Replace Your Air Conditioner Filter

This is one of those chores most people know they're supposed to do, but few remember.

What?

Replace the air filter on your air conditioner.

When?

Now, and again in three months (for the average home).

Why?

Because a dirty filter restricts airflow through your cooling system. Reduced airflow can mean uneven cooling, increased fuel bills, and added stress on your air conditioner.

How?

Locate the filter, which usually is where the cold air enters the furnace, near the fan section (see the diagram). The airflow arrow on the filter should point toward the furnace.

Slide the filter out and note its size. It's written on it somewhere. Buy a half-dozen filters from the hardware store.

Replace the filter now and check it monthly. Replace it as needed, but at least every three months. The rate at which it gets dirty depends on the number of people, pets and amount of dust in your home.

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Tips

• Mark airflow direction on the ductwork with a marker so that it is easier to remember the orientation of the filter the next time.
• You may want to have the ductwork cleaned to remove the previous owners' debris. Once is enough though ? don't get talked into doing it annually.
• Consider an electronic air filter if you have a family member who suffers from allergies or one who smokes. It does a great job of taking very small particles out of the air. But remember, because it does a better job of cleaning, it gets dirty faster. Clean it once a month.

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January Is Radon Action Month

January is National Radon Action Month, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges all homeowners to test their homes for radon.

Radon doesn't get the attention that high-profile home hazards such as mold and asbestos do. Perhaps people overlook it because it has no taste, odor or color, and overexposure produces no symptoms. But radon is a major cause of lung cancer in the U.S., so its danger should not be overlooked.

The Radon Hazard

Radon is a natural radioactive gas found nearly everywhere. It rises through the soil and finds its way into homes through openings in the foundation. It can be present in any house — new or old, sealed or drafty, with or without a basement.

Being exposed to high levels of radon is dangerous. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. Lung cancer caused by radon kills an estimated 20,000 people yearly.

Testing for Radon

Although the statistics are troublesome, radon is a hazard with an easy solution — starting with testing your home. You have several options:

• Do-it-yourself testing kits are available in stores and on the Internet, and are reliable and reasonably priced. You expose the kits to the air in your home for a specified time and then send it to a lab for analysis.
• Certified radon testers can perform the test for you. Your state's radon office can help you locate certified contractors.
• Long-term radon tests remain in the home and monitor levels for more than 90 days.

The test results give the radon level, measured in picocuries. A hazardous level is 4 or more picocuries of radon per liter of air.

Correcting a Radon Problem

Don't panic if a radon tests shows high levels — fixing a radon problem is relatively easy and inexpensive. It's best to hire a certified radon mitigator — your state radon office can direct you to one.

The radon mitigator figures out how the gas is entering your home and then helps you determine the best course of action for your situation. That solution could be as simple as covering your sump pump; or it could call for a more elaborate method such as installing a pipe to let radon rise from the basement to the outdoors.

TIP: If you're building a new home, think ahead. Installing a radon reduction system during construction is more economical than adding it later.

Finally, don't become complacent. Even after a successful radon test or mitigation, the EPA recommends retesting every two years. You can learn more at the EPA's radon website.

I have been saying this all along!!!

I hope this is picked up in the Chicagoland market. I've been saying this for the last three years. This article is compliments of the Orlando Sentinel. Enjoy........

Take care of small things now before they become deal killers later

Even if you're not selling your home, take care of little things before they morph into potential deal killers.

A simple but efficient layout, affordable and attractive laminate cabinetry and a flood of daylight through the windows give this kitchen a powerful emotional appeal for current occupants and future buyers. (THOMASVILLE CABINETRY / December 27, 2007)

Bill Lahay |Universal Press Syndicate

January 5, 2008

The real estate market, painful as it might be for homeowners who have to sell now, is a wake-up call and a great learning opportunity for the rest of us.

When buyer demand and prices climb incessantly, it's tempting for sellers to get a little careless about the condition of a home. Marginal properties seem to sell fine, so there's not much incentive to invest more time or money on remodeling upgrades that aren't essential and might be undone by a new owner.

But when the market slows and the inventory of available houses accumulates, would-be buyers quickly realize their leverage and get picky, shunning properties that would have seemed perfectly acceptable in a "normal" market. Some homes still sell quickly, though, and it's often because they reflect the right balance of quality, features and realized potential.

There will always be a market for the odd fixer-upper at a bargain price, but for the many people for whom time is as precious a commodity as money, the phrase "needs some TLC" will send them looking elsewhere for something more livable.

