4 Home Inspection Tips for After the Texas Winter Storm

 As the electricity ⚡️ comes back on, water 💦 begins flowing normally again, and outside temperatures 🌞 hit above freezing, we will all exhale into some normalcy in our homes.  But before you exhale, it’s time to put on your own home inspector hat and pull out the notepad and phone. 🔎
This time is crucial for picture 📲 and note 📝 taking for insurance claims and more.
As things thaw out and settle, sometimes the hidden issues arise. 🚨 Let's think about some home inspection tips (some you probably have not thought of) for after this unprecedented winter storm to get your home back up and running quickly.

Four Home Inspection Tips You Never Thought Of After the Texas Winter Storm

How To Inspect Your Home After The Texas Winter Storm

​Check your home like you are Sherlock trying to solve a crime. 🔎
Inspect rooms you rarely go into over the next few days (and month) often. 
​Areas including:
✅closets
✅the flooring
✅the window sills and baseboards
✅and especially in rooms you aren't in often.
Water damage 💦sometimes doesn’t show up immediately. So consistently inspect areas you rarely pay attention to.

While offering Austin cleaning services, we clean many areas our clients rarely notice in detail as we do. We tend to always see the water damage in the window sills, or the mold building up in hidden areas after a rain storm.
​We are gearing up on high alert after this Texas winter storm, to be on the lookout for more than dust when our Austin home cleaning schedules open back up.

Need Help Cleaning Up After The Texas Winter Storm? Click Here and We Will Get Started!

Ice Machines and Bacteria 🦠

With Austin and most surrounding areas having a city wide boil notice, even though you may not have used your ice, toss it. The freezer and cold temps do not kill bacteria. Some ice makers like the one shown in the photo, are consistently making new ice. Keep tossing the ice it makes until the Austin boil water notice (and surrounding counties) is lifted.

Update or Create A Home 🏡 Emergency Contact List.

Remember back in the day, our parents had that emergency contact list for us, the babysitter, and more...on the fridge or the wall?
Well, your home needs one for its needs, too. You need a reliable source of contacts for your home for emergency situations - BEFORE an emergency arises.
And, if you already have a list, you may want to take a look at it. Is it old? Does it need some updating? You may need to update contact information or create a new relationship. The keyword here is UPDATE. Take some time to look at it now, before you need the information, so that it will be ready if/when you do.
Here is a list to get you started:
Home warranty number:
Electrician:
Plumber:
Appliance repair:
Carpet cleaner/water extraction:
Garage door repairman:
Pool repair:
Sprinkler repair:

Helpful Tip: Build relationships with these contacts by sending them thank you 😊 🙏 cards (for example: during the Thanksgiving season).  

Your home 🏡 is most likely your biggest 💰 investment, that houses most of your material possessions.
​Having a team of professionals on standby for your home is a must. ☎️
(Home Depot and you can’t fix it all every time).

The Garage

The garage is still considered a room, and is sometimes used to house many liquids that cannot take extreme temperatures like these we've had during this Texas winter storm. 🥶
Any cleaning supplies or liquids that have not returned to a normal appearance after thawed to room temperature and being shaken or stirred are most likely unusable.
If you must discard them, please check your local hazardous materials department for proper disposal details.

A Personal Note From Penny

Knowing that Austin Plumbers are most likely going to be on the top of everyone’s list this upcoming week, I’m one step ahead of you.
Here are a few local businesses I recommend for your Emergency Home Contact list.

Plumber: Alta Vista Plumbing (512) 713-0226
Carpet: BB&B Carpet and Tile (512) 589-6406
Insurance: Christopher Washington Goosehead Insurance (512) 599-9111
Electronics Fix: Longhorn Mac Repair (512) 902-3789
Garage Door Repair: Lake Travis Overhead Doors (512) 910-3667
Personalize your list to meet you and your home's needs.

I hope you are staying safe and warm. This Texas winter storm showed us Texans what we're made of. We saw neighbors helping neighbors - folks providing food, heat, water and shelter to some they had never met before. That's what we're really all about. 
Please continue to care for one another and, hopefully, these home inspection tips have helped you care for your home as well.

What are some tips you have for inspecting your home after this brutal Texas winter storm? We'd love to hear from you in the comments section below.  And please don't forget to follow us on social media!