Let's Talk Real Estate

When the last of summer's heat is a faint memory, and you're pulling out your hoodies more than your shorts, it's time to tackle a few simple chores that'll make winter more pleasant and prevent some nasty surprises next spring. This fall checklist will help: #1 Clean and Stow Your Mower If you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, get to know it. If your mower sits for months with gas in its tank, the gas will slowly deteriorate, which can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer ($10 for a 10-ounce bottle) prevents gas from degrading.Add stabilizer to your gasoline can to keep spare gas in good condition over the winter, and top off your mower tank with stabilized gas before you put it away for the winter. Run the mower for five minutes to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetor. Another lawn mower care method is to run your mower dry before stowing it. 1. When the mower is cool, remove the spark plug and pour a capful of engine oil into the spark plug ho

Radon testing is the only way to know whether your home has high levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer over time. Here's what you need to know about radon testing and reducing radon levels in your home. 1. What is radon?  Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that’s produced by decaying uranium. It’s present in nearly all soils, and very low levels of radon are found in the air we breathe every day. 2. Why is radon a problem?  The problem occurs when radon gas enters your home and gets trapped. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon can cause lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that lung cancer caused by radon exposure kills about 21,000 Americans every year. 3. How does radon get in your house?  The radon gas moves from the soil into a home. Although it can seep directly through pores in concrete, the worst entry points are gaps in walls and floors (see picture above). Any house, of any age, in any state can ha

Fall landscaping preparation ideas ready your yard for a long winter and glorious spring.  Fall landscaping chores are your last chance to prepare your property for winter, and to protect that curb appeal you’ve worked so hard to create. So pull on some gloves, grab your tools, and get ready to mulch, prune, and plant before snow and frozen ground turn the lights out on your landscaping. Spread Mulch Fall mulching is better for the plants than spring mulching and it helps protect roots from frost and helps retain moisture during a cold and dry winter.  Spread 2-3 inches of fresh mulch around shrubs and trees.  Avoid using free mulch from municipal piles, which often contain disease spores; instead, buy hardwood shredded mulch from home and garden centers.  Cheap, dump mulch mainly is made from trees that have died from disease and many diseases will linger in the mulch, like leaf spot and pine bark borers. You don’t want ground-up diseased plants around your landscaping.

Fall is the most crucial time for your lawn.  Although spring lawn care gets all the attention, fall lawn care is the make-it or break-it season for grass. “I’m already thinking about next year,” says John Dillon, who takes care of New York City’s Central Park, which features 200 acres of lawn in the middle of Manhattan. “The grass I grow this fall is what will be there next spring.” Fall lawn care is no walk in the park. It’s hard work, and Dillon guides you through the four basic steps. #1 Aerate Aeration gives your lawn a breather in autumn and provides room for new grass to spread without competition from spring weeds. Aeration tools pull up plugs of grass and soil, breaking up compacted turf. That allows water, oxygen, and nutrients to reach roots, and gives seeds room to sprout. If kids frequently play on your lawn, plan to aerate twice a year — fall and spring. If your lawn is just for show, then aerate once a year — and maybe even once every other year. A hand-aeratin

If you live in the Northeast, there are maintenance jobs you should complete in spring or summer to prevent costly repairs and keep your home in top condition. Certain home maintenance tasks should be completed each season to prevent structural damage, save energy and keep all your home's systems running properly. These maintenance tasks are most important for the Northeast in spring and summer.  After a long, cold Northeastern winter, spring is an excellent time to get outside and perform a fresh inspection of the whole house.  You should give all your major exterior systems—roof, siding, gutters, drainage—a close examination to make sure they’re working properly and are in good shape. Key Spring Maintenance Tasks to Perform: • Monitor your gutters and drainage - If debris has accumulated over the winter, you'll find out when the snow melts and spring rains arrive. Remove any blockages and look for signs of bending, damage, and areas where water has been diverted

With all of this HOT weather, I think it is safe to say that summer is officially here! Along with summer comes weeds, bugs and more time needed to tend to your lawn. Here are some ways you can make the most of the season with these summer lawn care tips: 1. Water conservation and proper watering is important at any time of year , but particularly when heat and a lack of rain lead to water deficits and drought. 2. Evaluate your lawn regularly for signs of irregular color and texture. These can be signs of damage that may result from pests or disease. 3. Proper year-round lawn care keeps a lawn healthy and prevents weeds, disease and pests. But sometimes, insects you may not notice can travel from the yard to your home. To stop them, hire pest control to keep the bugs on the outside. You can also reduce their outside presence by treating the lawn for insects such as fleas and ticks and fire ants. 4. While lawns are generally the focal point of most yards , don't forget about trees

Replacing a home’s windows, appliances, or roofing can be pricey. So knowing approximately how long before the refrigerator is likely to stop working or the roof might spring a leak can have value to buyers and home owners. If you are thinking about buying a home, you may want to factor in replacement costs for aging components when you make an offer. If you already own a home, this information can be helpful when trying to decide whether to replace a component before a move. A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders provides some insight that can help you estimate the average useful life of more than 100 household appliances and building materials. Of course, the actual longevity of any household material depends on maintenance, use, quality of installation, and climate conditions. So, these averages are only a general guide. 100 Years or More Brick siding: Lifetime of the home All wooden floors: Lifetime of the home Cellulose insulation material: 100-plus years 50-1

Things can get crazy around the holidays. All the shopping, decking the halls and visions of sugar plums can cause homeowners to lose focus and overlook issues that can turn a season of joy into a season of “oops.” It doesn’t have to be that way. Here is a Top 10 list to remind busy homeowners that just a few minutes a day can keep the ghost of deferred maintenance away: Clean your gutters and downspouts. They play an important role in diverting water away from foundation walls. That means less damage related to water and moisture. If you clean them before winter weather moves in, you can keep your basement and crawl spaces dry and leak-free. Drain exterior water lines. Frozen pipes that can crack the lines are history if you remove, drain and store outdoor hoses now. Give your garbage disposal a hot water bath. Cooking for crowds puts additional stress on these appliances. Flushing the garbage disposal with one pot of hot water and a half-cup of baking soda now – and again after the h