26 October 2010

Winterize Your Home - Roof, Gutter, Downspouts

 Flickr/Sage Taking A Break

Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

  • In Minnesota, you know the temperatures are going to be below freezing so you will want to be sure you have enough insulation in your attic to keep warm air from creeping up to your roof and causing ice dams. 
  • Check flashing to make certain the water can't get into your house. If you aren't certain what roof flashing is, This Old House has some helpful information.
  • Replace worn roof shingles or tiles to protect your roof and keep the weather on the exterior of your house. 
  • Clean out any leaves, pine needles, acorns and other items in the gutters. Use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris. Having the gutters and downspouts in good working condition will help move moisture away from your house and keep you nice and dry inside.
  • Install extensions on your downspouts to direct the water away from your house. You can also look into leaf guards for your gutters, but make sure you investigate how well they work, some styles are much better than others. 

25 October 2010

Winterize Your Home - Windows and Doors

Photo by Riley


Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

  • Inspect the exterior of your house for crevice cracks; exposed entry points around pipes and faucets and seal them to prevent cold air from seeping in and keep rodents out.
  • Use weatherstripping around doors to help seal them and prevent cold air from drafting into your house. While you are working on the weatherstripping, run some caulk around the edges of your windows.
  • This is the time to fix cracked glass in windows and doors. If you need to replace an entire window glass, be sure to prime and paint the exposed wood so it is ready to go through winter. Most local hardware stores fix windows in case you need to have that done. 
  • If you have a basement, it would be a great idea to protect the window wells by covering them with plastic shields. This will keep water and debris from filling up the well space and causing water to leak into the house.
  • Now is the time to take your screens down and clean them for winter storage. Then put your storm windows in to help insulate the house. If you don't have storm windows, you can always put up 3M window insulator film to help keep your house warmer. 

24 October 2010

Winterize Your Home - Furnace Inspection

Flickr/Photofarmer

Winter is coming, have you had your furnace inspected so you are ready for the first cold snap? Here are some tips to get ready.

Furnace Inspection

  • Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace. If you want, you can have them clean your ducts too, be sure they pull all the gunk outside your home. This step will let you know your furnace is in good condition and is ready to work through the cold season.
  • Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly. This time of year there are lots of sales on filters so you should be able to find plenty to get you through the entire season at a good price.
  • Consider adding a programmable thermostat. The cost usually runs between $30 and $250 dollars. These thermostats save energy and money on utility bills by allowing residents to set home temperatures according to various different factors. Most homeowners save $150 per year when these are used properly.
  • Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace. No sense in taking the chance that your entire house will burn because of careless placement of burnable items. 
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    11 October 2010

    Basic Home Inspection Items

    Photo: Flickr/kimubert


    These are things a home buyer or seller will likely see inspected -- there will be variables depending on inspectors and locations.
    • Structural Elements - this looks at the construction of walls, ceilings, roof and foundation. Your inspector does not have X-ray vision, so don't anticipate that they will be able to see through solid surfaces. 
    • Exterior - landscape, grading, elevation, drainage, driveway, fencing, sidewalks, fascia, trim, doors, windows, lights and finally siding or exterior of the house. 
    • Garage - standard items to evaluate include slab, walls, ceiling, vents, entry, firewall, fire door, garage door, automatic openers, lights, receptacles, exterior, windows and roof. We check to be sure the auto-reverse on the garage door works and doesn't require too much pressure to go back up. 
    • Roof and Attics - your inspector will look at framing, ventilation, roof construction, flashing and gutters. In Minnesota, we look at how much insulation is in the attic too. We also look at damage from incorrectly vented fans, plumbing and more. 
    • Plumbing - Check to make certain metal matches and there are no other dissimilar materials that would be a problem, evaluate pipe materials for potable, waste, vent and drain pipes. Check toilets, sinks, showers, faucets and traps. Don't expect that your inspector will be inspecting sewer or septic, those, like swimming pools and spas, are usually not covered.
    • Mechanicals - this means the water heater, furnace, air-conditioning, duct work, chimneys and fireplaces. Some inspectors will inspect sprinklers, but many do not.
    • Electrical system - your inspector should look at and evaluate the main electrical panel, circuit breakers, type of wiring, if wires are grounded, receptacles and switches, permanent light fixtures and ceiling fans. We also inspect bathroom fans which would be considered an electrical element.
    • Appliances - it will depend on your inspector on whether these are looked at. Dishwasher, range, oven, built-in microwave, garbage disposal, some detectors and CO2 detectors. 


