The Restoration Revolution Podcast

Annual Inspections: How Preventative Maintenance Saves Thousands

• Chad Mallonee • Episode 17

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How Do Annual Maintenance Inspections Save Homeowners Money And Protect Property Investment? 

What if the biggest threats to your home are the ones you can't see? That's the powerful insight we explore with Michael Donahue, a state-licensed home and mold inspector with over three decades of experience serving Florida's Treasure Coast.

Michael reveals how seemingly minor issues—like that barely noticeable drip under your kitchen sink—can silently escalate into catastrophic and expensive problems through what he calls "the snowball effect." The financial wisdom behind annual maintenance inspections becomes crystal clear as we discuss how identifying small problems early can prevent emergency repairs that often come with premium pricing and inconvenient timing.

"Murphy's Law: if it can happen, it will happen at the worst time," Michael reminds us, emphasizing why proactive homeowners gain a significant advantage. We dive deep into strategic timing for these inspections, particularly before Florida's intense rainy seasons, and how post-storm evaluations can catch hidden damage before it compromises your home's structural integrity.

The conversation highlights how comprehensive inspections—what Michael describes as a "four-point inspection on steroids"—examine everything from potential electrical fire hazards to roof conditions, providing homeowners with a complete snapshot of their property. This thorough assessment not only protects your investment but may also positively influence insurance coverage in today's challenging market.

For anyone who owns a home or is considering a purchase, this episode delivers practical wisdom that could save you thousands while extending the life of your major home systems. Connect with Michael at A&M Home Inspections to schedule your annual maintenance inspection, and remember that when it comes to your biggest investment, prevention truly is the best protection.

To learn more about Hazard Clean Restoration visit:
https://hazardclean.net/
Hazard Clean Restoration
772-259-5018

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Restoration Revolution podcast, where we help restore hope and put your family on the road to recovery, one episode at a time. Here's your host and owner of Hazard Clean Restoration, chad Melody.

Speaker 2:

Just because your home looks fine doesn't mean costly damage isn't lurking beneath the surface. Let's explore how an annual maintenance inspection can save homeowners thousands. Welcome back everyone. I'm sophia yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with chad maloney, owner of hazard clean restoration. Nice to see you again, chad. How's it going today?

Speaker 3:

it's going going great sophia, it's going really good great and back with chad.

Speaker 2:

Today is michael donahue, a state licensed home and mold inspector with a? M home inspections serving the treasure Treasure Coast of Florida with over 30 years of industry experience. How are you, michael?

Speaker 4:

Excellent. Thank you for having me on today. These are always so much fun.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's wonderful. Well, Chad, I'm going to go ahead and pass it over to you.

Speaker 3:

Thanks, sophia Appreciate that. So I'm like excited, really excited, to have you today. You know you're you're a wealth of information and you know talking about as Sophia was talking about, you know, the topic being costly damages. You know, you know making sure we can avoid those with the annual maintenance inspections. I'm just I want to learn something from you, and so, as I was thinking through today's episode, I really kept thinking about how is getting an annual maintenance inspection actually save the homeowner's money? Because at the end of the day, the homeowner is paying for that inspection and it's really to help protect their property, right, but how does that actually save them money?

Speaker 4:

Perfect question for that and that is key right there. It may sound counterintuitive that you're spending money on the inspection, but in the long run.

Speaker 4:

It's what the big picture is. For example, we have a water leak underneath the sink where one of the valves is leaked. Just enough to start. A slow leak turns into a big leak, turns into more damages snowball effect. Next thing you know possible. That's where you can save money in the long run.

Speaker 4:

Things like that, knowing whether or not your roof is time to be, if it's got life left in it, all the good key facts. Are you going to be putting out money right away for something like this now, or on the reactive side, after it's too late? When you have an emergency? That's the wrong time to find out that the plumber he doesn't like to come out on weekends and you're getting quadruple what you should probably be getting charged. So yeah, annual maintenance exam or inspection and report is key to staying ahead of things like that, or inspection and report is key to staying ahead of things like that. You're jumping the gun on things that could happen to you when you don't want them to. You know Murphy's Law if it can happen, it will happen at the worst time. So we like to get annual maintenance inspections ahead of them in the beginning of the year, before storm and rainy season comes, which is starting to come out right now. You've seen all the rain here in Florida we're starting to experience over the last couple weeks. Uh, well needed, though, but same time it brings inherent problems.

