Moving into your brand new home is one of the most exciting days of your life – paling only to things like the birth of a child or your wedding day! Everyone warns you about the hard work involved in raising kids and making a marriage work no one tells you that once you purchase your brand-new home located in a community that is heavily under construction, that life will not be all unicorns and rainbows.
When you move in there will probably be things noted on your occupancy documents that are titled seasonal. These are items that will be completed in the warmer months. One of the largest concerns homeowners tend to have are concrete, both driveways and sidewalks, and landscaping. Important things to remember in the prairie provinces is that concrete work typically does not begin until after the long weekend in May, and landscape cannot occur until all flatwork/concrete is complete. Although the month of May has been warm, we also need to ensure all frost is completely out of the ground before we can do any concrete work.
Other than concrete and landscaping there may be other seasonal items on your list. These items may include exterior paint, parging, stone work, and front and rear deck stairs, which cannot be installed until the landscaping or front sidewalk has been complete. All this work can and will be completed as weather permits between the beginning of June and end of September, and does not require the homeowner to be home during the work.
During your first year in your new home here are a few other helpful tips:
- The summer season in the prairies can bring some magnificent storms where an enormous amount of rainfall falls in a short time – test to ensure your sump pump is plugged in and functioning.
- After some of these summer storms you may also see standing water on your lot, especially in the swale between properties. This is normal, just as when you fill your bathtub and then pull the drain plug the water is not instantly gone, your lawn is draining the surface water as intended but it may take a bit of time.
- Your downspouts also play a large part in keeping the rain water away from your foundation. In the summer months please ensure your downspouts are tipped down to direct water away from the home.
- Most of us love to sit outside in the summer to enjoy a nice meal that was cooked on the barbeque. Please ensure you are not positioning your barbeque against or too close to your home. The vinyl siding will melt/warp from the heat of the barbeque.
Owning a home is a huge accomplishment and with that comes great responsibility. Understanding your role in home ownership and home maintenance can help you avoid costly repairs that could have been easily avoided so that you can enjoy your home for many years to come!
