially catastrophic plumbing emergencies in your new home.

Get Your Windows Washed

Your Greensboro custom home will have brand new energy-efficient windows in it that should last for decades. But those windows do require a little maintenance. It’s a good idea to get your windows cleaned once a year to have someone clean the frame and the area around the window as well as the glass. They should also check the glass for pits, cracks, or etching and fix minor damage to the windows before it becomes a big problem

For more advice on keeping your home looking and functioning like new call Don Mills Builders today.

Best Ways to Landscape Around Your New Custom Home

custom home porchOne of the best things about custom building a home is that you can customize so many different aspects of your home. The only limits when it comes to designing your custom home are your budget, your imagination, and your decision to work with the best homebuilders in Greensboro. You have a lot of options when it comes to customizing your home, including the landscaping. Some fun and practical ways to landscape around your custom home are:

Create a Hedge Row for Privacy And Noise Reduction

If you don’t like the idea of completely fencing in your property, or if you want to create a sound barrier between the front of your home and the street, consider planting a row of hedges. It will take some time for the hedges to mature and provide the kind of privacy and noise reduction that you want to have. However, the hedges will look lovely and enhance the curb appeal of your home even while they are growing. When they do grow in fully, your home will have a classic and elegant look in addition to more privacy and less street noise.

Designated Yard Areas

When you are having custom landscaping done around your new custom home you can take advantage of the chance to create separate zones in the yard. You can create one zone that will be a play space for the kids and make sure it has lush cushiony grass for them to play on. You can choose another area to be an outdoor entertaining space, with a fire pit and maybe some built-in seating. Or you could create an outdoor meditation garden with a fountain and lots of plants with some benches to sit on. Divide up the yard into spaces that will fit your lifestyle.

Add Pops of Color for Curb Appeal

A great way to make your yard beautiful and add to the curb appeal of your home is to add surprising pops of color throughout the landscaping in your yard. Flower boxes and bright flowering hedges can be added near the windows. Raised flower beds with attractive mulch around the front of the house always look great and you can customize the flowers and plants used in the beds to add some color and texture to the area and really show off the front of your home.

Create Outdoor Living Space

One of the hottest trends right now is to extend the living space from the indoors to the outdoors. When you are working with one of the elite homebuilders in Greensboro to create your dream home you can create an outdoor living space by continuing the look of the indoor flooring to a deck outside, adding an outdoor kitchen, and creating some outdoor seating around flowerbeds and fountains. You can even add a full outdoor covered kitchen or an outdoor seating area with a fireplace to give your home extra living space in the great outdoors.

Pergolas are In

The top landscape designers are seeing a huge increase in the demand for pergolas. Pergolas are wooden structures almost like a canopy that are built in a backyard. They can be used in many ways for outdoor dining and entertaining or they can be turned into meditation spaces, reading nooks, or used for other outdoor living activities. Hanging curtains or shades is common, but lights can also be strung along the roof of the pergola for nighttime use. Adding a pergola to your yard is a fantastic way to customize your landscaping.

For more on-trend design ideas, call Don Mills Builders today to discuss your custom dream home.