Home Seller – Make Needed Repairs

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Are you planning to put your home on the market? Review these tips for making necessary repairs, and you will achieve a quicker sale and optimum price.


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Before a buyer considers your home seriously, it must meet his needs in many ways. It must be a suitable neighborhood, commuting distance, size, layout, etc. If most of these needs are met, the buyer will move toward making an offer for your home. The purchase decision is an emotional and intellectual response, based on a level of trust in your home. So, it is logical that in preparing your home for sale your goal should be to enable the buyer to build trust in your home as quickly as possible. Your first step should be to address apparent and hidden repair issues.

Make a Complete List

Keep in mind that potential buyers and their real estate agents do not have the fond personal memories and familiarity that you have with your home. They will view it with a critical and discerning eye. Anticipate their concerns before they ever see your home. You may look at the leaky faucet and think of a $10 part at Home Depot. To a buyer this is a $100 plumbing bill. Walk through each room and consider how buyers are going to react to what they see. Make a complete list of all needed repairs. It will be more efficient to have them all done at once. Use a handyman to fix the items quickly. If your house is a fixer-upper, keep in mind that most buyers will expect to make a profit that is substantially above the cost of labor and materials. When a house needs obvious repairs, buyers will assume that there are more problems than meet the eye. Take care of repairs before marketing your home. Your home will sell faster and for a higher price.

Get an Inspection

It is a good idea to have your home inspected by a professional before putting it on the market. Your may discover some issues that will come up later on the buyer’s inspection report. You will be able to address the items on your own time, without the involvement of a prospective buyer. You do not have to repair every item that is written up. For example, due to building code changes, you may not meet code for handrail height, spacing between balusters, stair dimensions, single glazed windows, and other items. You may choose to leave items such as these as they are. Just note on the inspection report which items you have repaired, and which are left as is. Attach the report to your Seller’s Disclosure, along with any repair receipts that you have. A professional inspection answers buyers questions early, reduces re-negotiations after contract, and creates a higher level of trust in your home.

Offer a Service Contract

A home service contract may be offered to the buyer for their first year of ownership. For a fee of about $350 a third party warranty company will provide repair services for certain systems or components in the house for one year after the sale. These policies help to reduce the number of disputes about the condition of the property after the sale. They protect the interests of both buyer and seller.

Should You Remodel?

Our clients often ask if they should remodel their house before marketing. I believe the answer to this is no – major improvements do not make sense just before selling a home. Studies show that remodeling projects do not return 100% of their cost in the sales price. Normally, it does not pay to replace cabinets, re-do kitchens, upgrade bathrooms, or add space prior to selling. There is a fine line between remodeling and making repairs. You will need to draw this line as you review your home.

Repair Decisions

Countertops are outdated: If other components of the house are up to date, the kitchen may be greatly improved by new, modern countertops. Although this is an upgrade, not a repair, it may be worth doing because the kitchen has a significant impact on the value of your home.

Carpet is worn or outdated: Carpet replacement almost always worth doing. Sellers often ask if they should offer an allowance for carpet, and let the buyer choose. Do not take this approach. Choose a neutral shade, and make the change yourself. New carpet makes everything in the house look better.

Wall texture is poor: You may have an outdated texture style or acoustic ceiling. In most cases, it does not make sense to strip and re-texture the walls. Just repair any wall damage or minor texture problems.

Walls need paint: This is a must do! Freshly painted walls greatly improve the perception of your home. Don’t forget the baseboards and trim. Use neutral colors, such as cream, sage green, beige/yellow, or gray/blue. Stark white, primary colors and dark colors do not appeal to a wide market, and may be a negative factor.

Bathroom caulking is dirty: Put this on the must do list. Cracked or stained caulking is a turn-off to buyers. It is easily replaced. Make sure the tile grout does not have voids.

Drainage or leak problems: Address any drainage issues or leaks in plumbing or roof. Use professional help to correct the source of the problem and check for mold. Fully disclose the repair on your sellers disclosure, but avoid giving a personal guarantee of the repair.

Structural and trim repairs: Fix any sheetrock holes, damaged trim, torn vinyl, broken windows, rotten wood or rusty fixtures. Homes sell for more that show a reasonable level of maintenance.

Overgrown shrubs and weedy beds: Repairs to the yard are some of the most cost effective changes you can make. Mow and edge the lawn. Add inexpensive mulch to flower beds. Cut back any shrubs that cover windows. Trim tree branches that rub against the roof. Buy new doormats. Replace dead plants. Remove any trash.

