When you schedule an inspection of your home you naturally want it to be a thorough as possible. But, many things can stop a home inspector from being as detailed as they would like. Let’s look at some of those things and see how you as the homeowner can get the most from your home inspection. When selling a home, the homeowner usually has a list of repair jobs to do to get the home ready to put on the market. It is best to have these jobs done before the home inspection, this also includes tasks such as trimming...
Regular home maintenance is an important way to prevent major repairs later on. This is true of even the smallest jobs in the house. Take the bathroom for example, particularly the bathroom extraction fan. Although seemingly small, a bathroom fan that is not working properly can cause all sorts of issues. This is because the bathrooms extraction fan is designed to extract moisture which is necessary in one of the most humid rooms of the home. In order for the bathroom fan to work in the way it is intended, it needs to connect to duct work that reaches all...
A lot of time and patience is required to tackle a big home renovation project but, when done tastefully, in keeping with the homes age, the rewards can be great. What are some things you should have in mind when fixing up and older home in order for it to benefit from modern conveniences while at the same time maintain its beautiful old features? Here are a few simple ideas: To retrofit a home successfully and tastefully its important that any improvements carried out are in keeping with the age of the home. For example, one of the biggest mistakes...
Is it wise to clean up mold yourself? One question that may spring to mind when you discover mold in your home is: Can I clean it up myself? The answer to that depends on a variety of factors but if the mold is in a small area, usually less than 10 square feet, it should be something you can take care of yourself. Here are a few things to consider beforehand: It’s important to find out what is causing the mold to grow inside your home. Mold cannot grow without water which means you may have a leak or...
A home inspection plays a vital role in finding out all you can about the home you are wanting to buy. It’s important that you discover any problems and defects before you commit yourself to the property. So, what can you expect the home inspection report to reveal? And, what should you do if defects are found? The inspection report will list any defects and problems that are found. Some may be big issues, while others are easy to fix. By way of example, perhaps the property has a few loose roof shingles or smoke detectors that don’t work properly. ...
Solar energy is known to have numerous benefits and is an excellent source of renewable energy. But, before you decide to go ahead and install solar paneling on your property, it’s good to also be aware that there are some drawbacks. Let’s consider a few of them so that you can make an informed decision. While this may seem like an obvious statement, for solar power to be a good reliable source of energy, it needs a continual supply of sunlight. Many factors will hinder this such as clouds, nighttime and even degree of latitude. If you are...
Finding the right property to buy at the right price can often present many challenges but, when you do find the right place, its important to get to know as much of its history as possible before you commit yourself to the sale. For example, what if the property has a history of flood damage? And, if so, does this mean it’s an unwise option? To help answer these questions, we have a short video for you to enjoy. You will see that the answers really depend on the source of the water damage and how well the repairs...
In recent years the United States has seen numerous natural disasters in one form or another, usually ending with devastating results. Although we are not able to have any control over where or when these kinds of disasters will strike, the one thing we can do is be as prepared as possible in advance for one. Making an emergency disaster plan will go a long way to help you and your household stay safe in the event of a natural disaster. Having an emergency go kit is very important. This should contain all the essential things you might need to...
Its easy to detect when sewer gas is leaking into a home. The first thing you notice is the horribly unpleasant smell. Is the smell the only thing to worry about with sewer gas leaks though? No, sewer gas leaking into a home can put the homes occupants at risk of a number of hazards including the potential for hydrogen sulfide poisoning, which could be lethal, risk of fire or explosion and even asphyxiation due to sewer gas displacing oxygen. With these dangers in mind then, its good to look at some of the reason’s sewer gas may leak into...
We are starting to hear more and more reports of sinkholes these days. Whether they are formed naturally or human induced, they have the same things in common, their ability to create huge amounts of damage to roads and property and the danger they pose to humans. With that in mind, then, lets look at a few of the signs that would indicate a sinkhole is forming. We should point out, however, that these indicators could also be signs of something else so its good to look at your area and see whether its prone to sinkholes. Take a...
