Archives for 2020

Leaks and water damage in homes are incredibly common. In fact, one out of 50 homeowners files a water damage claim with their insurance companies every year.

Though it’s common, you don’t have to accept that leaks and water damage will happen to your home. There are a few things you can do to help prevent water damage on your property.

Here’s what you need to do to keep your home safe.

1. Winterize Your Plumbing

When the weather is warm, water can flow through your pipes and water lines easily. As the temperatures drop in the late fall and winter, that water can freeze inside the lines.

When it freezes, it expands and puts pressure on the pipes. If it’s bad enough, the pipes can crack and create major leaks in your home. Stay on top of things and winterize your plumbing.

Turn off the water to your sprinkler system, insulate all exposed pipes, and let the tap run when temps go below freezing overnight.

2. Get Your Roof Inspected

Leaks can happen anywhere on your property, but they’re most common on your roof. The best way to prevent water damage from those roof leaks is to stay on top of maintenance appointments.

Get your roof inspected at least twice a year, once in the spring and again before winter. If your roofer notices any issues, let them fix the damage immediately.

3. Fix Minor Plumbing Problems Immediately

Running toilets and dripping faucets may not seem like a huge deal, but they can be a symptom of major problems in your home’s plumbing. If left unaddressed, those problems can cause severe water damage to your property. Schedule regular inspections with licensed plumbers and call them anytime you think you might have a plumbing issue.

4. Keep an Eye on Your Water Bill

The best way to monitor for water damage in homes is to look at your water bill each month. For most homeowners, the amount you pay should be consistent. If it goes up and you haven’t changed your normal water usage habits, there could be a leak somewhere on your property.

If you leave that leak to sit over time, it can cause serious water damage to your house long before you see any physical signs of the leak itself.

5. Clean Your Gutters

The gutters around your home’s exterior help send runoff from rain and snowstorms off the roof and away from your house. When they’re clean, the water can easily flow to a designated drainage area. However, if they’re clogged, the water will fall over the edge of the gutters and could soak into your home’s siding or foundation.

Clean your gutters every few months or hire a professional to do it for you. This will help keep your walls and foundation safe and dry.

Preventing Water Damage in Homes Is Simple

The key to preventing water damage in homes lies in staying on top of regular maintenance tasks. As long as you keep an eye out for signs of leaks on your property and hire a pro to fix them quickly, your home will stay in good shape.

Looking for more suggestions on how to keep your home looking great? Check out our latest posts.

Winter is almost over, and you’re singing about April showers bringing May flowers. Have you scheduled your spring and summer pest control?

Warmer weather signals more than spring showers. It’s also the time when common house pests return and make a nuisance of themselves.

Don’t let your guard down—take a minute and find out more about 9 household pests and what they can do to your home. You may want to find the number to your local exterminator and keep it handy so that you can call as soon as you finish reading today’s post.

1. Ants

They look adorable, marching across the red checkered tablecloth at a Teddy Bear’s picnic. Ants lose their charm as soon as they step over the threshold of your home.

Most ants don’t cause physical damage to your home. Instead, they feed on sweets, starches, and meat. When they invade your pantry and share your snacks, ants can contaminate food, making it unedible.

Carpenter ants, the largest of the common ants found in homes, cause the most damage. They excavate wood, creating a potential for structural damage. Be aware that carpenter ants also eat some of the same things as other ant species.

Many homeowners mistake carpenter ants for the next pest we’ll talk about—termites.

2. Termites

Another common house pest causes over 5 billion dollars in damages to homes all over the country Often mistaken for flying ants, termites set up residence in underground tunnels. The tunnels connect to feeding areas throughout your home. Termites are subtle, and by the time you realize you have an infestation, they’ve had plenty of time to feast on your home’s structure.

You see, termites eat cellulose—it’s their primary diet. They’ll devour your home’s wood structure, decks, and fences. Once they’ve won the war on wood, they’ll move on to insulation, drywall paper, and even carpets.

3. Fruit Flies

If you’ve ever had an abundance of ripe fruit or other produce on your countertop, you’ve likely shared your kitchen space with fruit flies. They

don’t only enjoy rotting food. They love sugary, syrupy liquid spills, and anything fermented.

