5 Must-Have Skills as a Homeowner

While you may feel uncomfortable repairing your roof or re-wiring your house in Huntsville, there are a lot of basic skills you can accrue as a homeowner that will help keep your house in order and also preserve its value. These skills will all come in handy at some point, so you’ll be better off learning them now, rather than later.

Unclogging a Toilet: If the bowl is in danger of overflowing, shut off the water supply valve behind the toilet. Try using a plunger first to clear the blockage, but if that doesn’t work then grab an auger, some rubber gloves and a bucket. When using an auger, simply rotate the handle while pushing downward. The coil at the end will extend to the trap-way and capture any blockages that a plunger can’t move.

Locating Wall Studs: There are three ways to find studs. The first is to simply sound them out by knocking on the walls and listening for a solid ‘thud’. You can also look for nails along the baseboards in rooms because they are usually placed along stud intervals. The most sound way is to use a magnetic stud finder that will alert you to nails that fix the wall to the stud.

Painting like a Professional: Painting is all about preparation, so remove all furniture and light fixtures before painting, and be sure to use painter’s tape along baseboards and use a drop-cloth to protect your carpet. Ventilate the room a day or two before moving furniture back inside of it.

Fixing Leaky Faucets: The National Association of Homeowners says that you can expect the average faucet to last fifteen years. Sooner or later the nozzle or the base of the fixture will begin to leak. The process may seem a little over your head, but follow the steps in this article and your problem should be resolved.

Preparing for Power Outages: You should always have a flashlight handy, and you should probably have one in several different areas throughout your house. Wall mounted, rechargeable flashlights are often reliable. If your neighbors’ power is out, you should call your utility provider immediately. However, if only you have lost power then find your circuit breaker and ensure that all the breakers are facing in the same direction. It’s common for a breaker facing an opposite direction to be the problem. If you have a fuse box, then locate the blown fuse (it will be darker than the others) and replace it with a new one.

Hopefully these tips have been helpful and can save you some time and money in the long run.

If you or anyone else you know ever need help buying or selling a home in Huntsville, then please feel free to contact us. We are happy to provide the best advice possible.