Check HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems: These systems need routine maintenance. Have the heat/AC system serviced and filters changed. Check for plumbing leaks, toilets that rock, corroded water heater valves, and other plumbing problems. Replace burned out bulbs and electrical fixtures that do not work. Check your sprinkler system and pool equipment for problems.

Make Needed Repairs

If you are planning to sell your home, your first step should be to discover and make needed repairs. By making repairs you will answer buyers questions early, build trust in your home more quickly, and proceed through the closing process with fewer surprises. Your home will appeal to more buyers, sell faster, and bring a higher price.

Wood Pellet vs Corn Stoves: The choice may be out of your hands

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A vital question to ask before you start evaluating the merits of pellet vs corn stoves should be: “Which fuel, corn or wood pellets, is the most readily available in my locale and therefore the cheapest to burn?”


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The most popular alternatives for whole house or supplemental heating are corn and wood pellet fueled stoves. These appliances are easy to operate and the initial capital outlay is significantly less than solar, wind or geothermal systems.

A vital question to ask before you start evaluating the merits of pellet vs corn stoves should be: “Which fuel, corn or wood pellets, is the most readily available in my locale and therefore the cheapest to burn?”

For instance, in Massachusetts corn for fuel is virtually non-existent. The closest Agway store I contacted (3/2/06) had only eleven, 50 pound bags in stock at aprice of $9 each or $360 a ton.

Over the course of a New England heating season, a stove will consume 3 tons of fuel. If you compare this to $260 a ton for wood pellets from a well stocked Connecticut supplier, the wood pellet stove becomes your only choice.

Likewise, if you live in Iowa, why would you buy a wood pellet stove?

In some regions of the country, such as Wisconsin and Minnesota there is usually an abundance of wood pellets and corn. The obvious benefit is the ability to switch between fuels when one of them becomes scarce.

A perfect example is this year’s wood pellet shortage. Do you think Wisconsin pellet stove owners had to think real hard about where to get corn?

However, Nancy Koval, owner of Woodburning Warehouse in Watervliet, New York, warns that when burning corn in a wood pellet stove it is best to use a50/50 mixture of wood pellets and corn.

The problem is clinkers. When corn is burned it leaves behind a substance from the sugars it contains that when cooled is very hard and stays in the burner. The clinkers must be regularly cleaned out of the stove. Some special corn stoves are designed to automatically clear clinkers, Koval said.

Wood pellet and corn stoves have much in common. They are comparably priced at around $2000 for a unit large enough to heat 1200-1500 square feet, and share an efficiency rating of approximately 80%. Corn and wood pellets also produce an equal amount of heat per pound of fuel.

Please note: Since most house layouts do not allow the free movement of air through the house, a centrally located stove will not heat the whole house. If your home doesn’t have an open floor plan, size the stove to heat the room where the stove is located.

Both types of stoves require electricity to run fans, controls, and the auger that feeds corn or wood pellets into the stove’s firebox. Under normal usage, they consume about 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or about $9 worth of electricity per month. Unless the stove has a back-up power supply, the loss of electric power results in no heat and possibly some smoke in the house.

In addition to weekly ash disposal, both corn and wood pellet stoves have an annual maintenance regimen that must be followed to ensure your stove continues to operate as efficiently as the day you bought it.

The storage of corn, as opposed to wood pellets, can be problematic. Owners of corn burning systems who store corn inside their homes need to use tight storage containers, clean up corn spills immediately, and avoid storing corn for long periods of time to prevent problems with rodents and stored grain insects.

A third option to consider is a multi-fuel stove. Typically they are advertised as corn stoves that also burn wood pellets or vice versa.

A stove popular with consumers that burns corn and also wood pellets is the Dansons Group Cheap Charlie Model HCCC2GD corn burning stove.

Many Don’t Like Victorian Furniture

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Can you imagine that many people don’t like Victorian furniture? Once it was thought that Victorian furniture was great, but it seems that over the years that idea has changed. But still for some Victorian furniture is something of great value, and many still enjoy having a little piece of Victorian in their home.

Did you know that there are even 3 types of Victorian furniture? Many people probably don’t know that. But yes there are different types of Victorian furniture….

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Can you imagine that many people don’t like Victorian furniture? Once it was thought that Victorian furniture was great, but it seems that over the years that idea has changed. But still for some Victorian furniture is something of great value, and many still enjoy having a little piece of Victorian in their home.