Sure, they make a nuisance of themselves, but the problem with fruit flies goes beyond annoyance.

Fruit flies pose a problem to humans because they can contaminate food with bacteria and other pathogens.

4. Cockroaches

The thought of living in a home infested with cockroaches strikes fear into every homeowner. It’s not about the structural damage they cause—cockroaches don’t do much physical damage—it’s the hazard they pose to human health. Cockroaches spread disease through the variety of bacteria and viruses they carry. They can also cause allergic reactions.

These nasty pests may not devour the wood structure of your home, but they will damage fabric, paper products, and food. They also leave behind a foul smell and oily stains in their nesting areas.

5. Silverfish

If you think someone got mixed up when they name this house pest, all you have to do is see one. The silverfish has a silvery, metallic fishlike body and makes movements like a fish.

The resemblance stops there! Silverfish have a bristle-like tail on the back end and antennae on the front end of their bodies.

While silverfish won’t destroy your home’s structure, they will eat the starch found on wallpaper. They chew on books, magazines, and baseball cards. Silverfish also snack on natural and synthetic fabrics.

6. Moths

Like silverfish, moths can’t do much damage to the structure of your home. Instead, they destroy your personal belongings, especially clothing. Moths can also make you and your pets sick!

First, if moth feces or their cocoon touch food, they may contaminate it. If you touch moth infested food, you could have an allergic reaction. Eating said food might cause illness.

As far as what they do to your clothing, wool blankets, and carpets, moths get a bad rap. Adult moths focus on one thing—reproduction. Their larvae feed on your clothes and rugs!

7. and 8. Mice and Rats

Since they find plenty of food outside, mice and rats don’t usually visit human homes during the warm weather months. Once the cold weather arrives, they both seek out cozy places to spend the winter.

Mice get in through cracks and small holes. They’ll often scurry in the minute you open the door to the outside.

A nickel-size opening is all a mouse needs to get inside Rats need a bit bigger hole to gain access, and if they can’t find one, they’ll chew until they make a big enough opening.

Once they’re in, they make nests where they give birth to their offspring. Female mice can deliver between 5-10 litters of anywhere from 5-12 pups in one year. Rats can give birth to 7 litters of up to 14 young each year. Making sure there are no nests in place is the first thing a pest control London mice expert will take care of.

Fun fact about rats: if you have a group of rats, they’re called a mischief.

Mischief is precisely what both rats and mice get into—they shred paper and fabric to make their nests. They’re not shy about rummaging in your pantry at night, contaminating food, and leaving filthy droppings.

9. Squirrels

Aren’t squirrels cute? Many people enjoy leaving food in a squirrel feeder and watching their hilarious antics.

As cute as they are to watch from a window, squirrels often decide it’s much better inside your home than outside. In winter, they get inside and look for a place they can nest and raise their young.

Most of the time, they find their way in through the attic, and they’ll nest there. If they can squeeze in through an opening in your basement or garage, they’ll gladly take up residence there too.

Once inside, squirrels get to work shredding insulation and chewing through electrical wiring. They’ll also chew right PVC pipes, which can result in water damage.

You may not know it until you already have damage, but most homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover damage caused by squirrels or other rodents.

Ready to Tackle Common House Pests?

No one wants uninvited guests dropping in, especially not insects and rodents. Knowledge is power, and now that you know more about common house pests, you’re better prepared to deal with them.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, hang out with us a little longer. We’ve put together a collection of articles to help you enjoy and manage every aspect of your home!

 

Moving to a new home or apartment requires a lot of moving parts, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you don’t plan ahead.

As you consider how long does it take to move, you need to plan for several factors that help you get an accurate timeline. Moving can be difficult, but sticking to a time frame that works shouldn’t be.

After all, you don’t want to cause more worry than you probably already have!

Read on to learn more about the most important things you need to know so you can plan a perfect, stress-free move.

Buying and Selling Your Home Takes Time

If you’re simply moving from one apartment to another, your timeline will be shorter than if you’re a homeowner. Unless you can pay two mortgages, you’ll want to sell your current home first.

Start planning to market your home as soon as possible for a quick sale. Even if your current house sells fast, you still need to be ready to apply for a new mortgage on your end.

