June 9th, 2022 by tisner
As spring turns to summer, one thing that unfortunately comes along with that change is summer storms. For some people this means frequent downpours or heavy rains. For others it means lightning or the possibility of severe weather. Even for those who don’t live in areas that commonly experience tornadoes or other severe weather, there is still a possibility of damage from things like flooding and high winds. Whether storms are a common occurrence where you live or only infrequent, keeping your home safe during bad weather should still be a concern.
You’ve likely already seen suggestions for how to stormproof your home and stay safe during inclement weather. To make sure that you’ve covered all the bases, here are a few additional ways to stormproof your home that you might not have thought of.
Stormproofing Your Property
There are a few changes that you can make to your property that may significantly reduce the likelihood of storm-related damage to your home. One big thing that you can do is inspect any trees on your property before storm season, and again in the fall to make sure that there aren’t any dead or damaged limbs that could break under pressure. Getting these removed will not only make your trees look better, but will also help protect against home damage or injury from falling limbs.
If your home is on a downward slope or located in a low area, you might also consider installing French drains to reroute water away from your foundation. This can be very effective in preventing damage from flooded basements and garages, as the drains will keep a lot of that water from actually reaching your home. Depending on how the French drains are set up and where they drain to, this can move a significant amount of water away from your home during a storm.
Upgrading Your Defenses
If you’re considering home improvements, there are a few options you might consider. If thunderstorms are common where you live during the summer, installing a lightning rod or other lighting protection components can be a good idea. You also might want to get transient voltage surge suppressors to plug high-value electronics such as computers and televisions into as well, since these help to limit voltage to 1.5 times the normal voltage range. While this is still higher voltage than these devices are used to, they are much more likely to survive without damage compared to the significant amount of voltage they might experience during a lightning strike surge.
Other improvements you can make to better protect you during a storm include installing new windows and a new roof. Advances in window and roof materials make them much more durable than they were even a decade ago, and if your windows and roof have been in place for a long time, then they might already be experiencing some wear and tear. Not only will replacing them before the weather gets bad help to prevent leaks and other storm-related problems, but in the event of a big storm, you may even have an installation warranty on your side.
Review Your Policies
One last thing that you might want to do is look over your homeowner’s insurance and any other insurance policies you have for your property to see exactly what is and isn’t covered regarding storm damage. Flood damage commonly isn’t covered by standard policies, and depending on where you live there may be other storm-related exclusions as well. You definitely don’t want to wind up surprised at your coverage level if you have to make a storm-related claim.
If you’re looking for additional coverage or considering changing your existing policy, let HomeKeepr help. Our app can connect you with insurance agents in your area who will make sure you have the coverage you need for whatever problems might come your way. Creating a HomeKeepr account is free, so sign up today!
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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By: Homekeepr, Rob Morelli
Tags: Orlando Sellers
Posted in Home Tips from Teri, Orlando Buyers | No Comments »
June 2nd, 2022 by tisner
As temperatures rise, it’s important to have ways to keep your home cool. There are a lot of different options to accomplish this, including both single-room solutions and solutions that help to cool down the entire house. While different people choose different methods to heat and cool their homes throughout the year, the majority of cooling solutions will include some sort of air conditioning.
Smart thermostats are popular options for those who have central heat and air, as they give a greater amount of control over the temperature that the home stays at. What happens if you need cooling for one specific part of your home, though? If that’s the case, you might want to consider a smart air conditioner to help you meet your needs.
What Is a Smart Air Conditioner?
As the name implies, a smart air conditioner is an AC unit that connects to the internet via Wi-Fi to enable various “smart” features. This includes the ability to control the air conditioner’s settings remotely via a smartphone or tablet app, setting routines to adjust the cooling level automatically during the day, and the ability to incorporate the smart AC unit into routines controlled by smart assistants like Alexa or the Google Assistant. Depending on the unit, there may be other smart features available as well.
Typically, smart air conditioners are smaller in size, and have the form factor of a window-unit air conditioner. Occasionally you’ll see standalone portable smart AC units or smart units with a larger form factor, but these are less common. The purpose of a smart air conditioner is to cool a single room and maintain a desired temperature, so they are usually sized accordingly. Costs can vary based on size, cooling throughput, and smart features that are unique to the specific air conditioner.
Smart Air Conditioner vs. Smart Thermostat
The function of a smart air conditioner is similar to that of a smart thermostat, but they accomplish their tasks in different ways. Smart AC units have the “smart” components built into the same unit that is doing the actual cooling, so its technology is self-contained. Smart thermostats are controllers that interface with a standard central heat and air system, adding “smart” capacity to a system that wasn’t designed with smart function in mind.