Other than timing a decision to sell, there's little that any individual homeowner can do about larger trends in the real estate market, so don't spend your energy there. Instead, try to treat every decision about changes and upgrades to your home the way a potential buyer might see it, even if it will be years before you even think about selling.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't suit yourself when it comes to remodeling. It means that a home should stay appealing throughout its lifetime, so you won't have a last-minute scramble to undo excesses or errors that will turn buyers away.

Expect the routine work that's always required just before marketing a home -- thorough cleaning, freshening up the paint, light landscaping and perhaps hiring a professional stager to tweak the d�cor.

In the meantime, years of smart decisions can help ensure that these minor preparations will be enough to sell your home even when the buying is slow. Here are the basics:

Keep up with routine maintenance. Whatever your style preferences or those of a potential buyer, a solid and healthy home is the ultimate attraction. You might get a mix of love-it and hate-it responses to your rustic hickory kitchen cabinets or the glass tile in the master bath, but no reasonable buyer will welcome a worn-out roof, antiquated plumbing or a furnace that gasps and rattles.

Take care of the little things. Over time, every house gathers its share of quirks and small scars that occupants learn to live with. The door latch sticks, a light switch goes bad, a window pane breaks and gets secured with duct tape. These are all minor problems, but they can accumulate until there's a lot of work to be done.

Worse still, anything that suggests neglect or a cheap fix sends the message -- correct or not -- that other larger problems have been similarly addressed or ignored.

Don't leave the residue from prior repairs. You might know that the leak stopped after you got the roof shingles replaced, but the water stains on the ceiling or walls still look ominous to a prospective buyer who has only your word to rely on. Repair and repaint the plaster or wallboard, and refinish the wood trim if it has been discolored.

Keep quality levels consistent. There's no sense splurging on high-end kitchen appliances if you pair them with dingy cabinetry or beat-up countertops. The odd pricey feature will serve only to emphasize the poor relative quality of other amenities. Balance your remodeling budget so the improvements look like a well-planned package rather than a piecemeal fix.

Don't over-personalize the home. This is another difficult balancing act, because we all want our homes to reflect who we are. Still, gutting two bedrooms to create a personal Star Wars memorabilia museum will not impress most would-be owners.

Unless you're upgrading with additional square footage, more storage space, better traffic flow or other "generic" improvements, leave the structural stuff alone. Install all the display cases you want and paint wild colors to your heart's content, but be prepared to undo those changes before selling.

Create one or more "wow" features. Even with every practical concern handled, your home needs something to stand out from the crowd. A large bank of windows can allow a dramatic view or simply flood a room with daylight. Detailed millwork and some custom built-ins add an upscale air. A breakfast nook or window seat becomes a powerful symbol of the comfort and safety we naturally seek in our homes. These features all can contribute to a home's emotional appeal.

Create something for everyone. Most homes are purchased by couples or families, and that can mean a longer or more diverse list of must-haves when they go house-hunting. Think about placing an ad for your home. What features and amenities can you claim? Gourmet kitchens, family rooms, home offices, workshops, gardens, outdoor living areas and sports courts are sure to generate interest.

These guidelines won't guarantee the quick or profitable sale of your home, but they should encourage potential buyers to see it as a front-runner rather than a forgettable also-ran.

Better still, it will make the place that much better to live in, so at least make some of the improvements while you still have time to enjoy them.

Clean Your Humidifier

A malfunctioning humidifier can destroy your furnace and your health.

What?

Clean your humidifier.

When?

At the beginning and midpoint of the heating season.

Why?

Humidifiers are notorious for leaking on the heat exchanger, the most critical component of your furnace. This leaking causes rusting and, eventually, a hole in the heat exchanger. This can allow the furnace exhaust gases, including carbon monoxide, into your home's air supply -- not a good thing.

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Secondly, stagnant water in a humidifier is a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause illnesses such as Legionnaires' disease.

How?

Humidifiers are prone to leakage because they can foul with mineral deposits. This can cause the supply valve to stick open or clog up the drum, pads, or mesh. The drain line (if there is one) can also become plugged.

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Follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions. The goal is to dissolve the mineral deposits or replace parts that are beyond cleaning. Replacement parts are easy to find.

Next, you want to ensure that the humidifier responds to the humidistat (the dial where you set the humidity level). When there is a call for humidity, the drum should start to rotate or the valve should open.

Lastly, make sure the unit is not overflowing.

Tips

• Most humidifiers have a bypass duct damper. Be sure that the damper is open during the heating season and closed during the cooling season.

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• Follow the water supply line from the humidifier back to the point where it connects to the plumbing. The connection is often made using a low-quality valve, which is prone to leakage. This is the valve you turn on at the beginning of the heating season and shut off at the end of the heating season. Make sure it's in good operating condition and doesn't leak.
• If you are getting condensation on your windows, your humidifier controls are set too high. You can't see it, but you're creating the same condensation inside your exterior walls. That's not good!

