​Anyone who has watched house flipping or home renovation shows on tv may feel inspired to do something similar to their homes to increase their value. Renovating your home can indeed make it much more comfortable and pleasing to the eye but, if you want to renovate with the intention of selling the house, is it worth it?
 
If you want to sell your home and get a good price for it, investing a lot of money on an expensive remodel may not be the best idea. This is because, much of the time, the money you spend will not increase the home’s value significantly enough to make it worthwhile. However, if you feel that it is something you want to do, here are a few suggestions:
 
It is best not to rely on your own tastes when remodeling to sell a home. Instead of bold, bright statements, choose a more neutral palette, something that would appeal to a potential buyer.
 
It is natural to want your home to be the best in the neighborhood but, renovating your property to make it look a lot bigger and better than the rest will not add that much more to its value. Instead, any improvements you make have them fit in with the rest of the homes in the area.
 
You may be thinking that a swimming pool would be a great addition to your property. If you want to install one to make it more attractive to a buyer, however, this is not the best strategy. Did you know that swimming pools can be a negative to a lot of people? They may worry about the dangers they pose to small children, not to mention the additional maintenance.
 
A renovation can transform a property and make it a very comfortable space for a homeowner, but it’s good to remember that house flipping tv shows often lull you into a false sense of how much this will increase the value of your home.

​Many homes nowadays, especially new builds, have pressure-assist toilets instead of the standard gravity toilets. So, how do they work, and why are they a good option?
 
Although from the outside, a pressure-assist toilet looks like a standard toilet, they function rather differently. The ceramic tank is fitted with an air-filled pressure container. Instead of using gravity to flush water through, as a standard toilet does, it uses compressed air. This results in water being pushed into the toilet bowl at a much more forceful rate than gravity alone can achieve.
 
There are many advantages to a pressure-assist toilet. For example, the strong flushing capability of this type of toilet means that there are fewer clogs in the system. It is also more eco-friendly due to its water efficiency and can save gallons of water each year.
 
An older home can benefit from a pressure-assist toilet, as the strong force of the flush helps to push waste through the old pipework. Also, because of the tank's design, there is no buildup of condensation when the weather is humid. They are also easier to maintain than standard toilets.
 
If you are thinking about replacing your toilets for pressure assist ones, just be aware that these kinds of toilets have a much louder flush than a gravity type. They are also more expensive than standard toilets. Plus, if your home has low water pressure, this type of toilet may not work as well because they need at least 20 to 30 PSI of pressure.

​If a home inspection is performed on your property and something on the property is damaged as a result of the inspection process, should the home inspector be held responsible? While you may assume that the answer to that question is an obvious yes, let us look at the reasons why the home inspector may not be to blame.
 
Think about the reason why a home inspection is carried out, it is to discover the condition of a property. Very often a home inspector will be accessing parts of the home that are almost never accessed by the homeowners themselves. These areas may very well have fallen into disrepair and started to decay.  This means that the first person to discover the problem will be the home inspector. As an example, imagine some attic flooring has started rotting and when the home inspector steps on it, it breaks apart, could we say that this is the fault of the home inspector? No, they were not being too clumsy, rather they were just doing their job. In fact, the same thing would happen to anyone stepping on it.
 
This example highlights the fact that, while rare, sometimes damage can result from a home inspection. We must also mention, however, that we are not talking about the occasional accident that may result in damage to a household item like a vase or mirror, etc. we are talking about damage caused as a direct result of the home inspection.
 
No home inspector wants a home inspection to result in damage to the property, but if it does happen, we cannot automatically assume the inspector was being careless, they were probably just doing their job.

​Have you ever thought about whether your home would be an easy target for a thief? It’s a good idea to consider this question because there are many things you can do to your home to make it much less appealing to someone wishing to break in. Here are a few of the ways to do it:
 
A burglar will look for a home that appears easy to break into and one that can be entered without being seen by neighbors or onlookers. Do you have trees and shrubs planted around the windows and doors of your home? These will provide the ideal place for someone to hide while breaking in so you may want to reconsider your properties landscaping. You may also decide to place fencing around your property and, while this is a good option, just make sure it does not offer extra places to hide from view.
 