Ideally, it takes about four weeks to get approved for a mortgage. Tack on another 10 weeks to transfer ownership from the current owner over to you which includes closing, surveys, and documenting the transfer with your city or county.

Selling a home can take just a few weeks or several months depending on the market. It’s a good idea to account for around two months total if you’re planning to sell and then buy a home.

How Long Does It Take to Move With a Moving Company?

If you’re planning to hire a professional moving company, start shopping for costs as soon as possible. You can also find a mover online and ask for quotes via email. Click here to learn more about how you can calculate an estimated cost in advance.

It should take around one week for you to find the right mover and secure the date. Be sure you do your homework and ask people you know for any recommendations they can offer. Read reviews to find a company you know you can trust to handle your move in a professional way.

While you’re working on hiring a moving company, it’s also a good time to start decluttering your home. The less stuff you have to move, the lower your costs should be.

Ideally, you should book a mover around six to eight weeks before your moving date. For those who prefer to move themselves, give yourself plenty of time to find and secure a rental moving truck.

Scheduling Transfers and Other To-Do’s

Moving involves much more than simply packing boxes and moving into your new home. You’ll also have a lot of important things you need to take care of like transferring your address and other information.

Give yourself around one full month to update things like medical records and school registration. You’ll also need to change your address with your credit card company, the department of motor vehicles, and the US Postal Service.

Write down all of the things you need to update ahead of time so you don’t leave anything out. An address change is immediate with most accounts, but it could take a few weeks for the post office to catch up.

Don’t forget to factor in the time it takes to either transfer or cancel your utility accounts. You also need to update your pet’s records so that your new vet has all of your information.

Sort through your records and make a dedicated folder that contains the information you need to update. Once you have everything together, it shouldn’t take longer than a week to get it completed.

How Long Does It Take to Pack?

Packing for a move is time-consuming, and it can take a lot longer if you’re doing everything yourself. The length of time it takes to pack can depend on several factors including the size of your home and how much stuff you have.

Overall, it shouldn’t take more than two days to pack a two-bedroom home or apartment. Count on a week or maybe even longer for a three or four-bedroom residence.

You can start packing certain items early to help save you some time. Prepare boxes and fill them with things you know you won’t need until you settle into your new place. This can shave off several hours, depending on how much you pack in advance.

The basement, garage, and storage shed will add a lot more time and effort to the process. Try to plan ahead for these areas to save time if you can. You should also procure boxes, tape, and bubble wrap before the day you pack so it’s ready to go.

Professional movers can help you transport large items like furniture, and they can get it done in a matter of hours. A small home or apartment takes just a few hours to pack and move, while a bigger home takes around six to eight hours to complete.

Make Your Move Seamless

As you think about how long does it take to move, planning ahead can make the transition easier and shorter. Make a list of things you need to do well in advance so you can start creating a timeline that works for you.

Get moving quotes online and start prepping your packing as early as possible to help you save some time. With the right mindset and some patience, your next move can be easy, quick, and stress-free.

For amazing recipes, home and DIY tips and a whole lot more, be sure to visit my website today!

If you need to choose flooring for your home, you’ve got options. Too many options, really. There are at least nine popular types of flooring, and many of these have their own subcategories.

Unfortunately, it may not be wise to select flooring by style alone. Different rooms in your home have varying conditions and requirements to consider. Install the wrong flooring and it may not last as long as it should, which will cost you a small fortune down the road.

Get the right flooring for the right job. This guide will walk you through all the basics of how to choose flooring for your home.  And if you need help with installation check out flooring installation in Auburn.

Moisture Control

You’re probably not installing new flooring throughout your entire home. Maybe the living room hardwood is old and rotting or the kitchen is in dire need of a renovation. No matter where you’re hammering in new flooring, you should always consider the purpose of the room.

Different areas of the home experience distinct wear and tear.

Consider the bathroom, for example. You want flooring that holds up to high humidity and temperatures. In fact, it may not be uncommon for wet feet to trek across the bathroom floor, leaving a small puddle until it finally evaporates.

Some flooring will handle this damage better than others. Although hardwood is gorgeous, wooden floors swell in moist conditions. This can disfigure floorboards, destroy seals, and make it susceptible to rot.