Some Home Fix-Up Tasks Are Worth Skipping

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!

I thought this would be a good article to read, especially if you are a homeowner and is planning to sell a house this year or as an agent, you are planning to sell a house this year. Please read, enjoy and take action......


This is compliments of The Wall Street Journal.....

Real-Estate Agents
Say Big Upgrades
Don't Give Paybacks

By AMY HOAK
January 2, 2008; Page B11

If your New Year's resolution is to sell a home in 2008, it's probably time to start thinking about how to make that home stand out from the rest.

But before planning any projects, beware: Homeowners aren't recouping as many improvement costs as they could in recent years, according to a recent study by Remodeling magazine. In fact, real-estate agents advise clients not to overdo it, regardless of what the local market conditions are like.

"It's more important that it's neat, it's clean and it looks spacious, rather than making sure it's the top of the line," said Cheri Kuhn, owner-broker of Waters Realty in Minnetonka, Minn. She cautions her clients to bypass projects that aren't necessary.

"The thing I find with sellers: If they do a lot of remodeling, they will take the cost of the remodeling and add it to the cost of the home and ask the buyer to pay for it," she said. Often, though, sellers won't get that higher price.

The reason is that asking prices are based largely on comparisons with similar homes in the area, Ms. Kuhn said. And in the many markets that aren't exactly booming right now, buyers have more negotiating power over the price of a home.

To keep costs down and spend remodeling dollars wisely, consider the following tips.

1. Ask for advice. Before making any remodeling plans, clear your home of clutter and rent a storage unit, if necessary, to hold extra stuff while the home is on the market, said Shannon Aldrich, a Realtor licensed in Maine and New Hampshire with Keller Williams Coastal Realty. Then, get some advice from a local real-estate agent on how the home stacks up against the competition.

"I see more houses in a month than most people see in their lifetimes," said Ms. Aldrich, whose blog includes a series about getting rooms ready to sell. Sellers can use that experience to their advantage when deciding what projects to do.

When Ms. Kuhn first meets with clients -- sometimes six months before the house is listed -- she makes a prioritized list of improvements that will make a difference. Cleaning the carpets, painting the walls and removing wallpaper are common fixes. It is wise to budget for these tasks before putting money aside for more expensive projects.

2. Dig deeper. It also could pay to look below the surface by getting a home inspection before listing the property. That way, problems that could hold up a sale are addressed in advance, said Dan Steward, president of Pillar to Post, a home-inspection company in Tampa, Fla.

Some estimate that for every dollar of perceived defect, buyers want a $2 to $3 discount, Mr. Steward said. If that's true, it might pay to spend $2,500 to replace an old furnace.

Also, replacing something as necessary as a furnace helps create a favorable perception of how well a seller took care of the home, Ms. Kuhn said. If there is a problem with an essential element of the house, a buyer might think, "If that was neglected, what else was?" she said.

3. Look outside. Pay attention to exterior details like the condition of siding and windows, Ms. Aldrich said.

According to Remodeling magazine's 2007 Cost Vs. Value Report, a wooden-window replacement recovers on average 81.2% of its cost at resale, and siding replacement recovers on average 83.2% of its cost. The payoff for those projects is much better than for an upgrade that a buyer might not need. A home-office remodeling, for example, recovers 57% of its cost on average. The estimates are national averages for midrange homes, not upscale ones.

4. Spend time in the bathroom. Freshening up the bathroom doesn't have to be expensive, but it could be important.

"People will put up with a lot of cosmetic challenges in a house if they know they could use the bathroom right away," Ms. Aldrich said.

It's most important for the bathroom to be clean, but sellers should also consider replacing the fixtures, tub, sink and toilet -- if they need it, she said. Replace cracked tiles and curled linoleum.

The replacements don't have to be expensive, Ms. Aldrich added. A toilet can cost less than $250, and she recommends taller, handicap replacement toilets to appeal to an aging population.

5. Keep it small in the kitchen. The other room that often sells a house is the kitchen, but it might be best to keep renovations modest. Remodeling magazine's report found that homeowners could recover 83% of the cost of a minor kitchen remodel at resale, compared with 78.1% of a major kitchen remodel.

Ms. Kuhn cautions her clients not to replace refrigerators, stoves or dishwashers. Buyers considering remodeling the kitchen will likely have their own preferences, she said.

Along those same lines, sellers should replace a countertop if it is crumbling but not if its only fault is that it is outdated, Ms. Kuhn said. Even then, seriously consider material costs: There is no need to update to granite unless the competition has granite countertops as well.