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If you don't know how to do it, and especially if you are unwilling to investigate- then you need to hire someone.
Having said that- an important thing to know is what is an important and necessary fix, what is a safety item, and what can wait.
The drier exhaust lint is a possible safety issue (fire). The garage door reversing is a significant safety issue if you have children or pets. The house exterior has probably been that way for years, you should fix it but not so urgent.
Get yourself a good book about home maintenance.
Is there any book you recommend? Home improvement123? Or Handyman? There are some books on amazon.com, don't know which one fits my needs.
If you are going to rent a pressure washer, maybe they'll split the cost and want to do the side(s) facing them as well. FWIW, I think you'll find that it's probably worth buying one once you own a home. A pressure washer comes in handy and you can get a decent one (gas-powered with a Honda engine) for under $500, less if you wait for a good sale.
In regards to the dryer vent, buy a shop vac and one of these:
With all due respect, with all the expenses a first time homeowner has when they first move in, a pressure washer should probably be w-a-a-a-y down on the list of stuff to buy. Not that a person should never buy one, but not right off the bat when major appliances, lawn mowers, etc. etc. are still needed.
My first thought is maybe buying a home is not a good fit for you.
There are many little things that come up all the time and having to hire people gets old and time consuming and costly too.
A co-worker bought a home last year... she is a research chemist running a lab... could write a book on what she does...
Every week she was having someone come out... things like cleaning the gutters, lighting a pilot, changing a porch light bulb, garbage disposal stuck, a stubborn door look, doorbell that stopped working, window that didn't latch...
The good news is she bought it right and a year later cleared 80k after selling here in the Bay Area...
Even with this windfall... she said she will never own another home...
If you are willing to learn... there are good books...
My favorite series, although dated, is from Ortho with the Reader's Digest coming in second... I have not looked at the 123 book at Home Depot.
As for tools... really doesn't take much... a basic tool box with measuring tape, screwdrivers, a couple of adjustable wrenches and pliers to start plus a good ladder, broom, garden hose, shovel and rake should get you started.
I think the fences are made of wood, and in my memory the cross-beams face inward, does it mean that I own the fences? I am not sure about it, since the fences are built on the property line by the builder. The fences are painted, part of them which need to be clean and re-paint are discoloring. I noticed there is a can of the exterior paint in the garage when we inspected the house. I guess that might be the paint of the fence.
Do you think it is a good idea to talk to the neighbors(two sides) right after we move in? Or its not that urgent as other tasks.
I searched the power washer at amazon.com, there is a electric one which is about $150, do you think it's good enough to do the cleaning job? There is a review said it can be used to cleaning the windows, that is nice.
Thanks for the link of cleaning dryer vent kit
Do not use a power washer unless you really know what you are doing. They are great but you can do lots of damage if you use it wrong.
Personally, I don't recommend electric pressure washers. I've seen too many bad reviews, plus my father bought one and it never did the job for him which meant he'd bug me to borrow mine anyway.
As far as talking to the neighbors, it's definitely a good idea to talk to them when you move in - but not specifically just about the fences. When the opportunity presents itself for you meet them, have a nice chat, get the lay of the land - so to speak. You could then casually mention that you want to keep your property looking nice so you plan on doing whatever maintenance is needed. That opens the door to the fence situation. You can point out the issue with the fence and ask about it then. Or, maybe wait until you are doing some other stuff outside and if your neighbors are too and if the opportunity presents itself to have a chat - then maybe ask about it. I wouldn't worry all that much about it since it's such a minor issue and you'll have plenty of other things to occupy your time. My point is that you can find out about it casually at an appropriate time.
You mentioned that there is an HOA... The best advice I can give is have your realtor (or yourself) get you a copy of the rules and regulations before you start doing ANYTHING. There could be rules about what hours you can run power equipment, how often you have to mow your lawn, the height of cut, etc, etc. Some places are totally overboard with rules, regulations, and restrictions while other places (like where I live), the HOA really doesn't do much of anything.
What does the crack on the house exterior look like?
I'm also a new homeowner. Since moving in last yr, I've fixed countless # of little things. If I can get to it, chances are it's do-able. Just go on the internet, Youtube, and do a search and good chance you'll get an idea how to fix something - ex: I just put in a garbage disposal myself! Also, you can go to home depot on a not too busy day and find an older guy who is experienced (older means he is probably retired from the trades). If you describe or show him the problem, he'll tell you what you need to buy and how to fix it. Also, plain old observing the problem can lead you to the solution via trial and error. Most things are not rocket science, so to speak. Electrical, gas lines, and plumbing (supply side especially) are the things I'd probably leave to the pros.
As a first time home owner, I have no ideas about how to repairs the items listed in the report.
What is the procedure to repair cracks on the exterior of the house? Is it easy for a DIYer? Somebody told me to rent a power washer from HD, and clean the crack, then fill the crack with wood putty, painting is the last. Is that the right process?
You can dig out the crud with a thin screwdriver. Then use a putty knife and bondo. Scrape off any loose paint sand smooth then prime and repaint.
The second task is removing the moss on the corner of the window.
Just pull it out spray some weed killer then bondo sand and paint.
The third is garage door opener did not automatically reverse under the resistance to closing, the repot recommend that the opener need adjustment or replacement. Is the adjustment a garage door tune up? I remember that there are a couple of deals on Groupon and LivingSocial.
There should be sensitivity knobs for both the up and down in some cases there is only one. Knob for both. Download your garage owners or installation manual. It. Shows you howto do. The adjustments
The fourth is the exterior discharge of the dryer vent, appears to be clogged with the lint debris. Can I clean it by myself? The laundry room is on the second floor. And I am wondering cleaning the duct vent, but I searched many posts discuss about the scam. Any recommendation about this? The house is built in mid 2007.
Pull the flapper and get all that lint out
The fifth one is the fences, parts of it may need some cleaning and re-painting, is it difficult to DIY? Do I need to talk to the neighbors and ask them about it, since the fences are shared? I don't know whether its a good timing to do this when we just move in
Usually shared fences are paid 1/2 and 1/2 by both neighbors. Fences aren't hard to do but it takes some tools and know how .
Don't get your labor from. Craiglist. Go find a good local handyman. Watch what he dies so you know how to do it yourself OR see if any neighbors know how to do the stuff. They may be willing to help for a little cash.
Other than the fence these all seem like pretty simple issues to fix. You could probably hire a handyman to take care of them all in a few hours.
We have bought and sold a lot of homes. I have seen ispectors mention that garage door sensor issue on many of our reports--either when we sell a house or buy one. When we actually go to check out the garage door ourselves it seems to be working just fine.
Also, I am not sure if it is a scam but we did just have our air ducts cleaned in our house and he also did the dryer vent. Depending on how it is set up you may be able to take a really strong suction shop vac and clean it out.
I agree with going 1/2 and 1/2 on fence with neighbor. Unfortunately all neighbors don't agree with that philosphy. My next door neighbor has told us he will go 1/2 and 1/2 on the fence even though he feels it is technically on our property line (???) Whatever that means!
I disagree. The issues from the OP's inspections are minor and comes with the territory of home ownership. Most people don't know how to fix minor issues around their house until they become a new owner and actually has to do it--either themself or by watching a handyman. I have my limits, but in 4+ years of being a homeowner I've picked up A LOT... from fixing a toilet, repair wood rot, painting, sanding and restaining a deck, to replacing parts of my refridgerator. OP just needs to be pointed the right way, and maybe spend a few hours watching videos on Youtube
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner
My first thought is maybe buying a home is not a good fit for you.
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