The two systems also have different intended uses. Smart air conditioners use a small form factor because they are designed to cool a single room, and have integrated temperature sensors to help accomplish this. Smart thermostats, on the other hand, are intended to cool an entire house. As a result, the thermostat has its own temperature sensor and can also interface with additional sensors in other rooms if they are set up; this lets the smart thermostat more accurately monitor the temperature of the entire house and adjust it accordingly instead of focusing on the conditions of a single room.
Do You Need a Smart Air Conditioner?
If you have a small area to cool and want a greater amount of control over that cooling, a smart air conditioner might be right for you. This is especially useful if you have other smart appliances that the air conditioner can work within routines. By setting up a smart AC unit in the room where you need it most, you can save money on your overall household cooling costs.
If you’re hoping to cool an entire house, though, putting smart air conditioners in every room could be a costly endeavor that would really drive up your summer cooling expense. For cooling the entire home, a central air conditioner with a smart thermostat is a much better option. If you’re considering this, HomeKeepr can help you connect with the HVAC pros you need to get everything installed and set up. Creating a HomeKeepr account is free, so sign up today and you’ll be cooling down in no time.
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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By: Homekeepr, Rob Morelli
Posted in Home Tips from Teri | No Comments »
May 31st, 2022 by tisner
It is becoming common knowledge that the fewer chemicals we use in our lawns and gardens, the better it is for everyone. One roadblock of using fewer manufactured products on our plants is time–it is time-consuming to go even halfway organic. The following tips will get you started on a more natural approach to a healthy garden.
- While shopping for plants, pay attention to the plant information tags in the cell packs. Following those details are essential for good growth.
- Enriching the soil with compost is the first step to using nature to fertilize your plants, and one way to do that is with grass clippings! According to Mother Earth News, a mulch of 1”-2” of cut grass can feed your garden for the season.
- Earthworms are the source for many good things for plants and your soil. They can be purchased or save money and attract them naturally by adding plenty of organic matter to your garden soil.
- When and how you water your garden plays an important part in keeping diseases and pests at bay. A morning shower with a water hose can rid your plants of nasty aphids. Watering in the evenings can cause fungi and mildew to grow, and neither is easy to get rid of once they set in.
- Learn the difference between beneficial and unwelcome insects. For example, they may frighten us, but many stinging insects are taking care of the bad ones that are eating up our plants. The Sod God offers some excellent information as well as infographics to help you distinguish between the good and the bad.
- Row covers are a great and chemical-free way to keep not only insects away, but veggie-loving birds as well. If they cover your plants completely as they grow, they will provide a barrier between your plants and the bad guys.
- There are many natural products available to kill and repel insects: diatomaceous earth, insecticidal soap, horticultural oils, and capsaicin to name a few. As with chemical pesticides, follow package directions exactly to keep plants safe, as well as wildlife and pets.
Going organic takes knowledge and a little extra work. Growing a Greener World is an excellent television source for natural gardening, and there are many books and magazines on the subject. Look for sources that have been certified as an organic entity or are written or produced by someone who has plenty of organic gardening experience. Reap the rewards of not only a great vegetable harvest or beautiful landscaping, but of keeping chemicals out of the environment.
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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Photo credit: Kellogg Garden Products
Posted in Home Tips from Teri, Just for Fun | No Comments »
May 26th, 2022 by tisner
The idea of the “she-shed” has come and gone, and left behind a whole new understanding of how sheds can be used to add extra space to a property that could stand more room to move. With the rise of work-at-home jobs, a home that’s already stuffed full of life can be made even more useful for work or play with the addition of a studio shed.
What’s a Studio Shed?
A studio shed is just that: a shed that offers workspace that’s just as safe, secure, and dry as any indoor room in your home. People use them for a range of applications, from arts and crafts spaces to outdoor reading rooms, and even work-from-home spaces. After all, there’s nothing as satisfying as closing the door on your work and walking away from it for the night. It sure beats staring at piles of work left undone, just sitting in the corner of the living room.
But you can’t just throw up an empty shed and hope it’ll be enough. When you’re shopping for a studio shed, it needs to be a space that you can wire, insulate, ventilate, and heat and cool. You don’t need a bathroom or water, but hey, if it’s in your budget, a corner bathroom or kitchenette isn’t a bad addition. Think of your studio shed as a Tiny House, except that it’s a Tiny Office.
