Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Cleaner Living Results in Positive Impressions: Keep Your Home Gutters Clean to Attract Potential Buyers


Since 2008, the housing collapse is finally starting to have an uptick in homes sales
nationwide which is beneficial to many businesses across America.

The Federal Reserve has kept interest rates low and until unemployment rates drop
below 6.5% they have no intent of increasing housing rates. So now may be the time to
consider taking advantage of these facts, as home financing becomes easier.

If you are one of those homeowners wanting to sell in today’s real estate market you may
want to seriously consider completing those home repairs you’ve put off for so long, and
which are desperately needed to put your home on the market at the right price.

An overall general cleaning, including fresh paint, repairs that may be needed on your
roof, rain gutters, windows, storm windows, window trim, screens, front door, interior
and exterior upgrades of both landscaping and hardscaping to give your home a brand
new look and entice buyers to come inside and sign that contract you’ve been waiting so
long to complete.

Home buyers desire to live in a clean home! This cleaner look may entail having
sparkling windows, inside and out. Roof cleaned or repaired if needed. Cleaning rain
gutters inside and out. Perhaps even power washing the exterior of the home or a fresh
coat of paint. Cleaning driveways and sidewalks may also be needed for an inviting
entrance into the interior of your lovely home. Taking special care that the entrance door
is clean or if needed apply a fresh coat of paint to ‘welcome your potential buyer.’

Don’t forget, ‘Cleaner Living results in Positive Impressions.’ The thought here is that
a cleaner, brighter and roomier appearance is what sells 90% of all homes across the
country. So, clear out the clutter in all rooms, including the garage, carport or lanai.

If you have been a diligent homeowner you will have already had the home’s A/C or
Heating unit serviced and kept all exterior and interior plumbing and electrical lines in
excellent working condition. Folks often forget the importance of a clean refrigerator
(inside and out) and to check all appliances that remain with the home in excellent
working order. Keep the garbage disposal not only working to top efficiency but
smelling its best at the time of each inspection by a potential buyer.

While most of the needed repairs can and are often done by the seller as a DIY project,
other sellers may choose to pay professionals to do these repairs and maintenance. Keep
in mind that the more of these chores you can complete yourself, the higher your profit
will be.

On the other hand, the more projects put out for bid to professionals, the more you are
helping to create jobs or help in keeping others working in and across America.

Stay Cleaner…Stay Healthier…and Stay Safe.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Living in the Gutter?


     Rain Gutter Cleaning is one of those necessary household chores that most of us hate to do.  Gutter cleaning was once a nasty, dirty, and unsafe home maintenance chore that was not a fun way to spend your Saturday afternoon. However, if you don’t keep gutters clean there is no way they can function as designed. The purpose of rain gutters are to collect rain water as it runs off the roof and channel it away from the foundation to keep your home from settling, while keeping the siding, windows, doors and fascia from molding and rotting. It still amazes me how many homes across the country do not have rain gutters for home protection.
     We all know that our gutters need cleaned when we see water pouring over the edge of the gutters splashing mud all over the house and the wife’s flower beds are being flattened by the heavy amount of water landing in her garden. If you don’t clean them out after the rain the water stagnates, starts stinking, and breeds mosquitoes (West Nile and Dengue Virus), roaches that carry 33 various contagious diseases, mold, mildew, along with allergens, contaminants and God only knows what else. When it rains again, the overflowing water could back up into the eaves, rot out the fascia boards and roof edge, as well.
     Time to drag out the ladder, find some gloves, googles, a scoop, a bucket, get up on the roof and hope you don’t fall, Getting those high-hard-to-reach gutters or other areas around the home that you use a  ladder to accomplish, can be very dangerous and even cause death from a fall. Lots of fun when you would much rather be fishing or in the case of the lady of the house, shopping. Why do the leaves always have to fall right when you have a thousand other chores to do and no time to do them?
     To save money, time, energy and your personal safety, consider a DIY safer and easier method of cleaning. Upon review of the various methods and equipment available on the market today for the DIY home owner and professional cleaning companies, we recommend you do some research to find the best means for your needs.
     After years of Inspecting and Cleaning roof valleys, eaves, gutters, barns, garages, factories and business premises, as well as other high exterior regions, we suggest you review some cleaning attachment tools that adapt to your wet/dry vacuum with the design to both ‘vacuum’ and/or ‘blow’ dust, dirt, leaves, cobwebs, insects, water and other debris as needed. We recommend that the products be Made in the USA which will be ‘lead-free’, durable, efficient, and designed specifically for safety and multiplicity.