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Building, Construction & Home Guide

Benefits of HVAC Preventive Maintenance

hvac unit repairIt makes sense to maintain a HVAC even if it is under warranty. The average warranty covers the compressor and all parts for 10 years.

However, the warranty is usually limited to parts only, not to labor after the first year. The cost of labor for air conditioning repair can be very expensive when a coil or the compressor needs to be replaced.

Secondly, today’s conditioners are up to 3 times more efficient than the models they replace. If you have an air conditioner that is 15-20 years old it might make more sense to replace it now, before it wears out. You will begin to save on energy costs immediately. In addition, many high-efficiency central air conditioners are eligible for tax credits and utility rebates, reducing your expenses considerably.

Finally, it might be wise to replace your central air conditioner preemptively before it fails. Here’s why. Being proactive will give you the opportunity to take your time to find the best unit, the best price and a competent installer. You won’t be rushed and will likely make a better decision.

According to Home Advisor, having your central air conditioner fail in the middle of summer can be expensive. … Read More

Can I Sell My Home Without a Realtor?

how to sell a house on your ownJackline from Auburn sent us this question: “Can I sell my home without a realtor?”

Many homeowners have this question. We got in touch with the team at The Connor Group for some insight into this question. For our readers, The Connor Group is a real estate firms that manages luxury apartments around the country. For example, you can go to their site to search for luxury apartments Austin.

We posed the question to The Connor Group and they sent us the following information:

The biggest investment most people ever make is owning a home. When you want to sell the home, it’s standard practice to hire a real estate agent to find a buyer on your behalf. When the sale is concluded, the agent will typically take  7 to 10 percent of the sale price as commission. The commission can be quite a huge sum.

One question you may be asking is, “Can I sell my home without a realtor?”

Selling a home on your own is not difficult if you know what real estate agents do. Typically, an agent does the following:

  • Puts your property in the market with Multiple Listing Services (MLS).
  • Markets the home online,
… Read More

Find the Best Electrician for Your Home

manchester electricianAt one point in time, you will need the services of an electrician. Whether it’s the heater in your home that needs to be replaced or the wiring in your business premises that is not functioning properly, you require a competent electrician to handle the task for you.

By the way, did you know that poor lighting can cause sleeplessness among some people. With sleeplessness comes problems such as snoring, which will mean having to use a snoring device like PureSleep

Experienced electricians can do your electrical projects in a timely manner, ensuring your life gets back to normal as soon as possible.

Regardless of where you live, you will need to hire an electrician at one time or the other. This article was inspired by James Kent from Manchester, who wanted to know the most important things in our opinion that homeowner should consider when looking for domestic electricians. Here we go.

There are a number of things you should keep in mind when looking for an electrician Manchester contractor. These include:

Experience of the Electrician

Find out how long the electrician has been working in your area. Ideally, you should hire an electrician with a wealth of experience … Read More

4 Graceful Exit Strategies to Get Out from Under a House You Can’t Afford

options when you can't pay mortgageDon’t let yourself get out from under that house you can’t afford with a belly-flop whose splash keeps you wet for a long time—instead, get out of the soaking pool, dry yourself off, and exit gracefully. Here, we offer four ways to help remain composed and unruffled when you’ve just got to give it up.

Listing through an agent seems so straightforward; nothing could go wrong here, right? Wrong. According to Gracie Weis from Blonde Girl Homebuyers in Jacksonville, an excellent agent might not be able to do anything with your house in less than 3 to 6 months. So, keep in mind how fast your equity may be evaporating with lender fees and interest piling up. If you want to use this option, use it quick and you might come out with some cash.

Some people have enough cash-on-hand and can help you by buying your home, and they’ve figured out ways to make it work for them as a business. These smart folks are called investors. Find the good ones that care enough to get to know you, then, consider selling to the investor. Working with an investor can prove to be a lot quicker than signing … Read More

10 Tips to Consider When Building a House

Last Updated, March 2017

Imagine a house completely adapted to you and your needs. There are many who want to turn the dream of a custom-built house into a reality. But with construction of the building, there will be many questions, decisions and challenges to overcome. We asked Patric Jones, an architect and construction engineer with a leading London house extensions company to guide us through the building construction phase. In the end, he pointed out ten important issues you should ask yourself before you begin building a house.

home extension

What kind of house do you need?

The first thing you need to figure out is the kind of house you and your family need and how big it should be.

– I always tell my clients that they should imagine themselves where they want to be in ten years, and start from there. For example, you may  not afford to build a car garage now yet know  that you will need it and and a place to store children’s stuff in a few years, says Patric. Also keep in mind that trends come and go. Today, perhaps may be interested in having Moroccan tiles in your bathroom, but will you … Read More

Best Concrete Wall to Reduce Noise

precast concrete wallDo you have a neighbor who nags you with loud music? Do you feel that the noise is too loud such that you cannot concentrate and have a peaceful time in your home? Do you feel like sometimes you need to use a mouth guard for teeth grinding because of the loud music? If you answered “yes” to any of the three questions above, you do not worry any more. Installing precast concrete walls will help solve the problem amicably.

Believe it or not, the kind of material that your wall is made of can relatively have an impact on the noise in your home. If there is too much noise, you may have to use earplugs for sleeping. One material that is known to help in noise reduction is precast concrete.

