At Home With HouseHunt

In This Issue

	Seasonal Suggestion
	Do You Like That New Home Smell? Buyers Certainly Do!
	10 Ways to Organize Your Mess
	The Importance of Electrical Check-ups
	Making Your Curb More Appealing
	Getting Your House Ready To Sell
	Monthly Survey
	Past Issues: December, November, October, September

Monthly Quote

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

-Anne Bradstreet, “Meditations Divine and Moral,” American poet, (1612 – 1672)

Tip of the Month

With winter upon us, many people may have started feeling the pain of high utility bills. By caulking inside your house and out, you will cut down use of electricity and fuel, protect against air, moisture and wind, keep cooled and heated air from leaking out and keep insects out. Use your caulking gun in joints around windows, doors and vents, between the foundation and building and around chimneys and roof vents. You should seal all joints and cracks outside your home. You should be vigilant and inspect your home annually for places where the caulking has shrunk, cracked or fallen out. When you fill in holes with fresh caulk, make sure to remove the old pieces of caulk.

Source: How to Fix Everything for Dummies, by Gary and Peg Hedstrom and Judy Tremore, Wiley Publishing, 2005.

Quick Links

The Importance of Electrical Check-ups

Americans are notoriously bad about keeping their electrics in good working order. Don't be one of them.

The house still has power doesn't it? The lights still work don't they? So there's nothing to worry about, right? Wrong - American homeowners are getting worse and worse about keeping their electrics in good working order, and failing to take the advice of organizations such as the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). A recent Realty Times article interviewed the ESFI, and discussed some of the situations that require more than a basic electrical check-up.

There are a number of basic things that homeowners should do on a regular basis, such as checking (and replacing twice a year) the batteries on smoke alarms, checking for any loose-fitting outlets that could overheat, checking fuse boxes for corrosion damage, etc. However, there are certain situations where a more detailed inspection is required.

Whenever you purchase a new home, most people will get the basic structural, plumbing and electrical inspections, but these are only surface inspections. In the following three situations, the ESFI recommend a full-blown electrical inspection:

1. The house is more than 40 years old.

2. The house has had either a major renovation, or has had a major appliance added to it, and is more than 10 years old.

3. The house is changing hands from one homeowner to another.

Depending on the age of your home, and the nature of your mortgage contract, such an inspection may even be required. Why? Because a good working electrical system is important for hazard insurance, which may be a requirement. And a faulty electrical system can certainly be hazardous. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), there are more than 165,000 electrical-related home fires each year, taking over 900 lives, injuring almost 7,000 people and causing over $1.7 billion in property damage - these are some pretty big and scary numbers!

By taking the necessary precautions up-front, and then taking appropriate action to maintain your electrical system, you'll help to make sure your home doesn't become a CPSC statistic!

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