Speaker 4:

Uh, that's one of those uh hidden things that takes place that you don't see in your uh, when you have a simple roof leak turns into a bigger one, and things like that that's so. You're talking cost safe. Um, that can, in the long run, extend the life of your roof, extend the life of your water heater, things like that. Your electrical panel, looking for safety hazards that could be potential fires. Your insurance company everybody knows the rates are not going down anytime soon, so take care of those things ahead of time. It's going to save you. They're going to see that, oh look, they had a new water heater put in just this year, or something like that, for an example. A new roof they all do like to see new things, but at the same time, if you maintain your equipment, many of these things can get a substantial life expectancy out of your equipment, like your HVAC, keeping them maintained, things of that nature. Overall, it is, get a evaluation and a visual of what's going on in your home. I think it helps.

Speaker 3:

I know it is valuable. Yeah, it makes a lot of sense. Is there a time of year that you recommend you talked about raining and everything. I know you get storm season coming up, but is there a time of year that you recommend getting your home inspected?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, Sure, there's never a bad time. Obviously, if you're behind the behind the ball a little bit, you know it's never a bad time. But always the first couple of months of the year and right before rainy storms, you know, before spring is a good evaluation time, right there. You know, as long as you get in there before spring and then obviously, after storms take place, is a good time to have your roof inspect in. To have your roof inspect in, because wind-driven rains, with the wind storms that we have here in florida, they can be unpredictable and you'll have damages without even knowing you have damage, um, and then they can add up and be very costly. You start to have structural integrity use. Uh, once, once the roof is compromised, it's kind of it's a bad snowball. Uh, I've mentioned the um, one of those things that's gonna. If you, finding out too late is just never a good time, that's for sure you know. So, yes, at the end of the year, after a storm beginning of the year, there's never a bad time.

Speaker 4:

So we suggested our annual maintenance inspection comes with a free four-point inspection report included for your insurance, which is good for up to a year for most insurance companies. I've heard of a couple that go shorter, sometimes only six months and three months. Generally, most insurance should take them a good, clean four-point report for up to a year. So we include that as part of our annual maintenance inspection. Our annual maintenance inspection is a little more than just a four-point. It's a little like a boosted up on steroids type of four point. We're going to inspect other portions of your home too while we're there. So it's a big overall picture of your home and a snapshot in time right then and there. How is it right now? So in a year you know you can come back and do another maintenance inspection and if we see something developed, you know there could be a bigger picture there that we, you know, got to identify.

Speaker 3:

It sounds, I mean it. There could be a bigger picture there that we, you know, gotta identify. Yeah, it sounds, I mean it sounds like the homeowner is getting a lot for their money, especially when you're saying I think you use the words uh, it's like a four point on steroids. Your inspection, you know when you, you, when you come out to do an inspection, you're really making a difference and doing a lot more than just the average inspector correct.

Speaker 4:

It's more than just the basic that you're going to get some will just fill out the form you might get to get it. Oh, let's get you to through your insurance and that's all you need right now is good, clean, four point. But if they're not helping you identify a problem that's in your home, they're not helping you, as a homeowner, protect your property and your investment, and that's that's the key is protecting it overall. Any kind of uh, unknown, unhidden surprises can happen, of course, but here you're getting a better chance and the cards are in your favor if you're getting it inspected at least once a year, with an annual maintenance exam.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and you know I mean our homes are usually our biggest investment, so you know why not make sure that you're catching things when they're small and taking good care of it?

Speaker 4:

Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. Biggest investment for most people you know you're buying. The cost of homes are not going down. People are hoping that the market's going to go another way. There may be a little bit of wiggle room there now just because there's some more homes being on the market, but still value is there and as long as you shop and buy, you know get what you're really looking for as a homeowner or future homeowner Well, appreciate.

Speaker 3:

Appreciate your insight, michael, and appreciate you coming on today and you know it's going to be a wrap for today's episode of Restoration Revolution and to all the listeners out there, if you're in the Treasure Coast area and you want to get ahead of costly repairs or to make sure your inspection is rock solid, don't hesitate to reach out to Michael and team at A&M Home Inspectors. That's wwwanmhomeinspectionscom and, as always, if you found today's conversation useful, make sure to subscribe. Please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who could benefit from it. I'm Chad Malowney with Hazard Clean Restoration and you've been listening to the Restoration Revolution. We're returning chaos and clarity, one episode at a time. Until next time, stay informed, stay prepared and stay safe. Bye, everyone.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for listening to the Restoration Revolution podcast, where recovery starts here. Let us help put your family on the road to recovery. Go to hazardcleannet or call 772-259-5018. That's 772-259-5018.