Did you know that there are even 3 types of Victorian furniture? Many people probably don’t know that. But yes there are different types of Victorian furniture. The first is very large and highly decorated, the second is smaller but still highly decorated, and the third is smaller and is hardly decorated.

But the first type is rarely seen on the market, because they are found in Victorian homes. Even if the home is sold it is likely that the furniture will stay in the home. One reason is that it would be too hard to remove it from the home, as it will be too large and heavy.

The second type is more popular and many people are buying them these days. The furniture is a lot smaller yet it still looks like the first type of Victorian furniture. This way it can fit better in your home and be better to transport. It is also decorated and carved very well like the first type, which appeals to many people.

The third type of Victorian furniture is simpler and less decorated of the other two. Yet it still looks pretty nice and appeals to some people, because it is a lot less expensive then the first two types of Victorian furniture. Good places to look for these are at auctions and antique shops.

So if you really love Victorian Furniture, there is one that can fit your budget. You won’t have to compromise the style for a cheaper piece of furniture.

MV Make Woodworking More Enjoyable With Quality Tools

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People everywhere are discovering the joy of woodworking. Today, when furniture and other types of wood-based manufacturing is moving overseas, getting old-fashioned quality is often next to impossible.

And of course, the high price of fine already-made wood products can also be prohibitively high. The good news is more and more people are either getting into woodworking or are expanding their skills and shops.

As a leading manufacturer of woodworking tools, our custome…


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Soft Goods Upholstered Furniture

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Furnishing and decorating rooms is a very important task. Owners want to be assured their guests are comfortable.


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For any hotel or resort owner, furnishing and decorating rooms is a very important task. Owners want to be assured they are receiving the best quality furniture at the best price. It is also important that they purchase all the necessary furnishings to guarantee a pleasant stay for their guests.

Soft goods upholstered furniture comes in many different styles. Depending on the atmosphere of the individual hotel or resort, the type of furniture chosen can greatly vary. Owners can choose from traditional upholstered furniture in traditional floral fabric patterns. A more modern or tropical type resort may go for rattan style furniture with contemporary fabrics.

To properly furnish a resort or hotel room, there are several essential pieces. There are of course the beds, but it is important to also furnish rooms with an upholstered sleeper sofa to accommodate extra guests. Rooms also need to be furnished with coordinating upholstered chairs and tables. These can all be ordered together, and in bulk, to ensure receiving a matching set from the same dye block.

Another great piece to include in a resort or hotel room is an upholstered lounge chair. These take up more space, so they are ideal for large condos or larger rooms, such as the lobby or lounge.

Purchasing quality commercial upholstered furniture is a excellent way to assure guests enjoy their stay at any resort or hotel.

Conveyor Belt Tracking

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Economy as well as reliability is offered by conveyor belts. For a long and trouble-free working of the conveyor system you will need to ensure that the tracking or alignment of the conveyer system is perfect.


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Economy as well as reliability is offered by conveyor belts. For a long and trouble-free working of the conveyor system you will need to ensure that the tracking or alignment of the conveyer system is perfect.

Tracking a conveyor belt just means making it work efficiently. According to conveyor belt gurus, in simple terms it means “the belt must move towards the end of the roll.” A belt is said to be tracked well when the edges of the belt remain within the width of the pulley and the roller components while carrying a full load.

To achieve this, users as well as installation and maintenance crews must take appropriate steps to ensure that the whole system is centered as well as level. All components like pulleys, snub rollers and idlers must fit perfectly square within the frame and be perfectly parallel. Ask the belt manufacturer to guide you on what the correct belt tension should be. This is what prevents slippage. Another important aspect is cleanliness of the belt. Any particulate matter stuck on the belt will affect tracking, as it creates an additional roll or pulley face.

Tracking must be done with great care. Begin with an empty belt, then recheck tracking with a full load. Adjust the tracking when the belt is running. After adjustment of the idler, run the belt at least 4-5 revolutions before deciding on any further adjustments. Overcorrections must be adjusted using the same idler, and not by moving any other idlers.

When troubleshooting tracking, consider the structure and components of the belt, the tension and joints, load balance, and belt stiffness. Look at the condition of the belt, the power and tension levels transmitted to the belt by drives and take up systems, alignment of idlers and rolling components, the workings of belt splices, cleanliness of the reverse side of the belting, and the direction of the load. Consistent tracking will lead to a safe and hassle-free conveyor belt system.

Bed shopping advice for the tired shopper

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Finding a good bed can often be very tiresome, do you know where to start? do you know who gives the best bed advice? it is actually very simple if you know how.