Are your windows and doors in good condition? They should be good quality, have a solid construction, and be well maintained. All exterior doors should be fitted with deadbolt locks. If you are looking to increase security on your windows, you may want to consider installing window bars or heavy-duty wire screens.  Just remember, though, that these can become dangerous in an emergency so the occupants of the home would need to have a way of exiting the home quickly and safely.
 
If there are sliding doors in your home, check that there are working locks on both the top and bottom of each door. As an extra measure, place a cut off broom handle or similar sized piece of wood inside the door tracks which will prevent it from opening.
 
Lighting is another effective security measure. Place motion sensor lighting on each side of your home that will turn on when they detect movement. You may also want to leave some lights on in the home when you are away.

​How secure is the front door of your home? This is a good question to ask yourself because it may not be as safe as it should be. For example, would it be easy to break into? To give you an idea of the types of safety features an exterior door should have, here are some recommendations:
 
The door itself should be solid with a solid wood or steel core. A lightweight door that has a wooden hollow-core construction would be a lot easier to breakthrough. Its also important to make sure the door and surrounding framework are in good condition and not suffering from deterioration in the form of rotting, cracking, or warping.
 
Naturally, the doors lock plays a crucial role in how secure it is. It should be fitted with a good quality deadbolt lock. You might also want to think about a bump-resistant lock as bump keys are commonly used by thieves nowadays. A door chain can be used as an extra security measure but never as a substitute for the deadbolt lock. A peephole is another good option as it lets you see who is at the door before opening it.
 
If the front door has glass paneling in it make sure the lock is as far away from the glass as possible so that if the glass were smashed, it would be harder to reach.
 
Occasionally a door will have a mail slot in it. In this case, there should always be some type of cage or box surrounding the slot on the inside of the door. If not, it may be easier for someone to access the lock from the inside through the mail slot.
 
These are just a few ideas to show the type of characteristics a secure front door should have.

​For most people, the thought of thousands of tiny creatures living in their home is horrifying. However, dust mites, which are tiny and abundant, are found in the majority of homes. So, should this concern you?
 
Dust mites are generally thought to be harmless and do not cause any issues. For some people, though, they can trigger allergic reactions and cause misery, leading many to look for ways to get rid of them. If you are looking for a way to eliminate dust mites you may want to consider the following methods before you resort to a chemical approach.
 
Regularly dust and vacuum the home. When dusting use a damp cloth which will help to prevent spreading the dust from one surface to another, then vacuum. Include all textiles and soft furnishings as well as the floors. A vacuum with a HEPA filter will be the most effective as this helps to stop the redistribution of dust back into the air.
 
Dust mites love humid conditions so do your best to reduce humidity in the home. Air conditioners and electric blankets are a couple of ways you can do this.
 
You may wonder whether air purifiers would work to reduce dust mite numbers. Air purifiers are good for those who suffer from allergies and will help to lessen the number of dust mites in the air but, because dust mites are not usually airborne, it will not eliminate them completely. If you are looking to purchase an air purifier, make sure you choose one with a HEPA filter.
 
Bed linens are one area where dust mites thrive. If you want to get rid of them from bedding you need to wash it at a high temperature, no less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also place your bedding in the tumble dryer for 10 minutes on high and this will kill them as well.
 
So, if you are worried about dust mites in your home, try these simple tips which should help to reduce their numbers.

​Major earthquakes, as we are well aware, can cause severe damage to a home, but what about parts of the country that experience the occasional minor earth tremor? Should we be concerned about these? The fact is that even a small earthquake can cause damage to property. This is partly due to less strict earthquake preparedness building codes in areas that do not see much seismic activity. So, let's look at some potential weak spots in your home that would benefit from some added support.
 
A good place to start is the home's foundations. The home should be securely fixed to its foundations. It's also important to check for signs of deterioration such as crumbling or cracking in cement foundations. Any ground movement could make this problem a lot worse.
 
Chimneys are another area that can become easily damaged during an earth tremor. This is very dangerous as the chimney may run the risk of falling in on itself, causing serious harm to anyone in the vicinity. If you have an unreinforced masonry chimney, it would be a good idea to secure it, which you can do using sheet metal straps and angle bracing. It would also be wise to avoid having children’s playrooms or play areas near the chimney. 
 
