At our last house, I didn't bother to track what home improvement projects we completed. When we went to sell the house, the agent wanted us to provide prospective buyers a list of what was done and when we completed the projects. I had to scour through notes, QuickBooks, and emails to try and put this list together. It was a pain. I am sure I missed items.
I decided that at our new house, I would definitely keep a list. I didn't want to be caught off guard again - if/when we go to sell the house.
What do I track? Pretty much anything above and beyond normal daily house maintenance.
- Remodeling projects
- Painting projects
- Window replacements
- Tree removals and plantings
- Flooring replacement
- Water heater replacement
- Landscape renewal
- Ventless fireplace install
- Insulation added to attic
There are more items on my list, but this gives you the idea.
I track the items by location, item, and year. This allows me to be able to sort my list in various ways.
- I can see what all has been done for a certain areas of the house.
- I can tell what I might need to do in upcoming years.
- For instance, if I haven't painted the hallways in a decade, it might be time to start thinking about that project and budgeting for a painter.
- It also really helps if I have to pull paperwork for a particular item. I can see the year and this helps me narrow down my search for warranty, invoice or user guide information.
I don't track when I change light bulbs or complete other minimal tasks, but most other items...I track. After all - I can always delete unneeded items. It is much harder to track down information years later - than add a line item to a spreadsheet at the time I complete the project.
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