Some Tips for Choosing the Best Studio Shed
There are tons of shed kits and pre-built sheds out there that would make perfectly decent studio sheds. When you’re looking for a shed for your ideal outdoor workspace, it’s important that you keep your ultimate use for the space in mind. You almost certainly will need a bigger shed than you imagine, and it’s easier to deal with too much space than not enough. Adding a shed onto a shed when you realize the first one is too small is really pushing the limits of quantum mechanics, after all.
Remember that adding interior walls and insulation will reduce the space you’re looking at by at least several inches in all directions. It might not seem like a lot, but if you’re trying to save money by taking the smallest shed that’s doable for your studio space, those few inches may mean the difference between everything fitting inside and it ultimately becoming a fancy house for spiders.
Large double doors on the longest wall will give you more options when it comes to how you’d like to use your space. It will also give you opportunities to open the studio up to the environment on those really lovely spring days. Pre-installed windows are also a feature that you will appreciate as you’re putting your studio shed together. The less you need to modify the shed to suit your needs, the faster it’ll go together, and the less you’ll ultimately spend in making it your own. And windows are a must, both for ventilation and for safety.
Finally, if you’re looking at shed kits, make sure that the shed kit you’re buying actually comes with a floor. If it’s pre-built, this will be obvious, but if it’s not, you may find that your kit doesn’t come with a floor by default, and you’ll have to add that onto the expense sheet. Wooden sheds are much easier for climate control than metal or plastic, and similar.y easier to modify should you need to later.
If You Really Want a Custom Number…
Check out your HomeKeepr community. If your custom shed doesn’t exist yet, or you’d rather not have to go through all the hassle of pulling permits, calling in subcontractors, and building it yourself, you’ll find the experts you need with just a few clicks. Your friends at HomeKeepr are there to recommend the very best construction experts in your area to you, and you know they’re gonna be great because this wasn’t just some random review you read online. It’s free to join, and free to ask questions, so why not give HomeKeepr a try for your next building project?
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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By: Homekeepr, Rob Morelli
Posted in Home Tips from Teri, Just for Fun | No Comments »
May 24th, 2022 by tisner
When was the last time you looked through the photos of a beautiful home on a website or in a magazine layout? Did you miss anything? Probably not. The non-stylish parts of a house have been digitally removed from the photos so that all a viewer sees is style. Electrical outlets and cords, as well as HVAC vents, are necessities in a home, and while photo editing software cannot hide them, there are plenty of tricks to conceal them.
- Canvas art usually has an open back and can be placed over flat-screen televisions, thermostats, and window unit air conditioners (when not in use).
- Paint can cover many things we do not like, and if your kitchen appliances are lacking, there is paint for that! It does not have to be a color; appliances can be painted for a stainless look as well.
- Create a gallery wall around the thermostat, and it will fade into the framed pieces.
- Return air vents are necessities but can be made to look much nicer: purchase a stylish cover that is made specifically for return vents, hang a stylish doormat over the vent, or switch the everyday slatted panel with decorative sheet metal.
- Hide the home WiFi router in an empty box with holes cut in the back for cords, an inexpensive basket, or get crafty and make a screen from old book spines!
- Cover popcorn or dated plaster ceilings with prefinished wood planks, faux beams, or tiles made of one of the many materials available at local home stores.
- Make that plain bathtub go undercover with self-stick tiles. They come in all styles, shapes, and colors, and do not require any previous installation know-how.
- Wall-mount televisions have become the norm, and the cords hanging from the screen can be unsightly. Home centers have cord cover installation kits in many styles and colors for those who feel confident enough to use some power tools.
- Paint radiators in the same color as the wall. This may not hide them completely, but they will blend in, making them easier on the eye.
Who needs a designer or magazine layout to make those household essentials fade into the background? Updating the style of the mundane and functional parts of a home can be fun and easy, and while some of them may be little changes, they can make a big impact.
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!
Photo credit: Home Depot
Posted in Home Tips from Teri, Just for Fun | No Comments »
May 20th, 2022 by tisner
Putting a home on the market can be a stressful experience. Sometimes it seems like homes sell almost before you can get them listed, while others appear to languish due to shifts in the economy and buyer enthusiasm. Fortunately, there are ways that you can increase the likelihood of your home selling even if the market isn’t at its best. One of these options is to improve your home staging so that potential buyers will be wowed by the property and want to make it their own.
Some people view home staging as simply making sure that everything is neat and orderly so that buyers can see the home at its best. While this is important, it’s not the only thing that you can do to improve the appeal of your home. Here are a few unexpected ways that you can make your home look better to prospective buyers.