Over the years, reduction of noise within internal areas such as restaurants, offices, and homes has increased. Many people have opted to use precast concrete wall to reduce noise. The concrete, whether it is used as an outdoor fence or indoor wall, provides the highest loss of sound transmission when compared to other walls.

Research has shown that precast concrete walls at some of the nail salons near … Read More

Which is the Best Oven Cleaner for Baked On Grease?

Most homeowners do not enjoy cleaning an oven. This essential kitchen equipment can be difficult to clean when packed with tough, baked on grease. Moreover, the awkward size and shape of most kitchen ovens do not make things any easier.

According to Joanna Douglas, owner of Clean Affinity, a house cleaning company in Portland, if you are not ready for the hard task of cleaning the oven, you should play your part in trying to keep it as clean as possible when cooking. For example, you can use baking sheets and trays to keep the oven clean when cooking foods that are likely to lead to oil leakage.

Also, if any oils or grease spill in the oven, clean them as quickly as possible. If you are in the middle of cooking, you’ll have to wait until your food is ready before cleaning the oven using any chemicals. Leaving the grease stains to get baked on the oven over time will make them difficult to remove.

Watch the video below to learn how to clean your greased oven quickly; in under 5 minutes!

Best Oven Cleaner for Baked on Grease (Top 5 Review)

Still, no matter how careful you … Read More

Best Air Filters for Allergies and Asthma

Guide to buying the best air filters for allergies and asthma.

If you or a family member is suffering from asthma or allergies, it is important to ensure that the air you breathe is clean and free from allergens and contaminants.

However, the air in our home is usually not truly clean. This is why some family members may be sneezing a lot of the time or experiencing difficulties in breathing. To ensure the air in your home is clean, you need a good air purifier that will remove all allergens in the air that may result from air conditioner leaking freon, smoke, odor, among others.

Read on for an overview of the best air filters to buy if you or your family members have asthma or other air allergies.

Best Air Filter for Asthma Suffers [REVIEW]

#1.  IQAir HealthPro Plus

IQAir HealthPro PlusThe IQAir HealthPro Plus does a great job of filtering allergens from the air. The asthma air filter has an ultrafine filter that can eliminate airborne particles that are as small as 0.003 microns. When using this air filter, you can be sure no allergens will be lurking in the air at home.

We love this air filter … Read More

7 Best Bath Chairs for Disabled Adults

Taking a shower or bath is meant to be a relaxing and pleasant experience. However, for many disabled adults, the activity can be discomfort, stressful, and even dangerous. According to statistics from the New York Times, there are over 200,000 bathroom-related treatments administered every year.

The good news is that you can reduce the risk of bathroom related injuries by getting some a good bath chair for disabled adults. The chair would provide protection and support to ensure that bathing is not only safe but also enjoyable.

Most construction companies are incorporable support accessories for the disabled and elderly in their apartments. For example, most new apartments for rent in Maadi are fitted with various bath safety aids for the elderly.

How to Choose a Bath Chair

There are many shower benches, stools, and chairs on the market. As a result, determining which one is right for you can be quite a change. Before buy a bath chair for the elderly, there are a number of things you should keep in mind:

Assembly

Go for a bath chair that requires minimal assemble and that does not need any tools for assembly. However, you may need to strength to push … Read More

Building Homes Using 3D Printers

Protection, food and water may seem basic human needs, but in fact, about 1.2 billion people still live today without sustainable housing, reports World Resources Institute .

Technology and development are moving at a furious pace and it has a company named ICON chosen to take care of. The company has come up with a way to combat the lack of sustainable homes by using effective 3D printing solutions.

ICON has come up with a method of printing a house of about 650 square meters of cement, the cool thing is that it only took between 12 and 24 hours!

The plan that the company has set is to build a community with about 100 homes for residents in El Salvador next year. Apart from this, the company will be building some home items. Some of the items can be built by anyone at home provided they have a good printer and use it on the best 3D printer table.

ICON has helped and initiated a collaboration with New Story, an ideal company focused on international housing solutions.

“We have built homes for communities in Haiti, El Salvador and Bolivia,” says Alexandria Lafci, founder of New Story.

… Read More

Home Maintenance – Spring and Summer Checklist

home maintenance tips

When summer and spring set in, you should take advantage of the seasons to carry out a home maintenance routine. A routine maintenance will ensure your home stays clean and units are working optimally.

Below is a cleaning checklist you can follow during summer or spring to maintain your home.

Exterior Maintenance

Roof. Check the roof for any signs of trouble. You don’t need to climb the roof to inspect it. With your eyes or a pair of binoculars, you can easily spot trouble. Staff from Missions Restoration suggest that you should check for cracked shingles that may be allowing water in or nail-pops­­ on the roof. These should be replaced to keep the roof at peak performance. Check their website at MissionsRestorations.com

Chimney. Inspect the chimney joints and check whether any bricks or stones have fallen out. Also, look for vegetation growing on the chimney or a white calcium-like deposit. Any signs of such a white deposit will be a signal that the chimney should be resealed.

Foundations. As you inspect the exteriors, check the foundation for masonry cracks. If you spot some cracks, hire a foundation specialist to fix them.

Exterior walls. Look for trouble spots on your … Read More