Home Maintenance Archives - Page 3 of 4

Ways to Highlight Your Home for Showings

November 5th 2014 | Home Maintenance, Home Organization, Selling a Home

First impressions always matter! Here are simple tips for better home showings.

Remove clutter and clear off counters. Throw out stacks of newspapers and magazines and stow away most of your small decorative items. Put excess furniture in storage, and remove out-of-season clothing items that are cramping closet space. Don’t forget to clean out the garage, too.
Wash your windows and screens. This will help get more light into the interior of the home.
Keep everything extra clean. A clean house will make a strong first impression and send a message to buyers...

What a Home Inspection Should Cover

October 14th 2014 | Home Maintenance, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals, Selling a Home

Home inspections will vary depending on the type of property you are purchasing. A large historic home, for example, will require a more specialized inspection than a small condominium. However, the following are the basic elements that a home inspector will check. You can also use this list to help you evaluate properties you might purchase.

For more information, try the virtual home inspection at www.ASHI.org, the Web site of the American Society of Home Inspectors.

Structure: A home’s skeleton impacts how the property stands up to weather, gravity, and the earth. Struct...

Questions and Answers: What is Carbon Monoxide?

March 10th 2014 | Home Maintenance, Resources to Hire Professionals, Safety

Every year far too many individuals lose their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning. This year there there have been a number of fatalities, both locally and state-wide. Carbon monoxide detectors should be in every home. Batteries should be replaced twice a year (with those fire alarms!) when you adjust your clocks.

The following publication is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Ice Dams ~ A Refresher

February 11th 2014 | Home Maintenance, Resources to Hire Professionals, Safety

Many homeowners in Minnesota are all too familiar with ice dams. This is the ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents proper drainage of melting snow. The resulting water can back up behind the dam and cause extensive damage to a home by leaking into the walls, ceilings and insulation. This can also result in mold and mildew within the home. Ice dams occur due to temperature fluctuations above and below the roof line over an extended period of time. The following has been prepared by one of our Community Resources, Rayco Construction located in the Twin C...

Call 811 Before You Dig

April 22nd 2013 | Home Maintenance, Safety

For all of you contractors, homeowners, and other weekend warriors out there who are anxious to start those outdoor projects ~ Be sure to call 811 before you start any excavation on your property. This service will connect you to participating utility companies such as electric, gas, cable and phone to alert them as to any planned digging so they can mark the appropriate location of their underground lines.

A 48 – hour notice is needed to give workers time to come out to mark the property.

Ii is free, it will keep you and yours safe, and it’s the law.

I...

Five Things to do Before Putting Your Home on the Market

March 8th 2013 | Home Maintenance, Home Organization, Real Estate News, Selling a Home

Have a pre-sale home inspection. Be proactive by arranging for a pre-sale home inspection. An inspector will be able to give you a good indication of the trouble areas that will stand out to potential buyers, and you’ll be able to make repairs before open houses begin.
Organize and clean. Pare down clutter and pack up your least-used items, such as large blenders and other kitchen tools, out-of-season clothes, toys, and exercise equipment. Store items off-site or in boxes neatly arranged in the garage or basement. Clean the windows, carpets...

Preparing Your Home for the Spring Market

February 8th 2012 | Home Maintenance, Real Estate News, Selling a Home

Below are five steps that you can take before putting your home on the market.

Have a pre-sale home inspection. Be proactive by arranging for a pre-sale home inspection. An inspector will be able to give you a good indication of the trouble areas that will stand out to potential buyers, and you’ll be able to make repairs before open houses begin.

Organize and clean. Pare down clutter and pack up your least-used items, such as large blenders and other ki...

Holiday Safety Tips

December 6th 2011 | Home Maintenance, Safety

The holidays are an exciting time of year for both children and adults. It is also a time to be aware of general safety in your home. The following tips are published with permission from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2011).

Whatever your heritage and traditions, have a very happy and safe holiday season!

Trees

When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.” When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and w...

Fall Ladder Safety

September 10th 2011 | Home Maintenance, Safety

Fall is on the way. In fact, it’s less than two weeks away, so get out while you can and enjoy these warmer temperatures! As you prepare your home for the upcoming winter months, you may find yourself on a ladder cleaning gutters, looking at your roof, or attending to windows. Every year there are over 164,000 emergency room visits in the US relating to ladders (Ross, 2011). There are over 300 ladder related fatalities every year (American Ladder Institute, 2011). Do not take shortcuts. Below are a few tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (2011) to h...

Color Trends Spring 2011

April 8th 2011 | Home Maintenance

The following submission was created by Diane Hennen, Allied Member ASID at Euro Nest, a resource listed for you in our business directory.

The way we live and what is happening has influenced the color trends. Last year the Pantone 2010 color of the year was Turquoise. This served as an escape for many . The new Pantone 2011 color of the year is Honeysuckle which emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor.

Honeysuckle is an intense reddish pink color can lift our spirits...

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