What is Deferred Maintenance, and how does it hurt you?

What is that you say.... "You'll do it later?"

I bet you will.

As my old man used to say, "André, there are two types of people in this world...." then move on to whatever point he was trying to make. Fortunate or unfortunate, I used to stop listening after that line. But here I am, brining it up again. I hope you will listen to what I have to say, because this will help you immensely.

Let me start like this, "{Insert your name here}, there are two types of people in this world: Those who are diligent and do their best to keep their properties looking good, and those who don't". Now this isn't to say that if a person has been overtaken with a disability that they are of the latter, obviously there are outliers who make up a small portion. I'm not talking about them. There is a whole separate conversation that would need to be had about that. If you are going to stop here to think about all the reasons you "can't" then you are probably not one of those people, so keep reading. 

Let's start with the latter of that phrase "those who don't". Oh, this is hard for me to write because of my inclination. It is of "those who don't". A better expression is "laziness". I am lazy. This is NOT a good character trait, it is a flaw, defect, weakness, glitch, fault, stain, vice, and sin. Laziness is not good. "André, what does this have to do with 'Deferred Maintenance'?". Everything. I would argue that it is the reason that we see deferred maintenance so often. "WHAT IS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE?!" Ok, ok, I'll tell you. It's the routine maintenance and upkeep of one's property. Here in Western Washington some items are more valuable to keep up on than others, but all have value.  Cleaning the roof and gutters, draining the water heater, painting the exterior of the home, keeping the landscaping manageable, replacing the roof when needed, cleaning the dryer vents, pest control, plumbing and electrical repairs, and all of the things that are needed to keep your home livable. These things either cost your time, or money.

So, why start by talking about the lazy? Because, lazy people don't do these things. Yes, I said that I'm lazy. And I am, but here is my secret:

I am honest with myself.

I know that I am lazy, and I force myself into habits that counteract that sin. I recognize it for what it is, and push through it. I don't like that I am lazy, but in a strange way, it pushes me to fight against it. To get onto the ladder and clean out the gutters before the backup of water ruins my eves. To keep the house clean for the family so my kids can have a nice place to stay. To keep going so the kids can see two parents who know that God cursed the ground and now we have to work hard to keep up one's livelihood, that was a bible reference to the 3 chapter of Genesis incase you are wondering. I'm telling you this because if you are lazy like me, there is hope, but you have to be honest with yourself too. 

Here is another secret: Our homes reflect who we are as people. It sounds strange, but I'm telling you it is very true. I have been into 100's of homes and they all seem to reflect their inhabitants. So look around, how does your house look? Then take inventory of your life, you might be surprised on how accurate this is.

How to know if you are lazy:

• You have used the phase "I can't get it done because..." 3 or more times this week.
• There is always a reason you are late
• It is always somebody else's fault
• Your house looks terrible, and it has for a long time
• You can't take responsibility for anything
• You are "waiting" for so and so, or such and such to finish
• People tell you that you're lazy 
• Your become upset when reading this list
• You start to make excuses when reading this list
• You sleep excessively without any medical conditions
• You make plans with people and cancel last minute or don't show up
• It's still not your fault because {insert excuse here} 
• You will work harder if {insert something here}
• You are careless
• You avoid diligent people because they are "uptight" or "too strict" or "mean" or "rude" or, or, or,.....
• You cut corners when trying to do maintenance
• You look for cheapest option always

Last thing about lazy people. There is an ancient proverb that says "The lazy person says 'there is a lion outside, if I go out there I will be killed!' ". This is the life of the lazy, they have an excuse for everything, and the excuses become more and more ridiculous over time. 

Like I said, I am lazy but I'm willing to accept this about myself and be aware of these ailments that lead to deferred maintenance. 

The other type of person that we encounter is the diligent. They know that life is hard work and things need to be kept up, like their house. They find a pressure washer and clean, they pull weeds regularly, they clean their roof. Their homes are often clean and landscape is clean as well. They look for the solution or the "how to" when it is not obvious. Other diligent people like to work with them because they get sh*t done. 

When our team is selling their home, they have the dates (or approximate timeframe) within the last 20 years that the house was painted, the attic was looked at, the crawlspace under the house was looked at, the roof was replaced, the water heater was serviced or replaced, the furnace was serviced, the vent ducts were cleaned or repaired, and much more. When looking for a good home for the residential buyer, we are looking for the home of the diligent. Their homes fetch a higher return because the maintenance and care is palpable. These people either do it themselves, or hire somebody to do it for them. When doing it themselves, they do it right, when hiring others, they pay them right. 

If you are lazy and you need help selling, we can help you. Thankfully, our team is diligent and can get your home up to snuff. We offer more and better services than any other real estate team in Washington. If you are diligent, and thinking of selling, we love to work with your kind, and would work well together. Give us a call, you won't be disappointed. 

Want more information? Visit our website: onsiteregroup.com