Are you afraid of bats? There are some reasons to be afraid, but not the ones that most people think about: Don’t worry about these things: Bats do not swoop down on people and get tangled in your hair. Bats can carry rabies, but are no more likely to than any other mammal. Bats are
Condo associations and homeowner associations where the exteriors are managed through the association have rules that sometimes create problems for homeowners. When our clients consider buying into a condo association, we remind them to check the association rules. The rules are binding and affect daily life. Some of the rules that irk our clients actually
Once our clients buy their house, they begin a 10- or 20- or 30-year process of maintaining and upgrading the thing. Some will turn a fixer-upper into a showplace and others – sigh -- will turn a showplace into a fixer-upper. Most people buy a house and change it to make it their home; they
If you are buying a single-family or a two-family house, you will need to purchase a year of homeowner’s insurance before closing. That insurance is reviewed by your lender, so they can be confident that you are fully covered, regarding their interests in your home. At closing, you will be paying an additional 2-4 months
It's been hot for a couple of weeks already, have you checked your air conditioner filters? Have you cleaned your fans? You can improve indoor air quality by routinely addressing sources of dust and mold. The more we insulate our houses against winter cold and summer heat, the less air leaks between the house and
This month, I surveyed moving companies to see what inflation has done to the cost of moving house. The quick and dirty answer is: If you are moving within a few miles from your current home, the cost for a two or three-bedroom move is between $1000-2000. The variables that bring it closer to $2000:
Insulated window shades and curtains are effective in lowering heating and cooling costs. It’s common sense! Just think about how much cooler it is under the umbrella in the summer instead of being directly in the sun. When the sun shines into your windows, heat passes through the glass into your house. It then rises and collects
In the world of wood-boring insects, bigger is better. Carpenter ants are easier to find than termites. Carpenter ant damage can be detected by looking for “frass” (looks like sawdust). Carpenter ants nest in wood, so they hollow out a piece of wood and leave the frass outside. Carpenter ants don’t eat wood. They chew
Is that a termite? Relax! That’s a flying ant. Flying ants don’t eat your house, but termites do. Here’s how to know the difference. flying ant Flying ants have a body shape like any other ant. Ants have three distinct sections. Their antennae do not come directly forward; they bend. Termites, on the
Yesterday, I walked to the dentist (about a half mile) and experienced twenty or more different kinds of wet conditions on the ground. At that time of day, it was raining on top of an inch or two of snow. Some was slushy, some was puddles on top of snow, some was untrodden snow (my