    Our inspections start at $200, call for more information.

    26 September 2010

    What Be Sure Inspections is Focusing On Now

     Image: Gari.Baldi/Flickr 

    The "new economy" has made many businesses change their direction and focus. We are committed to focusing on the following aspects:

    1. Customer Service. We want to help you by inspecting this house, your next house,  your family member's houses and your friend's houses. We are here to help you! 
    2. Attention to detail. We will inspect the house your are looking at like we were going to buy it. You'll know everything we see and we are there to help you understand the inspection and answer your questions. 
    3. Cleanliness at the Inspection. Rest easy, we will keep the house clean and won't leave behind anything like dropped insulation, tracks or debris. 
    4. Marketing. You are here looking at some of our plan. We focus on word-of-mouth from satisfied customers, but we are here to answer questions too -- whether you are a client or not. 
    5. Connecting with past clients. Like we said, we want to do every home inspection we can for you. We're here to help you. 
    6. Thanking you for your referrals. Yes, you will get a thank you note from us for referrals. We really appreciate them and do drawings for gift cards to show our appreciation. 
    7. Evaluating new opportunities. If there is a way for us to benefit our clients and generate additional income, we will look at the opportunity. Our goal is to keep our prices competitive and our service stellar. If you see something you think we should know about, drop a note. 
    8. Networking. Do you think we can help someone or they can help us? If so, we would love to know about them. Have some tips for how we could network more effectively, please share them. 
    Thanks for stopping past today! 

    25 September 2010

    Working on the Google Site

    Working on the Google web site. We'll see how this turns out. Stop by for a visit and share your thoughts!

    As always, if you are looking for an inspector in the Twin Cities, give me a call. Inspections start at $250.

    Dogs Home TV Ad (every home needs a Harvey)

    03 May 2010

    Overpricing


    Overpricing -- this is the most common reason a house doesn't sell. Following that is the other deal-killer, lack of curb appeal. This applies even if the property is a fixer upper, you have to have some appeal or the buyer won't get past your photo on the Internet and they certainly won't get out of their car and walk up to your house.

    Gone are the glory days with the seller's market. This is an unusually strong buyers market and inventory is at an all time high. Buyers are generally smarter and money is not as freely doled out so your house needs to be as desirable as possible.

    Are you considering putting your house on the market so you can "see" what you'll get, without a need or motivation to sell, you need to be keenly aware of the pitfalls of overpricing. If you find you really need to sell your house down the road and it has staled as a listing that has been on the market too long, your place will be stigmatized. I know, you're thinking I'll re-list at a lower price. Yes, that sounds like a good plan, but buyers are fairly savvy and they look at listings and know if your place has been on and off. Plus, long term lists -- even if the price has become reasonable -- are stilled viewed as damaged goods. Buyers don't want to be stuck with a house that has been on the market a long time.

    Buyers have lots of options available to them right now, and many have been on the market a long time. In our neighborhood, there is one house that has been listed -- with different real estate companies -- since August 2008. This house was overpriced and now probably seems quite stale to most lookers. The sellers probably don't look too motivated and haven't reduced the price enough. Remember, in this market buyers won't look at houses that are overpriced.

    How do you know your price is reasonable? Talk with your agent and be ready to hear their honest input. Are you priced higher than similar houses? Is your house not getting showings? The public is generously providing your answer, your house is overpriced!
    When did you buy your house? Was it right before the economy failed? If so, you bought in a high market and your price now may be considerably less than what you paid. The other thing working against you is your emotional ties to the house itself. You may think it is worth far more than it is.

    As a home inspector, I have seen some real handyman special fixer-uppers, and I can tell you that your best move is to present something that appeals to the buyers on the outside. That first impression is critical and you need to entice people off their computer and ultimately out of their vehicle to come inside. Pull weeds, throw mulch out on flower beds, mow the lawn, trim hedges, declutter and remove trashy looking items. Make sure your entry is clean and freshly painted and spend some time on your entry. At the very least, the property should look like someone maintained it -- whether they did or not. You want to get the best price possible so make your property look the best it can. Remember getting the buyer out of the car is critical, if the place looks dumpy the buyer will get grumpy.

    Selling Tip: Price the property correctly and give it curb appeal.

    Inspection Tip: Have a pre-sale inspection so you know what to fix and you can add that peace of mind for your buyers.

    Links:
    Image http://media.point2.com/p2a/htmltext/f16a/e6d0/4ee5/d7a5459fa2352a974f78/original.jpg