Charity. It Starts With Home

We all know the old adage that charity starts at home, but did you know it starts with your home as well? It's easier  and cheaper - to keep your home in good shape than to try and do everything at the last moment. This is especially important if you plan to sell your Bahamas home. Regardless of whether you're staying or selling, you'll take pride in your surroundings and get a lot more pleasure out of a well-maintained home. So do yourself a favour and get moving if you're not already on top of it. Here's a Summer To Do list to help you on your way. Service Your AC With summer temps already in the low 90s in the Bahamas, ac systems are under more pressure to pump out cool air. Service your ac and you'll save on electricity. Change filters!  Check for drainage problems. After the recent heavy rains, this is a no-brainer. Make sure that drains on and around your property are clear of muck and debris (or deb-ras as we Bahamians like to say).  Clean away mildew. With so much rain recently, your roof boxing and porch ceilings may well be speckled with mildew. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and apply to the mildew. Let it sit for three minutes. Then massage with a cloth or scrub brush until it's completely gone. You may have to repeat this process a few times. If you are lucky enough to own a pool, keep it clean and practise safety! This means weekly cleaning and treatment. You can do it yourself or hire a professional. Keep children who can't swim away from the pool if they aren't accompanied by an adult who can swim.  Prune Back Trees and Coconuts. This is hurricane season so make sure any trees near your home are pruned. Insurance companies don't always cover roof damage caused by trees and even if they do, you may end up absorbing the cost under your deductible. Coconuts turn into deadly projectiles in hurricanes.  Seal and Paint Outdoor Structures. Treat exterior wood in our environment, wood should be sealed on an annual basis. Apply a water and mildew resistant sealer or stain to wooden decks, outdoor wooden furniture, arbours, and fences and so on. Try and find one with an ultraviolet light (UV)-blocking agent to protect against the fierce summer sun. Recoat painted wood surfaces every three or four years with a top-quality exterior paint. The higher cost of this paint will be offset by reduced maintenance and repainting. Care for Your Lawn. Whether you have top quality grass or crab grass, most of our yards are now looking wonderful and green after the heavy rains. Mow as often as necessary. To keep your grass at its healthiest, don't remove more than one-third of the grass height. * Your leading Bahamas real estate source.