Bigger and Brighter
When staging your home, you want to make sure that you not only present its best qualities but that you also reduce the impact of some of its less-great aspects. Take your bathrooms for instance. If one or more of the bathrooms in your home seem kind of small, try putting a larger bathroom mirror in there to make the whole room seem bigger. Also, hang it slightly lower if possible so that you don’t have a large mirrored surface looming over visitors’ heads; ideally, the center of the mirror should be slightly below eye level for the average person using it.
Another tip that can work in both bathrooms and any room that seems a bit too dark is to lighten up the walls to improve the overall brightness of the room. This can be as simple as replacing dark colored curtains with light white ones or adding white hand towels and decorative items to add light areas to the room. If you feel like taking in a larger project, add a couple of coats of paint in a light color that goes well with existing decorations, such as a light blue or soft light green.
Upscale and Comfortable
Tweaking your furniture and decorations is another way that you can improve your home staging and make your home a must-buy. If you wish that you had some more upscale furniture to show off, talk to developers that have model homes available in planned communities around where you live. Much of that furniture is used solely for staging, and excess pieces can usually be bought relatively cheaply since they’re considered used. Staging companies in your area may also have furniture available for rent or purchase under similar terms. The best part is, if you buy the furniture for your staging then you may be able to recoup some of your money by selling the furniture along with the house.
While you want buyers to like the way that your home looks, it’s also important that they think it looks comfortable and ready for them to move in. Add fluffy comforters and knit throws to beds, drape a soft blanket along the back of the couch, and add other little touches to make it look like the house is just waiting for someone to make it theirs. Just be sure that you remove photos and other personal items from the home before the staging since you want potential buyers to picture it as their house and not yours.
Knock Out Those Repairs
One last thing that you can do to improve your staging is to go ahead and finish some of the little repairs around the house that you never quite got around to doing. If you need a handyman or contractor to help, HomeKeepr can hook you up. Creating a HomeKeepr account is free, and you can use our app to connect with pros in your area to take care of the little repairs and improvements that will really help take your home from being on the market to being sold.
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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By: Homekeepr, Rob Morelli
Tags: Orlando Sellers
Posted in General Real Estate, Home Tips from Teri | No Comments »
May 6th, 2022 by tisner
When COVID-19 emerged, a lot of employers realized the advantage of allowing at least some employees to work from home. Not only can it act as a benefit for employees, but it can also help to reduce the cost of stocking and maintaining a physical office space. As a result, the number of people working in home offices has increased significantly over the last few years. This trend will likely continue as well, since companies are realizing that many employees like a work-from-home option and are actively seeking out WFH positions.
While there are definite advantages to this, it does bring up one potential problem: If your home wasn’t designed with a home office in mind, where are you going to put it? While some people solve this problem by just sticking a desk in the living room or bedroom, that isn’t exactly an elegant solution, and doesn’t afford you much privacy for work. If you need a new home office space, here are some suggestions that might help you find the room that works for you.
Determining Your Home Office Needs
In general, a home office may be kind of small in scope compared to what you might be used to in a corporate office setting. While you’ll certainly have some requirements that your office must meet, they aren’t going to be as elaborate as if you were planning out an office layout at the workplace. To figure out exactly what you need for your home office, start by making a list.
Most likely you’ll need a computer and a desk, since the internet is usually what makes the “from home” part of work-from-home possible. You may also need a printer and printing supplies, even though a lot of your work will likely be submitted in digital format. From there it gets a bit more specific to you and the way that you work. Will you need sticky notes or a whiteboard to aid your productivity? Does your job require any sort of special equipment to perform? Do you have privacy requirements, either personal ones or legal ones (such as if you’re processing customer/patient data)? Make a list of everything that you’ll need your home office to provide.
Consider Your Available Space
Once you have a good idea of your home office needs, start looking at places in the home that might meet those requirements. It may mean converting a craft room, study, or den into an office, or rearranging furniture to make room for the desk to make those rooms into multi-purpose spaces. You may have to shuffle around a few different rooms to come up with the space that you want. Some people have even converted walk-in closets or pantries into home offices that are small but get the job done. Regardless of how you work things out, just make sure that the office area you choose fully meets your needs before you settle into it. You should also keep track of the square footage of your new home office for tax purposes, since you may be eligible for a tax break on your home office depending on where you live.
Home Office Alternatives
While the most common way that people create a home office is to shuffle things around and set up an office space within the home, there are other options available as well. If no space in your home meets your specific needs, you might consider hiring a contractor to build an addition that matches the specs of the home office that you want. Another option is to install a large shed or other outdoor building and convert it for home office use. Not only do these options give you the space that you need, but they may also help to better define the line between “work” and “personal time” at home.
