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We all would like to think we can handle any DIY project, but anything related to your home’s wiring should be left to the professionals. This is especially true when you’re dealing with unsafe wiring. There are simply too many things that can go wrong and too many safety hazards to contend with. While you should contact a licensed electrician to take care of any unsafe electrical wiring, you’ll still need to know how to recognize an electrical problem and when to contact a professional.

Causes of Unsafe Wiring

First of all, let’s go over some of the reasons why your wiring might not be safe. These include loose wiring, frayed cords, damaged insulation, or damaged appliances. Your wiring may also be unsafe if it was installed before 1960. Wires made before this time had rubber insulation that could crumble or flake away. Electrical systems built before this time might also not be equipped to handle a modern home and can be overloaded.

When to Contact an Electrician

You should contact a licensed electrician as soon as possible if you notice the above signs or if you think your older wiring could pose a problem. You should also be on the lookout for signs of a short circuit. This will most likely cause a light or an appliance to shut off unexpectedly. You might also see a spark or smell of burning wires. If this happens, check your circuit breakers to see which switches are flipped and inspect the wires around the light or appliance for damage. You can usually prevent this from happening again by avoiding the outlet connected to the broken circuit or simply by not plugging in as many appliances or electronics into the outlet. If it keeps happening, you might have a bigger problem that will require serious repairs.

Making Simple Adjustments

If you feel like you know enough about wiring to fix a small problem by yourself, make sure that any wiring or outlets you adjust are firmly in place. Loose wiring is one of the reasons why your electrical system may not be safe. If you aren’t confident enough to do this or you notice any other issues, do not attempt to fix anything yourself. Avoid using any appliances or outlets that frequently overheat or short out until you can contact an electrical company to fix the problem.

When you are looking to sell your home as quickly as possible, staging it properly is essential. Staging is the process of making your home look more attractive to potential buyers. When done correctly, it creates a home that shows people it is ready to be moved into. Below are some tips on how to stage your home properly so that you can get your home sold quickly.

1. Remove Excess Clutter

The best thing you can do when staging your home is to remove excess clutter. Remove as many of your belongings from the cabinets, closets, and rooms as possible. If you have already rented or bought another home, move as many of your belongings to it or a storage unit before staging. This will allow your space to look bigger and it will be easier for a potential buyer to imagine themselves in the home.

1. Wash Walls And Windows

While you may not notice the small stains on your walls and fingerprints on the windows, a potential buyer will. Taking time to wash the windows, walls, and ceilings of your home can improve its overall appearance. Do not forget to clean the baseboards, light switches, and electrical outlets around the home.

1. Paint Home With Neutral Colors

To make your home look more move-in ready, paint the house with neutral colors. Even though you may love colors such as blues and red, those types of colors will make it much harder for potential buyers to match their furniture and belongings. Buyers will be more likely to make offers on your home if you paint the walls with colors such as white or beige.

1. Clean Carpets

When a potential buyer walks into your home, the carpets will be one of the first things they notice. If your carpets smell dirty or have many ugly stains on them, it will diminish the look of your entire home. Hire a carpet cleaning service, or rent a machine to clean the carpet and eliminate nasty odors and any stains. A fresh, clean carpet will improve the overall look and feel of your home for potential buyers. Check out Trojan Carpet Care in Pasadena, California to learn more about the carpet cleaning process. 

1. Improve Exterior of Home and Landscaping

When potential buyers pull up to your home, the first thing they will notice is the exterior of the house and the landscaping around the property. Make sure the outside of your home looks good by removing weeds and trash. Additionally, trim your shrubs and trees and have the lawn mowed to improve your home’s curb appeal. Remove any debris and dirt from the siding of your home and clean the gutters and downspouts. Any porches should be swept and arranged neatly before allowing potential buyers to come.

One of the most common concerns prospective home buyers have is whether or not a house has an HVAC system that is in need of replacement. Many people believe that it’s necessary to replace the entire HVAC system before selling their home, but this isn’t always true. In fact, there are many instances when you may not want to replace your current HVAC unit just because you’re going to sell your property. We’ll discuss what those instances might be and how they can impact your decision about replacing or repairing the existing system for sale purposes.

