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Moving into your own property is always exciting. But this excitement can quickly fade away once you realize there is more work to do.

This is especially true for those who are buying a condo unit as an investment. You want to make sure that the property is well-maintained in order to attract tenants. Whether you want to save on the cost of repair in the future, or you want to reduce the vacancy rate on your condo, there is a lot of maintenance work to be done.

You need to adapt these real estate tips if you want to keep your unit in tip-top shape. 

Get your condo inspected regularly

Maintenance is the key to keeping your condo property value up. 

Home or condo unit inspections are an integral part of your maintenance procedures. If you thought that only house and lot properties should be inspected, think again. Even if you regularly clean your condominium unit, there will be plenty of areas you are going to miss. A home or property inspector is someone who is trained to see those things that you often overlook.

Another advantage of hiring an inspector is that you will be able to meet and abide by local and state codes. If there are any problems, you can have them fixed immediately. Without the help of an inspector, you could be facing hefty fines for any issues in your unit. To ensure that the condo is regularly checked, create an inspection calendar. That way, you will know when it is time to have your condo inspected again.

Use the preventive mindset

One of the common mistakes that property investors make is to overlook the minor problems in their unit. This can be a costly thing to do because while those issues may be minor at present, they can develop into a major repair job in the future. So, it is important to address these issues while they are still small. It could be a problem in your plumbing or flooring. No matter how minor the problem might seem, it is important to regularly check and repair them. The cost of preventive maintenance is extremely cheaper than the long-term damage ignoring an issue could cause.

Establish a cleaning routine

Come up with a cleaning and maintenance routine for your condo unit. This will give you the opportunity to not only clean the place but also identify any potential issues. You can use this seasonal guide to aid you with conducting preventive maintenance on your property. 

Cleaning checklist for your condo: 

Spring is the best time to do your maintenance work. This season signals a fresh start and you can use this opportunity to get some work done on your condo. You can check on the air conditioning unit to make sure that it is in good condition for the summer ahead. For those who use wall units, you can install them at springtime. And for those with central air conditioning systems, you can hire an expert to clean the unit. 

Aside from the air conditioning units, spring is the best time to clean the gutters and exterior drainage. It is not uncommon for unwanted grime to accumulate in these areas, especially after the winter season. Make sure you get rid of any debris that might have collected on there and cause trouble later on.

For summer, there are a few maintenance works that can be done. One of them is to inspect the grout in your kitchen and bathroom. When there is grout, there is mold. And when mold accumulates, it can be a threat to not only the structure of the unit but also the safety of its occupants. It is also a good time to clean your tiles to keep them looking like they are brand new.

When fall comes, you can check the chimney and outdoor deck or balcony (if you have one in your condo). Fall is the best time to check your chimney for any issues because you want it to be working in the winter. The worst thing that can happen is for winter to come and your chimney breaks down. You want to be able to keep the inside of your condo warm throughout the season. As for the deck or balcony, you can have them re-sealed in the fall. That way, they will be resilient enough for the cold weather ahead and prevent any major damage to the surface and structure.

During winter, it is best to check for any icicles. These icicles might make winter look pretty, but they can be extremely damaging to the roof. This issue is more common in standalone houses wherein you have to check your roof for structural damage. But if you have any outdoor space in your condo (such as a balcony), it is also recommended that you clean them regularly. This will ensure that the outdoor space in your condo will be usable and in good condition once winter has passed.

Get Insured

When you buy a condo unit for investment purposes, the goal is to make money off of that property. A lot of condo owners forego buying insurance, especially if they are not going to have the property rented. But in reality, refusing to get insurance could mean more damage to your finances down the road. In fact, insurance is such a necessity that most lenders would not approve the purchase of the unit if you do not obtain one first. This is how you can protect your investments and assets. 

Final Tips and Reminders

Maintaining and cleaning a condo unit is costly, there is no doubt about that. But the same is true with any form of property. Any investment you make towards enhancing and maintaining the property can pay off with huge dividends in the long run. So, any condo you get from Precondo should be protected and taken care of. 

In reality, the cost you incur now will be considerably smaller than when you have to deal with major repairs if there are issues left untreated. The old adage “prevention is better than cure” is true for a reason.

