Home maintenance for Worthington, from the Village Green to the ranch streets.

What I look for in Worthington, Ohio homes

These are the things I keep an eye on in Worthington. Your house might only have one or two of them.

• Postwar ranches that are 60 or 70 years old now.Much of Worthington, especially the northeast side, is ranch houses from the 1950s and 60s. The furnace and water heater have usually been replaced at least once, and nobody wrote down when. On the first visit I record model numbers, filter sizes, and rough ages so you know what is coming due.
• Older streets with older drainage.The city's own plan notes that on-site stormwater controls in many neighborhoods don't meet modern standards. In plain terms, water has fewer places to go in a heavy rain. The spring visit looks at downspout extensions, window wells, and grading by the foundation, and the sump gets run every visit if you have one.
• Ravine lots and big trees.Houses along Rush Run and Tucker Creek sit on sloped, wooded lots. That is a big part of the charm, and it also means gutter outlets clog fast in the fall. The fall visit checks gutter outlets and downspouts for leaf clogs and makes sure the sump discharge won't freeze or pool by the house.
• Old Worthington houses updated in layers.Houses near the green have been remodeled many times over the years, so the plumbing and wiring can come from several different decades. I don't open walls or do repairs. When I see something that needs a licensed plumber or electrician, I write it down with a photo and you pick who to call.

Serving Old Worthington, Colonial Hills, Rush Creek Village, the ranch streets on the northeast side, and the neighborhoods along the Rush Run and Tucker Creek ravines.