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It is a fact that the local library may be a good source of advice regarding bed products, advances such as the internet might often make us neglect the various other interior design resources which are all around and freely available to all of us, you should definitely make use of such sources of cost free bed guidance, good bed product info can on occasions be hard to find.

If you are mostly shopping for heavy duty bed frames or water bed sheet sets, undoubtedly these types of products might not turn out to be commonly available on a large number of portals, be sure that you use your browser favorites function as you carry out this variety of bed targeted search, your precious info should be treated with the utmost of care.

The subject of beds can start to be really perplexing but the number one thing is to try to stay with the item you first wanted to order, you should not set out looking for water bed mattress and end up purchasing , this can easily happen if you get sidetracked.

A few beds may not end up being that easy to get, say you want to buy full over full bunk beds it could mean that you might have to buy your product via bed manufacturer, even the top portals can’t instantly solve every bed shoppers needs but most bedding products can be purchased somehow.

A large amount of bed targeted guides you will locate online are all about assisting people to purchase particular bed products such as wrought iron bunk beds and wrought iron pet beds, searching for this type of bed guidance can often turn out to be very frustrating indeed.

You will find home furnishing portals are a relatively useful source of info for numerous products such as twin full futon bunk beds and full size loft beds, these type of websites can be located all over the net.

Say you are actually looking for heavy duty bed frames or water bed parts, without a doubt these type of products may very well not actually be widely available on that many sites, try to ensure that you employ your PC favorites button whenever you carry out this variety of bed focused research, your important info should be treated with the greatest of care.

Now if you should seek data on antique bed frames it may possibly be better to use the information in a bed website in order to initiate contact with a bed specialist, by doing this you will doubtless get access to a fair amount of bed help for free.

Wood Pellet Stoves – The future is heating up

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If you are tired of hauling and splitting loads of cordwood, storing it and then carrying it again into the home, but still desire the ambience and radiance of a wood burning stove, then it may be time to check out the benefits of a wood pellet stove. Although on a direct cost comparison basis, the pellet fuel works out more expensive, it does come ready to use, and the wood pellet stove takes considerably less effort to operate and clean.


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If you are tired of hauling and splitting loads of cordwood, storing it and then carrying it again into the home, but still desire the ambience and radiance of a wood burning stove, then it may be time to check out the benefits of a wood pellet stove. Although on a direct cost comparison basis, the pellet fuel works out more expensive, it does come ready to use, and the wood pellet stove takes considerably less effort to operate and clean.

Using pellets of compressed sawdust, that provide obvious benefits for the home and environment, woodburning pellet stoves come in a wide variety of styles,both traditional and modern, as well as size, finish and heating output. More clean burning than traditional stoves, some wood pellet stoves are equipped with fans and thermostats for distributing the heat output more evenly within the room. As a rule of thumb most wood pellet stoves store about three days fuel, and require on average cleaning once a month; a simple job of just emptying an ashtray. Whilst freestanding wood pellet stoves offer greater design positioning flexibility, fireplace insert models are available as well as wood pellet furnaces that can be installed in basements or outhouses to heat the whole house. Depending on the manufacturer such as St.Croix stoves or Lancaster pellet stoves, these appliances can provide a heat output of anywhere between 10000 and 50000 BTU per hour.

As noted earlier, wood pellet stoves come in a wide variety of styles, sizes and finishes, but the first important decision when making a choice is the basic configuration of the stove. Freestanding pellet stoves offer the greatest flexibility in installation choice. Supported by a pedestal or on legs, freestanding pellet stoves are designed to be installed in almost any living area of the home, but they must be installed on a non-combustible floor protector. An added advantage is that wood pellet stoves can be installed much nearer to combustible surfaces than is required by more traditional heating stoves.

Wood pellet stoves that are designed to be fireplace inserts can be readily installed into existing fireplaces and decorative panels are available to cover the space between the fireplace insert and the fireplace opening. Some wood pellet fireplace inserts are approved only for use in masonry fireplaces, whilst others can also be installed in approved factory built metal fireplaces. Built-in wood pellet stoves are an economical choice that offers homes without an existing fireplace, the look of an insert in a fireplace setting. Non-combustible materials such as brick can be applied to the area around the front of the wood pellet stove to give the appearance of a fireplace. Once again a non-combustible floor protector is required, sometimes with additional spacers to provide an air space under the unit. Pellet furnaces are larger appliances designed to heat an entire house through ductwork. They are usually installed in a basement or outhouse and like all wood pellet stoves require efficient venting to the outside through an approved vent or flue.
As with all types of heating stoves, it is important when installing wood pellet stoves to ensure that they have an efficient means of expelling the waste gases and smoke, usually a chimney or compatible flue. It is advisable to seek advice from a certified dealer/installer who will advise and if required supply and install a suitable venting system. Indeed most suppliers of wood pellet stoves offer a complete installation service.

