Simple Ways to Get Rid of Pests

Late Summer Checklist for Homeowners

Make sure all your doors and windows are in good working order and that none of the locks, caulking or weather stripping has to be replaced. Check the glass and screens for cracks or tears and repair or replace them as needed. Don’t forget to clean the window tracks and oil all door hinges.

Check the Gutters
Break out the ladder and check the gutters around your house for clogs, leaks or loose connections. If you don’t have gutter guards to help keep out leaves and debris, it’s best to install them now before fall arrives—they can save you some serious time and effort down the road.

Look For Leaks
Check your basement for cracks, leaks or any other signs of moisture. If you spot any major problems, have them repaired and waterproofed professionally. For smaller jobs, you can probably do it yourself and save the cost of a contractor.

Test Your Smoke Detectors
Check that all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home are functioning properly by pressing the “Test” button. If your detectors run on regular batteries and you haven’t changed them already this year, put a fresh one in each—it could save your life. Depending on the manufacturer, you should replace the units every five to ten years.

Change Your HVAC Filters
Your AC unit can get quite a workout during the dog days of summer, so make sure you check your HVAC filter. A dirty HVAC filter can make your home’s system work harder than it should and be less effective. You can save on HVAC filters now with special offers from American Home Shield®.

Prepare Your Garden
If you’ve got a vegetable garden, you’ve probably still got tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to harvest. While it’s too early to plant, you can start making room for fall vegetables like beans, peas and broccoli. As for the lawn, you’ve still got some watering and mowing left to do before it’s time to fertilize in the fall.

Clear Out the Clutter
Late summer is a good time to get rid of stuff that’s been collecting dust in the attic, basement or garage. Have a yard sale and turn your old books, clothes and furnishings into some cold, hard cash. Your place will look better, and you’ll have plenty of room for new fall goodies.

Top Trends in Bathroom Renovations!

Camouflage scratches on your wood and hardwood floors

You can hide a damaged finish on antique furniture or any fine woodwork by applying a coat of pigmented wax, such as Briwax, or a pigmented polishing fluid, also known as scratch cover, which will make fine scratches all but disappear.

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The Most Popular Features to Improve the Performance of Your Home...

RISMEDIA, Monday, June 16, 2014— According to a new National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers survey, high-performing, Low-emissive (Low-E) windows are the most common green building products used by residential remodelers. To kick off National Home Remodeling Month in May, NAHB released the survey results, which highlight the most common building features that home owners are using to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

“The improved availability and affordability of high-performing building products means energy-efficient features are being incorporated into more home improvement projects,” says NAHB Remodelers Chair Paul Sullivan, CAPS, CGR, CGP, of Waterville Valley, N.H. “Remodeling can not only improve the overall layout and features of a home, but depending on the upgrades you choose, you can also save money on utilities, improve indoor air quality and strengthen the long-term value of your home.”

The most popular green building features in the survey of residential remodelers in the first quarter of 2014 are:

• High performance windows including Low-E and Argon gas windows
• High efficiency HVAC systems
• Programmable thermostats
• ENERGY STAR appliances

Other popular features include ceiling fans, moisture control products such as bathroom fans, water conserving fixtures and high performance insulation.

The usage of technology to improve a home’s performance has increased dramatically during recent years. Seventy percent of remodelers says they used programmable thermostats, an increase from 42 percent in 2011. Sixty-two percent of remodelers used ceiling fans in their remodels, compared to 37 percent in 2011.

Over the next five years, the percentage of remodelers who expect to be doing more than 60 percent of their projects green will double, according to the McGraw Hill Construction green building study in conjunction with NAHB.

“The lower operating and maintenance costs of energy-efficient homes are a compelling reason for more home owners to incorporate green features in their remodeling designs,” says Sullivan. “A professional remodeler can help maximize the benefits of including these features in a remodel. The survey results provide useful examples of ways to increase a home’s efficiency, decrease costs and take advantage of the other benefits that high performance green homes offer.”

For more information, visit www.nahb.org/remodel

Keep Your Stainless Spotless!

Do the fingerprints all over the appliances make your kitchen look like a crime scene? Take the advice of Dan Smith, showroom manager at Valcucine Chicago, an upscale kitchen outfitter. "The secret to cleaning stainless-steel surfaces is never to use stainless-steel cleaner," he says. Most of those products contain naphtha, which leaves an oily film that attracts dust and smears every time you touch it. Instead, Smith recommends using a glass cleaner that contains no ammonia or alcohol, such as the ones made by Restore or Method.

Top 3 Landscaping Trends!

If You Were Selling Today, Would You Have the Home That Buyers Want?

Knowing what appeals to today’s home buyers, and considering those trends when you remodel, can pay off years from now when you sell your home.

Two new surveys about what homebuyers want help us gain insight into if our own homes make the cut. Privacy from neighbors remains at the top of the most-wanted list (important to 86% of buyers), according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS’® "2013 Community Preference Survey." It may not be practical to move your neighbors farther away (although I’m sure many people wish they had that superpower), but you can increase your home’s privacy (and therefore its resale value) by planting a living privacy screen of trees and shrubs or by physically screening off your patio.

3 More Takeaways for the Next Time You Remodel 

1.  More and more generations are living together. Another NAR survey, the "2013 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers," found 14% of buyers purchased a home suited to a multigenerational household due to children over the age of 18 moving back into the house, cost savings, and the health and caretaking of aging parents. This trends seems to span across many cultural groups as well as age groups. Even if you’d rather live in a cardboard box than with your mother, you might want to consider the multigenerational living trend when you’re remodeling. For instance, opting for a full bath when renovating could offer more convenience for you now and boost your home’s resale value by making it more appealing to a multigenerational family.

2.  On average, homeowners live in their home for five to seven years. That’s up from six years in 2007. Since you’ll be in your home for a long time, it makes sense to remodel to suit your taste but also with long-lasting marketability in mind. After all, you don’t want to have to redo stuff. For instance, you can go for trend-defying kitchen features, like white overtones and Shaker-style cabinets, which work with a variety of styles. I feel compelled to caution against going so far out of the norm for your neighborhood that it’ll turn off potential buyers even nine years from now. I am always available to come and give you my opinion on your  remodeling plans and what will increase your home's future marketability.

3.  Homebuyers love energy efficiency. Heating and cooling costs were "somewhat" or "very important" to a whopping 85% of buyers. If your home could use an energy-efficiency upgrade, go with projects that have a solid return on investment, like sealing your air leaks and adding attic insulation. You’ll save money on your utility bills now and when you’re ready to sell, your home will appeal to buyers looking for efficiency.

By the way, to take back your energy bills, you need to do at least four things. One to two fixes won’t cut it, thanks to rising energy costs. About two-thirds of survey respondents also thought energy-efficient appliances and energy-efficient lighting were important. Tuck away your manuals and energy-efficiency information when you buy new appliances and lighting. When you’re ready to sell you can pull those out and display them where buyers will see them.

Source: By: Dona DeZube from Houselogic

10 Tips for Buyers and Sellers!

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