Your Quarterly Guide to Homeownership Success

Building More Than Homes, Building a Community

We’re thrilled to invite all Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity homeowners to our very first Homeowner Alumni Day! Join us on October 11th on one of our current build sites for a powerful day of community building and support for current homeowners. Not only will you connect with fellow homeowners, but every hour you contribute will directly benefit future homeowners who may struggle to complete their sweat equity hours. This is a unique chance to make a lasting difference while enjoying a rewarding experience. Don’t wait—sign up today and be part of something great!

RSVP HERE FOR ALUMNI DAY!

Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist

Fall into Home Care

It's time to prepare your home to withstand winter weather. While spring is a common time for many homeowners to devote extra attention to upkeep, autumn is just as critical a season for preparing your home. Follow our fall checklist for must-do repairs and seasonal maintenance tips.

Add Door Sweeps and Weatherization Strips: Homeowners often overlook that a tiny 1/8-inch gap around the doors can let in as much air as a small window open halfway. To seal your home for the fall, focus on caulking and weatherstripping around windows and attaching door sweeps. This will reduce drafts, improve energy efficiency, and lower heating costs.

Check Ventilation and Cleaning Central Heating Filters: Ventilation greatly affects home comfort, aiding in cooling and moisture control. Enhancing ventilation can help regulate temperature without raising energy bills. Learn how to change a furnace filter properly, and visit our ReStore locations for affordable filters.

Clean Your Dryer Vent: Fall is a great time to clean your dryer vent before the winter season's heavy usage. Be sure to clean the dryer exhaust duct and the space under and behind the dryer. Remove lint and dust that may have accumulated inside the dryer. Check out 'How to Clean Your Dryer Vent'.

Try Wrapping your Water Heater (if needed): Insulating your water heater can reduce standby heat losses by 25-45% and save 7-16% on heating costs. Check the R-value on your tank; a higher value means better heat resistance. Insulation blankets are a cost-effective investment that can pay for itself within a year through lower energy bills.

Clean and Inspect Gutters and Downspouts: Cleaning and inspecting downspouts in the fall is vital to prevent water damage. Removing leaves and debris ensures proper water flow, reducing the risk of overflows that can lead to foundation issues, basement flooding, and roof damage. Also, check for any damage and confirm they are securely attached to your home. Check out 'How to Clean Gutters'.

Prep Your Lawn for Winter: To keep your lawn healthy and beautiful for spring, complete key yard work projects in the fall. Rake leaves and aerate the soil to prevent suffocation. Fertilizing and winterizing your grass, trees, and shrubs will ensure they enter winter well-nourished. Watch this video for manual aeration tips, and check the seasonal maintenance spotlight for more advice.

Click Here to Learn More

Seasonal Maintenance Spotlight:

Weatherizing Your Home for the Fall

The end of summer signals the best time to lay the groundwork for a lush field of grass come spring. Taking proactive steps in the fall can give your grass the best chance to survive harsh winter conditions and emerge strong in the spring. Proper winter prep helps reduce soil compaction, improve nutrient absorption, and strengthen grass roots. This article will walk you through the essential steps to prepare your lawn for winter.

Community Connection

The Toolbank is a nonprofit organization that offers hands-on workshops to help homeowners develop skills and gain confidence in caring for their homes. They offer a range of classes from regular home maintenance to learning how to use power tools. If you would like to register for one of their upcoming workshops, please click the link to get signed up. The classes offer Pay What You Can pricing, allowing you to choose a ticket price that suits your financial means.

Financial Well-Being Insights

Homeowner Insurance

Shop for homeowners’ insurance annually to ensure you're getting the best coverage at the most affordable rate. Since your mortgage is escrowed and serviced by Virginia Housing, changes in your insurance premium directly affect your monthly payment. The best time to switch insurance is before your policy renews (typically 30 to 60 days prior) so the new premium can be sent to your loan servicer in a timely manner. Your monthly mortgage payment can change each year due to real estate taxes and insurance costs, which are paid from your escrow account.

Check out the videos below for more information on how to manage your Escrow account.

The Kids Corner

Click the links below to explore the highlighted events happening around the river city, complete with art classes, animal encounters, and outdoor fun.

Richmond

Chesterfield

Henrico

Richmond Metropolitan Habitat Corner

Coming Soon: Habitat Impact Survey

In the next couple of months, we’ll be sending out an Impact Survey to our Habitat homeowners. Please keep an eye on your email for this important survey.

The survey helps us understand the long-term impact of Habitat’s homeownership program on families like yours. Your feedback gives us valuable insight into how homeownership has improved stability, health, education, and community involvement. It also allows us to strengthen our programs, share success stories with supporters, and secure funding to serve even more families in the future.

Your voice matters, and we appreciate you taking a few minutes to share your experience with us!

Restore Highlights

Visit our ReStores for fantastic finds to enhance your home's curb appeal with outdoor decor! Shop online by visiting the ReStore website or shop our eBay Store.

Northside Location:

1901 Roane St,

Richmond, VA 23222

Chesterfield Location:

1201 Mall Dr,

Richmond, VA 23235

Mark Your Calendars

For any upcoming Habitat event that is open to the public, you can see it on our website, share it, and add it to your calendar. Don't forget to share our events with your friends and family!

Sip and Shop, September 18th

Join us at the Richmond Habitat ReStore for a Sip and Shop on Thursday, September 18th, from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Shop the ReStore and local vendors! The event is FREE, but RSVP HERE to help us plan appropriately!

PRIDE Build

Richmond Habitat will conduct our third PRIDE Build this fall, from September through November. It will be open to all people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and their allies. Learn more HERE or email brobinson@richmondhabitat.org

Free Flu Shots, October 5th

Bons Secours Health will be giving free flu shots at Holy Rosary Catholic Church on October 5th from 9 am to 1 pm

Alumni Day, October 10th

Join us and other local Habitat homeowners for our first Alumni Day on one of our build sites. RSVP HERE!

Open House & Happy Hour, October 23rd

Richmond Habitat's Young Professional group is hosting a Happy Hour for anyone to come and learn more about Richmond Habitat, what we have coming up, and to see a current home build project in action! RSVP

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