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post

Weight loss isn’t easy, but it’s rewarding once you see all of your hard work finally pay off. Those seemingly endless hours in the gym don’t go to waste, as you generally get out what you put in. When you feel better about yourself, you’ll find you radiate confidence and others even start to perceive you differently. So where do specs come in?

Well, have you ever realised your glasses no longer fit or compliment your style after losing weight? And why exactly is this? Whether you chose to lose weight for health reasons or simply to feel better about yourself, chances are your face will have shed lots of extra weight, and with this often comes a brand new, slimmer build to your face shape.

If this sounds like you, have you considered how new glasses and how they could become part of your new weight loss plan? Discover below how weight loss impacts your face shape, and how you can find the perfect pair of frames to suit your fresh-look face.

How weight loss changes your face shape

More often than not, particularly if you’ve lost a significant amount of weight, your face shape can completely change. In fact, you’ll find most people notice you’ve lost weight by looking at your face alone! With your newfound weight loss might come the need for a new pair of glasses, particularly if they no longer suit your face.

Each face shape is different and unique, but they can typically be categorised in to similar shapes, from square or rectangular to round or oval face shapes. It’s time to grab a mirror and take a good look at your facial lines!

People gain and lose weight differently, and where you see results from weight loss could be completely different to someone else. This same principal can be applied to weight loss on your face. Many people often find that their jawline becomes much more defined after losing weight, similarly to how people that gain weight might see their jawline slowly disappear somewhat. Your cheeks might also become slimmer and your cheekbones are likely to become more prominent after losing weight.

How to find your face shape

Each face shape is different and unique, but they can typically be categorised in to similar shapes, from square or rectangular to round or oval face shapes. Which face shape category do you fall into?

The first step to finding your face shape is to simply look in the mirror. What do you see? A round face with a similar height and width, or perhaps a rectangular face with a deep forehead and strong jawline? If you’re unsure, you could even ask family or friends for their input.

Find the perfect pair of glasses for your face shape

Once you’ve identified your new, unique face shape after losing weight, check out the Arlo Wolf face shapes guide. They’ve even broken down what style of glasses suit each individual face shape the most. From angular glasses for round face shapes, to sturdy solid frames for rectangular face shapes, you can now grab the perfect pair of stylish spectacles to compliment your new look!

Disclaimer: this is a sponsored post

I seem to have started a bit of a tradition that I really love.

Around this time last year, and the year before, I took photos of Nerys having her hair dried after a bath for my Living Arrows posts.

I happened to read last year’s post the other day and at the end of the post I wrote:

“If I remember I’ll try and take some more photos then!”

So when Steve was drying her hair after a bath that evening I grabbed the camera and took these photos.

I just can’t get over how much her hair has grown in the last year, and how much older she looks!

What I really love though is that I mentioned in last year’s post that she was busy singing ‘let it go’ at the top of her lungs while her hair was being dried.

This year, the facial expressions are thanks to ‘this is me’ from The Greatest Showman. I wonder if we’ll still be doing this next January, and if so what the song of choice will be!

If you’re wondering how much she has changed and grown, here are the photos from 2017 and 2018:

For so long Nerys didn’t have much hair at all, it does make me smile now seeing quite how long it is.  I’m really not sure how I’ll feel if and when she decides she wants to cut it all off.

Who knows, maybe next January I’ll be sharing photos of her having her hair blow dried into a neat little bob!

This is the third year now that I’m taking part in the siblings project, and I still absolutely love it as a way to make sure I get a few photos of the children together each month.

Our photos for January were taken on a cold winter walk on the beach.

We’d been in a bit of a Christmas bubble and a blast of fresh sea air was the perfect way to blow away the cobwebs.

The tide was only just on its way out when we got there and there was so much left behind on the tideline, it was really interesting to search through it as we walked.

We found all sorts of driftwood, shells, and mermaids purses. And then plenty of stones to throw in the sea and try to skim.

Quite often when we go to the beach in the winter months it’s quite quiet, but it was actually pretty busy that day.

I think everyone was out doing the same as us, sort of emerging back into the real world after a few days of Christmas hibernation.

I did actually get another photo of Rhys and Nerys together this month, which I really want to share as well.

It was taken on a walk through campus after swimming last weekend, where we found a really lovely little garden area perfect for a little sit down. I just really love the two of them together with their matching furry hoods up!

Here’s to another year of seaside walks and siblings photos.