Tag Archive for: Home Value

It's getting cold!Prepare your pipes for the winter months.

It’s getting cold!
Prepare your pipes for the winter month

It feels like the Winter weather has arrived, it’s time to prepare your home for the cold if you haven’t done so already. Frozen pipes can leave you without water in the worst of weather and cost a lot to repair. But with a few simple steps, you can easily preserve both your budget and your peace of mind.

BEFORE THE COLD SETS IN

Know how to shut off your water: Locate your main water shut-off valve. In many homes, it is located near the water meter or close to where the water pipe enters the home.

Check sprinkler or irrigation systems: Make sure everything is turned off and fully drained.

Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines: Check for pipes in areas that might be prone to freezing, such as crawl spaces, unheated rooms, basements, garages, and exterior walls. Fix drafty windows, insulate walls around pipes and plug drafts around doors.

Protect your pipes: Where pipes are exposed to cold, wrap them with insulation or heat tape (even fabric or newspaper can help).

WHEN TEMPERATURES STAY BELOW FREEZING

Give pipes a helping hand: If pipes run through cabinets or vanities, open the doors to let warmer room temperatures flow in.

Keep water moving through the pipes: Allow a small trickle of water to run. The cost of the extra water is typically lower than the cost to repair a broken pipe.

IF YOUR PIPES FREEZE

Shut off the water immediately: Don’t attempt to thaw pipes without turning off the main shut-off valve.

Thaw a frozen pipe by warming the air around it: Do not leave space heaters unattended and avoid using kerosene heaters or open flames.

Carefully turn the water back on: Once pipes are thawed, slowly turn the water back on and check pipes and joints for any cracks or leaks.

 

Need more information on freezing pipes this winter, visit American Water

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are like most homeowners, then you know and believe that your home is your biggest asset. Therefore, you can’t go wrong with increasing your home’s value. You can do it to build equity now or value to sell the home later. Despite what you might believe increasing your home’s value is actually not so financially demanding. Here are 6 sure ways to boost value for equity or selling your home in the future.

  1. Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is easily one of the biggest influencers of a home’s value. When you or a potential buyer takes a turn into your street, how does your home look? Is it welcoming and attractive? Does it appeal to a buyer or make you believe this home might be worth some good cash? Work on the curb appeal of your home by doing little things here and there. Enhance the appearance of your walkway with flowers. Engage in proper lawn maintenance. Paint your front door red or something bold and pretty. If possible, get your neighbors to do the same thing too because curb appeal doesn’t involve just your home. It gets better if other houses close to you have a great outward appearance too.

6 Ways to Increase Your Home Value This Year

  1. Paint and Flooring

Ever walked into a freshly painted home with equally fresh and clean flooring? Painting your home is one of the most cost-effective means of adding value to your home. It can bring a fresh look to worn out interiors. Choose colors that flatter your home to do this. Some new floorboards, carpets, and other flooring options will compliment your freshly painted walls making the home look brand new.

  1. Increase Home Efficiency

Smart homes are more than a trend. They enhance your comfort and convenience as a homeowner. Then, of course, they skyrocket value. Who wouldn’t love a home with a smart thermostat, alarm system, smart lighting, smart lock and open, and so on? An efficient home helps you save on the utility bill too.

  1. Add More Space

Adding more usable space to the home can never be wrong. Experienced realtors would tell you that homes are priced and valued based on how much livable space they contain. You can add anything from an extra bathroom to a bedroom, or even a living room.

6 Ways to Increase Your Home Value This Year

  1. Clean and Declutter

Clutter occupies so much space and sucks the brightness out of your home. A thorough clean helps you organize your home, find more space, breathable air, and increase value.

  1. Clean Windows, Check Doors

A dirty window is very distracting and does nothing for your home. Those windows are a magnet for dust and dirt. Clean them often and make them shine. Doors should not be left out either. Install new doors or clean up old ones. In a study carried out by Remodeling magazine’s 2019 Cost vs Value Study, replacing a garage door usually recoups 97.5% of its cost.

 

Read more from Four Star Construction: HERE.