After walking through hundreds of homes over the years, you start to notice patterns.

The slow drip under the sink that's been warping the cabinet floor for two years. The HVAC that sounds fine, but hasn't had a filter changed since who knows when. The water heater that's 14 years old, and nobody's thought about it once.

None of it looks urgent. Until it becomes a $5,000 conversation on a random Tuesday.

Here's what I actually see most often this time of year, and what I'd do about it:

The one that surprises people most: Gutters. Not because cleaning them is hard, but because when they're clogged, water backs up along the roofline and works its way under shingles. By the time you see a stain on your ceiling, the damage is already months old.

The one that's easy to ignore: HVAC filters. A clogged filter makes your system work harder, shortens its lifespan, and spikes your energy bill. Swapping it takes a few minutes. Most people go a year or more without doing it.

The one worth knowing your number on: How old is your water heater? If you don't know, check the sticker on the side. It’ll have a serial number you can look up online in seconds (or send it to me, and I can help you decode it).

That's it. Three things. An hour of your time, tops.