For these reasons, this is why you often see ceramic or porcelain flooring in bathrooms. Kitchens also see a fair amount of water hazards and may use similar flooring — but this time with an emphasis on style. For cost-effective yet customizable floors, try concrete with epoxy floor coatings.

Before you consider the budget, aesthetics, or anything else, narrow your list of flooring to those types that are appropriate for the room in question.

Durability

Keeping in mind our room-specific choices of flooring, durability is a serious consideration. That said, your lifestyle and family are larger indicators of durability requirements than the rooms themselves.

Live alone? Then you know what kind of damage your flooring experiences on a daily basis. Since you go out of your way to cushion the legs of furniture and avoid dragging heavy objects across the floor, you know your hardwood will stay in pristine shape.

But let’s say you have kids or pets. The flooring you choose will have to be sturdy enough to handle the abuse. And yes, your pets can seriously damage the finish on your flooring by claws alone.

Laminate, ceramic, or porcelain are durable choices, but not the prettiest. If you need flooring in a living room or bedroom, consider carpeting. Vinyl floors can also get the job done. Before you make a final decision, visit a flooring shop in Altrincham or another nearby location. Speak with a professional there about your preferences and get some advice to help you choose the best option for your space.

Know Your Budget

As much as we’d like to pretend we don’t have to worry about expenses, that’s far from the truth. The price of flooring is likely a limiting factor in your overall decision. But that doesn’t mean you have to make uncomfortable compromises.

The sturdiest types of floors tend to be the cheapest. These include porcelain, vinyl, and laminate. But keep in mind installing tile is more expensive than other types of flooring.

If you’re willing to spend a little more, you’ll have access to gorgeous hardwoods as well as high-quality vinyl. Although wood flooring is a status symbol, it doesn’t have to break the bank in this day and age. Look at the cheapest place to buy hardwood flooring and you may be surprised at what you can get your hands on.

 

Resale Value

So far, we’ve assumed you need help choosing new flooring for a new home. But what if you’re selling your home? In that case, you’re less concerned with some of the practical qualities and more concerned about your return on investment.

Whenever possible, go for wood floors. This type of flooring has some of the best ROI around. Modern home buyers love wood flooring enough that they are willing to spend 2.5% more on the final closing price.

Of course, you can’t install wood in every room in the house, and it’s not a great option in humid climates. Under these circumstances, ceramic and porcelain are surprisingly popular.

Avoid carpet and marble like the plague if you want to make most of getting your money back!

Indoor Air Quality

Do you or a family member suffer from asthma or other respiratory illnesses? Then you know that air quality is the key to living an enjoyable, comfortable life. The flooring in your home plays a major part in determining your air quality.

Cork is your best bet if you want to keep things sterile. Plus, it’s an environmentally friendly option since these floors are created from bark rather than timber.

The verdict is out on whether carpet is a safe flooring option.

Cheaper carpets definitely come with dangerous volatile airborne chemicals after installation. It’s not clear if they truly reduce air quality since they absorb particles rather than letting them fly around the household.

But if you want to be safe, go with wood flooring — and cork specifically if you can afford it.

How to Choose Flooring: The Basics

Now you know how to choose flooring, but how do you go about buying it? Prices vary between suppliers, so feel free to take a look around to determine what’s best for you.

If you know what you’re doing, you can learn how to install it, too! By doing so, you’ll save big and avoid labor expenses.

Want to beautify your home without breaking the bank? Search our blog for more articles just like this.

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Your friend may offer their makeup skills for your forthcoming wedding.  But you could also consider FacialCosmetics.co.uk for Semi Permanent Make up &  Aesthetics.

However, hiring a professional makeup artist offers various advantages. For instance, it can provide you with flawless wedding photos that will highlight your beautiful facial features. It will help enhance your style so you can reflect a luminous glow during your special day.

During your wedding day, every guest will be looking at you and they expect to see a sheer radiance. You will be the star of your show. Similar to any goddesses, you will have to make sure that your makeup is stunning and impressively done.

Thus, in this article, we will discuss some of the benefits of hiring a professional artist to do your makeup:

Money

For some, they think that deciding not to hire a professional make-up artist will help them save money. However, this is not the case. Indeed, there are many money benefits whenever you hire a professional makeup artist, who is the best in makeup, skincare, hair & beauty.

