The exterior maintenance of your home is an important element in the safety, security and re-sale value of your home. Don’t think it’s out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

You probably can’t see all the problems with your home’s roof, gutters or even the upper brickwork unless you use a ladder anyway. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore potential exterior maintenance problems.

Out of sight, out of mind is a mantra by which too many people live, whether they realise it or not. That’s why you should pay attention to the exterior maintenance of your home to feel secure and to increase the resale value of your home.

No Exterior Maintenance: You’ll Allow Creatures Into Your Home

When gaps start to appear in the exterior of your home, all kinds of creatures can get into your home and cause havoc – rats, possums, birds, insects and feral cats to name a few.

I’m sure you don’t want to have an infestation on your hands, but if you fail to seal gaps and replace missing roof tiles you will be exposed to critters making a home in your roof space.

At least annually, check all aspects of your roof, eaves and facia looking for gaps, cracks, rust, rotting wood, loose or missing tiles and also tree branches that overhang the roof and gutters.

No Exterior Maintenance: Gutter Blockages Lead to Standing Water

Gutters can get blocked pretty easily. Most of the time this happens over autumn and winter when leaves and debris start to build up and it’s too wet to clean the gutters.

Ignoring clogged gutters is not a good idea because water can stagnate creating damp, mould and other problems. Use a professional vacuum gutter cleaning service to ensure everything is clean. That way, water will run away smoothly.

No Exterior Maintenance: The Structure of Your Home Could Get Damaged

Allowing water to stand as a result of your clogged gutters may affect the structure of the home and cause more damage including cracks.

The physical foundations of your home are vulnerable to water. If you don’t pay attention to cleaning your gutters, they could overflow and weaken the foundations of your home.

No Exterior Maintenance: Your Security is at Stake

Windows that are insecure and weak are easy targets for people who want to break into your home. Burglars will make the most of any opportunity to steal, so don’t assume second storey windows are safe because they may not be.

If windows are weak then they are vulnerable. Take action and upgrade them to modern standards with the right security measures. Further, replacing upper windows with modern UPVC or powder-coated aluminium will negate the need to paint window frames.

No Exterior Maintenance: It will Impact the Re-Sale Value

Every homeowner wants to get as much as they possibly can for their home when the time eventually comes for them to sell up. That’s not news to anyone, but the value of your home could be weakened if you’re not paying attention to your home’s exterior. If there are problems, the value will drop.

Either you will have to pay extra money to fix things up or a potential purchaser will notice maintenance needs and reduce their offer.

It’s never a good idea to put these problems out of your mind. As you now know, there are so many extra and avoidable problems that can arise if you allow your home’s exterior to get out of hand.

So maybe now’s a good time for you to assess your home’s exterior and see what can be done to improve it.