Do you have many large, freestanding appliances in the home, like a water heater, for example? If so, you will want to fix these to a wall which you can do using metal straps.
 
Gas leaks are a common and serious problem after an earthquake. Again, fix any appliances that run on natural gas to the wall or floor. Unless you have an automatic shut off gas valve, it's very important that you clearly label the manual shutoff valve and always have easy access to it so that, if you need to, it can be shut off quickly.
 
These are just some of the areas in the home that may need securing so that they do not become a danger during a minor earthquake. You may also benefit from a home inspection which can help you make a proper assessment.

​On occasion, it might become necessary for you to enter your under-home crawlspace. Before you do this, though, it’s important to be prepared for anything you may encounter in this kind of space. Here are a few of the hazards you may have to confront:
 
If you think about the type of environment a crawlspace under the home creates it’s easy to see why there would dangers down there. In general, they are damp, dark places that often go undisturbed for long periods of time. These conditions are perfect for many kinds of insects, rodents, and animals, some of which may be poisonous. Be aware also that if a creature feels threatened or cornered, the situation could become dangerous. In a tight space like this, it could be difficult to get out of the way quickly.
 
It is not just insects and rodents you will want to watch out for, additional hazards such as mold, fungi, standing water, and even sewage are all found in under the home crawlspaces. All of these things are well known to be dangerous if exposed to them so it's clear to see the need to be extra careful when in close proximity to them.
 
If you suspect the property has sustained any structural damage then it is best to avoid entering the under-home crawlspace altogether, at least until you know the type of damage you are dealing with. The wisest course of action in this situation is to have the home professionally inspected first.
 
How can you prepare yourself to enter an under-home crawlspace? Firstly, make sure you are wearing protective clothing and appropriate equipment before entering the space. You will also want to have someone else at the home with you who knows where you are and what you will be doing down there. This way, they can provide assistance or get help if you run into any difficulties.

If you are buying a house you have probably been told how important a home inspection is but, perhaps you’re wondering why it is so important. In this blog we are going to, not only answer this question but also answer a few more common home inspection questions.
 
Why is a home inspection so necessary? When you think about how big of an investment a house is you want to make sure you’re making the right decision and, unless you have a lot of construction experience, it is not easy to tell the true condition of a house just by walking through it. The home inspection is there to find any major issues that could affect the sale of the house and allow you to make an informed choice.
 
Do you need to be there when the inspection is carried out? Although it is not a requirement for you to be present during the inspection you might find it helpful as it will be a good way of getting to know your potential new home. The inspector can also point out any areas of concern. If you cannot make it for the entire inspection you may still find it helpful to arrive towards the end so that the inspector can point out their findings. However, everything will be written in their report.
 
How long does the home inspection take? You can expect it to take about 3 hours, but this will depend on various factors such as the size of the property and its location, etc. If you have an inspection performed that takes a lot less time than 3 hours, it may not have been carried out thoroughly enough.
 
How can I guarantee a thorough home inspection? Check that your home inspection is carried out by an InterNACHI certified home inspector. This will ensure a thorough and honest report.

​Lowering household energy bills is something any homeowner desires but many may wonder if it is something that can be done easily. One option that most homeowners can do themselves is sealing and insulating and it can greatly increase energy efficiency, especially if you live in an older home. Here are a few areas that may benefit from sealing or insulating:
 
A good starting point is the attic space as this is the area where you would most likely notice leaking air. Begin with plugging up any bigger holes and gaps, these are commonly found in dropped ceiling areas, behind or under attic knee walls, and where the attic meets with the floor. Any smaller holes you find can be sealed. Small air leaks are particularly noticeable in insulation because they cause it to darken so look for areas like this. Another area that you should check is the attics access panel, this may benefit from foam board insulation or weather-stripping.
 
As well as the attic space, what other areas of the home would benefit from sealing or insulating? Among the many areas are piping, electrical outlets or receptacles, window frames, doors, baseboards, and window or wall mounted air conditioning units.
 
Taking the time to go through your home and look for areas in need of insulating or sealing will not only help to lower your monthly cooling and heating bills but, a home that is tightly sealed will also contribute to improved indoor air quality and comfort.