Articles Tagged "Home Maintenance"

Fire hazards are plentiful in modern homes, and knowing how to prevent fires is a skill every homeowner should master. It's National Fire Prevention Month, and this is an excellent opportunity to examine the hazards around your home and to take steps to mitigate the risk of a fire burning down everything you have worked so hard to build. The following are some tips our agents recommend for enhancing your safety and protecting your home.

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You spend much of your day indoors, and it's crucial that the air you breathe is as clean as possible. Our agents recommend taking the following steps to ensure the air within your home is as clean and healthy as possible.

1. Change the Filters
   It takes just a few minutes to change the filters on your HVAC system, and it's well worth doing this every month or two. Further, be sure to invest in a high-quality HEPA filter. It will trap the smallest particles and is highly effective at keeping everything from pet dander to VOCs out of your indoor air stream. Changing the filters also helps improve HVAC system efficiency and reduces wear and tear, saving you money in the long run.

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As spring winds down and the weather warms up, it's the right time to put your summer maintenance list together to get your home and landscape in order. Creating a list will help you visualize the work that needs done and makes it easier to prioritize tasks. Our agents share tips to help you get started.

• Get Ready to Clean
  You should start your maintenance by getting rid of clutter and thoroughly washing the inside and outside of your home. This will make it easier to see any damage to the home and any issues that need repairing.

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No matter how much care you show your property, emergencies are bound to happen. For people looking into Ridgewood homes for sale, it's equally important to prepare for household mishaps after settling in. Below are six common crises with their responses.

1. Power Failure
   Many power outages are caused by extreme weather, and the only thing to do is wait them out. Most importantly, stock flashlights and batteries on every floor of the home and let every household member know the location of these supplies. Flashlights are much safer than candles as the latter can start a house fire.

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With only a slight uptick in mortgage rates, 2022 is still expected to be a seller's market. If you're looking to sell your home, now's the best time to do so. A few things should top your to-do list before listing your property. Our agents can give you a firm idea of what to expect when selling your home and what you can do to help your home sell faster.

For one, you'll need to have a good understanding of the housing market. Typically, spring is the best time to put your home up for sale. However, the pandemic has usurped the real estate market a bit. For instance, real estate sales generally cool off when the weather starts to cool, but this hasn't been the case these last two years.

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There's nothing like a fireplace in winter. It's fun to cozy up and enjoy a nice blaze while it's cold outside, relaxing in the warmth while savoring the fragrance of logs burning in the grate. But as enjoyable as a fire can be, proper maintenance of a fireplace is required. Otherwise, you could face endangering your loved ones and losing your home.

Whether you've found a home among Ridgewood homes for sale or you're getting your home ready to sell, a fireplace can be a great feature, increasing the value of the home by as much as 6 to 12 percent, according to the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers. But if your knowledge of fireplace maintenance is scanty, read on and absorb these safety tips before cool weather arrives, and it's time to light your first fire of the season.

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You've spent the summer making your landscaping stand out in the neighborhood, and now is not the time to let your efforts slack for the season. As the leaves change colors and start to fall from the trees, the following are some valuable tools that our agents recommend. Each of these will make cleaning them up a little easier so that you can enjoy the view of your landscape throughout the seasons ahead.

• Leaf Blower - These come in all shapes and sizes, but the basic premise is the same across the board. Each uses a steady stream of air to push your leaves around so that you can pile and pick them up. If you have a larger landscape, be sure to choose a leaf blower with a cord, as the battery-powered versions will most likely run out of juice before the job is done.

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The bathroom can be one of the toughest places in the house to keep organized. As our agents can tell you, it's also one of the rooms that really gets the attention of prospective buyers, for good or bad. Until you're ready to put your house on the market among Ridgewood homes for sale, you can enjoy a relaxing, functioning, well-organized bathroom that makes your morning routine a breeze. These tips will help you get the job of organizing your bathrooms done quickly and easily. 

• Collect all the products and tools that need organizing.
  Just make a pile or spread them out on the counter or table. Collect anything from other rooms that really belongs in the bathroom. Knowing exactly how much stuff you have to organize will help you decide how much room you need and what kind of organizers you might need.

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Historic homes have a certain charm to them, don't they? Like these Ridgewood homes for sale, vintage homes represent the best of architectural style, be it Victorian, Queen Anne, or Gothic Renewal.

The allure of older homes is undeniable. But you need to get it right. Otherwise, you might end up with a money pit in need of endless repairs.

If you're in love with a historic home, here's a little guide detailing everything you need to know before buying an old house.

1. Get an Inspection (or Two)
   Things can get expensive fast. A home inspection is a fundamental part of any home-buying process. But the stakes are even higher with an old house, and a basic inspection may not be enough.
   
   Sadly, some homes are beyond salvageable and would require more rehabilitation than they're worth. Finding an inspector who specializes in historic homes could give you the reassurance you need.

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