You don’t have to buy an entire wedding day makeup kit that can cost you around $500. Your professional makeup artist will come with a full kit of cosmetics including the false eyelashes. As such, if the pro makeup artists charge you at $150, then you can save $350. Remember, time is money. When you hire pro makeup artists, you can save some time as well as money too. Speaking of false lashes, Paris Eyelash Academy has some great lashes for you to choose from.

Save Time

Time is the first and the most essential aspect when you decide whether you shall hire a professional makeup artist who is the best in makeup, skincare, hair & beauty. Do you have the time to let an amateur makeup artist do you makeup on the most important day of your life? Do you have the patience to sit in a chair for two to three hours on getting your makeup applied? Or would you prefer to have a professional do your makeup in less than 45 minutes?

The truth is you could fall behind schedule on your wedding day if you hire an amateur. Remember, your wedding day schedule is scheduled accordingly. It can be ruined if you keep your groom and guests waiting because of the long make-up session. But with the help of a professional, you will be out of the room in a few minutes. You can walk down the aisle into the loving arms of your groom stress-free.

Avoid Stressful Situations

When was the last time a friend did your makeup? I am guessing that it is not within the past 10 years. The idea may seem fun whenever a relative or friend offers to do your wedding day makeup. However, it can quickly become a stressful situation for you and your friend.

During the wedding day, tensions tend to run high even if you are a calm person by nature. You will be anxious whenever you sit in the makeup chair and have the time to think you will look after the makeup is done. However, when you hire a professional makeup artist, you don’t have to worry about a thing since they have been trained and have experienced how to handle stressful situations before.

Almost everyone knows that remodeling a home increases the home’s value, but when you buy a fixer-upper to flip instead, you can’t expect much remodeling to have been done.

Since its inception, the house flipping business has done nothing but gain popularity and more and more people are making it their sole source of income. The business of flipping houses doesn’t come without its headaches though. One of those headaches is the repairs that have to be made before the house can turn you any type of profit. First, you want to know which repairs will get you the best ROI (rate of return on the money you have already spent). Below, you can find a few of the repairs you might see and need to make on your adventure.

Renovations With the Best ROI

You already know that you need to replace the roof, call in San Diego water heater repair services to replace the entire hot water heater, and other major investments to even begin to recoup your money. Those renovations are a given. Now, you need to know the best renovations to do to get the best ROI.

Update the Kitchen

While it’s true that the kitchen remodel will bring in only 66% of a return, it’s the first place that most potential buyers want to see when touring a home. The kitchen is where the heart is, is an old saying that has remained true for centuries now and it’s not going to change any time soon. There’s nothing like a kitchen that has not been  remodeled or updated to scare off a potential buyer. Kitchen remodels are expensive and no potential homeowner wants that on their plate so soon after purchase.

As a flipper, it’s important to find the best possible contractor with the lowest prices. This isn’t to say you need to gut a kitchen that is in decent shape, just that a little remodeling and up-to-date appliances can go a long way when it comes time to flip the home.

Attic Rooms

Attics are no longer just the perfect rooms to be haunted in a horror movie, attic rooms are pretty popular at the moment. After all, what new homeowner couldn’t use an extra room? It is possible to recoup 73% of an investment when you turn the attic of the home you’re flipping into a possible bedroom for potential buyers. It’s one of the more expensive projects to take on as well, so you have to determine if the recoupment is worth the expense.

Renovations with the Worst ROI

Just as there are quite a few renovations with a high ROI when flipping houses, there are also quite a few that have a bad ROI.

Home Offices

While more and more people are working from home these days, most don’t need a full-blown office to work in. A home office remodel recoups around 43% on average and that’s on the high end. If you do decide to go with a home office, make sure the furniture is removable, just in case the new owners want to turn the room into something else down the line.

Adding on a Sunroom

While sunrooms were quite popular a few years ago, their popularity has started to wane. Adding a sunroom onto a home you’re planning to flip will recoup you maybe 46%. It is rare for a potential homebuyer to list a sunroom in their top three desires when they’re shopping for a home.

These are just a few of the best and worst renovations to do when flipping a home if you want to get a good ROI. Remember, the choice is still yours, but for most flippers, the money is the bottom line.