A majority of prospective buyers are looking for new, modern equipment that makes them feel comfortable about safety and reliability. If your system is over 20 years old, it won’t look impressive to these potential customers.

If there is another HVAC unit in place that can take over for a short time while you replace yours, it might be worth the cost to do that instead of replacing everything.

If you are planning on living in your home for at least a few more years, replacement may not make sense because there’s no guarantee that its value will increase enough over time.

Another scenario where people typically choose repair is if they want to upgrade to a more energy-efficient system, but they’re not able to afford the full cost upfront.

In this case, you may want to repair and replace parts of your heating and cooling systems in stages over time until it meets all of your needs for efficiency without requiring an entire replacement.

Some people who are selling their homes might be tempted to replace the HVAC unit just because they think it will be a good idea. In some instances, this can make sense, but there are many cases where homeowners would want to repair instead of upgrade an existing system without having anything else impacted by their decision.

The factors that you should consider in order to determine whether or not you should replace the HVAC system for your home are whether you’re planning on living in it for a few more years and if there is another unit in place that can take over while you upgrade.

These factors might change over time, so they should be revisited before making any decisions about replacing or repairing an existing system.

In some instances, HVAC replacement might be wise. A new system for your home because of how old it is or due to its condition might be the best option. In other situations, however, you may want to repair instead of upgrade so that there are no unintended consequences attached to your decision about replace or repairing an existing system.

One thing that you should know is that replacing an HVAC system can take a while, so it’s important to have patience as you go through the process.

Hundreds of toxic chemicals fill the average household. Many toxins float freely in the air, get trapped inside insulated walls, form layers on top of furniture and other places. Indoor air is two to three times more polluted than the air outdoors. A toxic home increases the risk that you or another occupant will fall ill.

Use Natural Cleaning Products

Whenever you clean the house, choose all-natural cleaning products that leave no toxic residue. A collection of artificial household cleaning products contain hundreds of toxins, such as phthalates, ammonia, and chlorine.

Dust and Vacuum Regularly

Dust on the furniture and dirt on the floor contain layers of bacteria and toxins that are brought in from underneath shoes. The floor is the most unclean part of the room that must be vacuumed and mopped regularly. Bring in a carpet cleaning service at least once a year to be sure that carpets get a deep clean. 

Open the Windows

Clear the toxic air by opening the windows whenever you can. Compared to an indoor air purifier, an open window is 10 times more effective at removing toxins and circulating fresh air back into the home.

Remove Artificial Scents

Artificial air fresheners contain toxins like phthalates, which are industrial chemicals used to make plastics. This chemical is linked to a variety of health problems and causes damage to certain organs from the liver to the lungs. A safer alternative is to diffuse scents from natural essential oils.

Use Water Filters

Install a filtration system to every source of water in the house. You need a filter to remove toxins from your drinking water. Next is to install a shower head filter to remove poisonous gases like chlorine.

Change Air Filters Frequently

Change the air filters around your home from the air conditioner to the furnace. If you don’t, excessive dirt and debris will accumulate in layers and prevent the filtration of toxins from the air.

Use Natural Cleaning Products

Treat your clothing with natural laundry detergents and ingredients. There are numerous products in stores that contain natural ingredients and are made in factories using environmentally-friendly practices.

Toxic laundry detergents leave harmful residue on your clothes. Synthetic scents, in particular, are harmful to your health. Some fragrant chemicals contain phthalates or carcinogens and may cause allergic reactions.

Staying in your own home and breathing in the air is often more dangerous to your health than going outside. Many household and personal hygiene products you use every day are adding to the toxins in your body and home. After your home is tested thoroughly, you may discover the presence of toxins. Know how bad these chemicals are to your health and what you can do next.

While area rugs and wall-to-wall carpet may seem like the same thing, there are vast differences between the two. Knowing the pros and cons of each option will let you choose the best floor covering for your home and family.