The Microwave Oven

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Can you remember the time in which we did not have a microwave oven? In fact, can you remember a time in which the mere thought of a microwave oven inspired a science fiction like imagination, that it was unrealistic that people who said that we will be able to cook and heat our meals in a matter of seconds, and that all the waiting will be a thing of the past, well, this was not so far ago.

The technological achievements of the last few decades are nothing less then pheno…


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Can you remember the time in which we did not have a microwave oven? In fact, can you remember a time in which the mere thought of a microwave oven inspired a science fiction like imagination, that it was unrealistic that people who said that we will be able to cook and heat our meals in a matter of seconds, and that all the waiting will be a thing of the past, well, this was not so far ago.

The technological achievements of the last few decades are nothing less then phenomenal, one of the easiest ways to examine how significant is the change is to learn what are peoples expectations of appliances in the house today, and the fact is that most of us has become very used to the microwave oven, most people would not compromise on anything less than a microwave oven speed today, and if fact most kitchens have a micro oven, and not necessarily an oven.

The day of the micro wave oven has certainly come, and today you can find a huge market of these micro wave ovens with different features and tools you can use, when the micro waves just started appearing on the market they had some problems and their baking quality was not perfect, some micro ovens did not have proper timing features and power regulators, today this is no problem, all of the new micro wave have varying degrees of heat and some combine oven features to complete a baking procedure, or pizza making.

With the advancement in the use and making of the micro wave ovens, the understanding of using the microwaves has increased, and today you can find many kitchens in which the micro wave oven replaces many different appliances, you can use the micro wave oven to boil water so you do not need an electric kettle, while its no real replacement for a coffee maker, it is a nice replacement. If you are exploring healthy cooking, the micro oven can help you steam your vegetables and keep all those vitamins, a micro wave is perfect for teaming and in fact, it’s the micro wave most basic and initial purposes.

Using the proper tools and kitchen appliances you can cook almost everything in the micro wave, you just need to remember a few simple things (like covering liquid based sauces and food in sauce so it wouldn’t go splashing all over the place) and you will be enjoying your micro wave oven.

One product that has been significantly effected by the appearance of the micro wave oven is the popcorn, most people don’t even remember how difficult it was to prepare popcorn before we had the microwave, to start talking about that is an article by itself, the main point is that just like making popcorn, the micro wave oven has made our life much easier, nice and much faster.

Sofa Slipcovers – The Quick And Easy Makeover

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A simple yet effective way to improve the appearance of your home is to fit some new sofa slipcovers over your tired looking sofas. As well as sofa covers, all kinds of furniture covers for seats of all sizes and styles can be bought for an affordable price.


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A simple yet effective way to improve the appearance of your home is to fit some new sofa slipcovers over your tired looking sofas. As well as sofa covers, all kinds of furniture covers for seats of all sizes and styles can be bought for an affordable price. Stretch slipcovers are designed to be really easy to fit, so you can transform the look and feel of your whole room within minutes. Fitting some ready made slipcovers can instantly disguise worn looking upholstery on your sofas and chairs, giving them a fresh new lease of life.

Slipcovers for sofas come in a huge array of colors and patterns, so you should be able to find something to compliment the existing decor and theme of your room. Choices range from country checks to floral designs, to contemporary prints or stripes. There’s also a wide selection of hard wearing but attractive fabrics, in anything from denim to chenille, faux leather or suede. Many modern sofa and chair covers are fully machine washable, so it’s not difficult to keep then clean. This is particularly good if you have pets or small children that might get dirt on your good quality furniture.

For a fully coordinated look, you may want to consider covering all the seats in your room. In addition to wing chair and couch slipcovers, there are loads of recliner, loveseat and ottoman covers available. One advantage of slipcovers over re-upholstery is that they can be removed and replaced any time you fancy a new look. For instance, you could alter the appearance of your home according to the change of seasons. Just by altering the look of your seats it’s possible to influence the mood of your entire room.

If you’re looking for an affordable and quick way to revamp your home, slipcovers could be the answer.