Ah, fall…my favorite time of year. While it seems as if everyone around me is hanging on for dear life to summer’s ankles , I am quietly cheering autumn’s arriving footsteps. Still, with this particular change of season, where leaves are beginning to tumble out of trees like flying acrobats, we should really start thinking about the recommended home maintenance preparations that will save us money and potential headaches down the line.
As my luck would have it, I was recently asked by our friends at HomeAdvisor, to participate in their fall Bloggers Ambassador’s program and to take their Home Report Card Quiz. I thought it would be fun for you to try with helpful information as well.
If you’d like to take the quiz yourself, before seeing my answers below, click here: Home Report Card Quiz. Below, are my answers along with a sliver of home maintenance humble pie.
Here are my Home Report Card Quiz results:
Note: my answers are in orange.
1. What simple task can help you start to make your home more energy efficient?
• Getting an energy audit
• Installing compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED light bulbs
• Using less water in my home
• Keeping the front & back doors closed at all times
2. What is the nation’s average cost to hire a professional for a home energy audit?
• Isn’t it free?
• $147-$311
• $487-$711
• $887-$1,111
3. How far away from the foundation of your home should your downspout be placed?
• 1 foot
• 3 feet
• 6 feet
• It needs to direct the water away from the foundation of my home
4. According to the U.S. Government’s Energy Star program, what can you do to save $150-$180 per year in energy costs?
• Using a programmable thermostat
• Running your washer on cold water cycles only
• Placing outside lighting on a timer
• Adding weather stripping to all windows & doors
5. Winter is on its way. Which of the following should you do to your lawn before it gets too cold?
• Fertilize
• Re-seed if necessary
• Aerate
• All of the above
6. Which of the following should be done as part of regular fall maintenance?
• Sprinklers blown out
• Trees and shrubs trimmed
• Air conditioner cleaned
• All of the above
7. Which room do 38% of couples argue the most?
• TV room
• Master bedroom
• Kitchen
• Living room
8. What month do most people start their fall maintenance projects?
• August
• September
• October
• November
9. Cleaning your gutters and downspouts in the fall can prevent water damage to your foundation, costing on average?
• $2,500
• $3,800
• $5,300
• $6,500
10. What’s the number one reason people don’t complete fall maintenance tasks?
• Cost
• Time
• Don’t know which task to do
• Ignore the issue
So, how did I do? I’ll let you know in the next post, part 2 of this series. One thing I’d like to do for sure is to have someone come out and properly cut back our trees.
We’ve had our gardeners attempt this in the past, but, frankly, they didn’t do as bang up a job as I was hoping. Tree trimming is really quite a skill, needing specific equipment and safety gear, especially when it comes to large trees like the ones we have here in Manhattan Beach’s tree section.
If you’d like to hire someone to trim your trees, check out your HVAC system, or repair any of your gutters or downspouts, click in to HomeAdvisor’s cost guide for a free quote.
Yay, me!
Yay, HomeAdvisor!
This is a sponsored post brought to you by:
The opinions and answers to the quiz are completely my own based on my experience and knowledge.
Feature image source: timberridgetreecare.com; top image source: handymanmatters.com