Area Rugs

The options available for area rugs are seemingly endless. There are a wide array of styles, colors, designs, material, sizes, and so much more. There are other pros, as well as cons, that oriental rugs provide.

Pros of Area Rugs:

• Defines space in a room.
• Easier to wash than carpeting.
• You can take the area rug with you if you move.
• Available in various sizes so you can have a rug that covers the entire middle of the room, or one that covers just the floor under a couch or coffee table.

Cons of Area Rugs:

• Area rugs are more likely to result in trips and slips than wall-to-wall carpeting.
• Since they do not cover the entire floor, you may have to walk on the cold hard floor in the areas not covered by the rug.

Wall-to-Wall Carpeting

Carpeting is one of the most common options for floor covering. Since it covers the room from wall to wall, it provides padding over the entire hard floor. Just like area rugs, however, wall-to-wall carpeting has its own positive and negative aspects.

Pros of Carpeting

• Carpeting covers the entire floor so you achieve a seamless look, which area rugs do not provide.
• Since the carpeting is secured to the floor, you are less likely to slip or trip on it. This makes wall-to-wall carpeting the better option for those with limited mobility.
• The floor is entirely covered with carpeting so you do not have areas of the floor exposed.

Cons of Carpeting

• Carpeting can trap allergens in its fibers, such as dust and dust mites. It can also be a breeding ground for fleas (something for pet owners to keep in mind).
• The cost of carpeting is typically higher than area rugs.
• Installation is much more complex.
• For renters, changing the carpet is not always an option.
• Carpeting can become worn down in areas of high traffic.

Trying to decide between area rugs and wall-to-wall carpeting can be a hard choice. The good news is that if you give yourself time to weigh the pros and cons of each option, you are sure to make the perfect choice that you won’t regret in the future.

Introduction

Home staging is a real estate term that means getting a home ready to sell. It can make homes look clean, well-organized, and attractive to potential buyers. In recent years it has become a popular service because of the high demand for homes with low inventory in most markets. However, home staging costs can quickly add up and require help from friends or family members who may not be experienced in home staging. Fortunately, there are many ways to save money on staging costs.

Best Ways To Save Money On Home Staging

1. Ask friends and family for help.

Friends and family can be a great resource for home staging assistance. They can help stage areas of the home that they are most familiar with. One way to save money on staging is to ask them to help organize closets and other storage spaces in exchange for letting them borrow some of your household items while they look for their own new home.

2. Hire a professional organizer to help

Professional organizers are professionals who have mastered the art of organizing spaces. Many cities now offer classes that teach them how to organize spaces of all shapes, sizes, and levels of complexity. When hiring a professional organizer, be sure to ask if she or he is trained in reference-style home staging or full-service staging. A strategy to save money when going with a professional organizer is to ask for their insight and opinions on your home upfront, and just pay them for their consultation. Now with their information, you should be able to handle the work yourself.

3. Ask for help from a real estate agent or broker.

These professionals may have staging experience and be able to give you tips and advice on how to save money when staging your home. It is also important to consider that the professional use of your home has been their career. For example, they should be able to lend support in marketing the home, negotiating price, maximizing features for resale value, and getting the best possible contract in a timely manner.

4. Look for bargains.

Inexpensive items can be found at flea markets, yard sales, house clearings (people clearing out their homes and moving), and online. A few of my favorite places to find inexpensive items are garage sales, estate sales, under $1 stores, discount online sites (eBay and Amazon), and thrift stores (GoodWill). Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are also great places to find decent free furniture, which could have some excellent items to help stage certain rooms in your home.

5. Make use of what you already have.

Instead of breaking the bank by buying new furniture or carpeting, simply clean it up and make it look new. Yourtrueclean.com can professionally clean your carpets and furniture for a reasonable price. Don’t go out and buy or rent decorative pieces. Simply use the things you already have. If you spend just a little bit of time sprucing up vases, artwork, etc., you will be surprised by the results.