If you think that an addition or external office is right for you, HomeKeepr can help you find the pros that you need to make it happen. Contractors, electricians, external building installers, and more can be found on our app, ready to match with you and make your home office dreams come true. Creating a HomeKeepr account is free, so sign up today. It’s the first step toward the home office that you need and want!
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!
By: Homekeepr, Rob Morelli
Posted in Home Tips from Teri | No Comments »
May 3rd, 2022 by tisner
Summer is just around the corner, and for a lot of homeowners, that means having to run the air conditioner or heat pump around the clock just to keep ahead of climbing temperatures. These tools are amazing for keeping things cool, but after a while, they too can get worn out and need replacing. Do you know how to tell if it’s time to retire your current unit?
Efficiency Is Everything
Many people believe that if their unit is still working, it’s still doing its job, but with HVAC systems this isn’t always true. Efficiency is really everything, and an air conditioner or heat pump that’s slipping in this department may be on its way out the door. Older units may still cool just as well as they always did, and regular maintenance can ensure they live longer lives, but as parts start to wear, efficiency may begin to lag behind.
You’ll notice it in little things, like the amount of electricity your unit is using to cool your home compared to, say, the same month five years ago. Sure, weather patterns need to be accounted for, but if the amount of fuel used by your air conditioner or heat pump continues to climb year after year, you’re losing efficiency and your unit is showing its age.
Your utility bill is a great place to go for this information, but you can also gauge how efficient your unit is by checking the data from your smart thermostat, too. The longer you’ve had the thermostat, the more data it will have collected about all sorts of things, including, on many models, the weather outside your home.
Some Units Simply Become Obsolete
Although efficiency is really important to your HVAC happiness, another pressing issue is at play when trying to determine if your unit is ready to be replaced: obsolescence. Older air conditioners and heat pumps may have parts that are difficult or impossible to locate from distributors, driving up prices or making repairs untenable.
On the other hand, your parts may be just fine, but your coolant may not be. For example, if you have a slow leak that’s repairable, you’d need to replace the coolant that had escaped, with more of the original coolant. Many older units still contain coolants that are no longer manufactured or legal to sell, and your options are very few when it comes to changing the coolant in one of these units.
As long as your coolant is going strong, there’s no issue, but as soon as there is, even a well-functioning older unit may become completely useless. It’s not that your unit is worn-out, as such, but when you can’t get the coolant you need, and the potential for retrofitting to something more modern is a costly one, it really only makes sense to upgrade.
Not Sure If It’s Time To Throw in the Towel?
If you’re still not certain if it’s time to upgrade your air conditioner or heat pump, it makes sense to have a professional check it out. They can answer any questions you may have about the unit’s longevity and efficiency, as well as its environmental impact, and help you decide if it’s time to retire the beast or keep it in service a while longer. Sometimes, all an air conditioner needs is a good checkup and cleaning to go back to running at its best, after all.
But where will you find an HVAC professional you can trust? Your HomeKeepr community can help! Just ask for a recommendation for the best HVAC pros in your area, and invite them over for a little air conditioner viewing party. They’ll give you an idea about costs, and what your options are for the future of your home’s climate control. If you have more specific goals, like greatly improving your energy efficiency with a high-efficiency unit, they can help you balance those with the cost of acquisition, as well.
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!
By: Homekeepr, Rob Morelli
Posted in Home Tips from Teri | No Comments »
April 26th, 2022 by tisner
We think of home as our safest space, but sometimes, hazards are lurking unawares. This guide to hidden dangers will help you find and make repairs before it is too late:
- Was your home built before 1978? If so, check for lead paint before scraping any painted woodwork. Purchase a lead-testing kit at your local home center or hardware store. In the case of a positive test, find a specialist that will remove the lead paint safely. You will find more information at epa.gov/lead or by calling 800-424-LEAD.
- Speaking of older homes, have an inspector check out the plumbing for lead or polybutylene (PB) pipes. It may be safer and less costly to filter the lead from drinking water with a product that meets NSF/ANSI standards for lead reduction. PB pipes corrode over time, eventually causing a rupture, and should be replaced.
- Keep your dryer lint trap clean, using a vent brush to clean all lint as far as you are able once per month. Unplugging items that are not being used is an easy step to avoid a fire hazard. Other appliances that can cause a fire: ranges, coffee makers, and refrigerators.
- Check and maintain areas of your home that are possible fall risks. Handrails should be secure, and steps should be free of debris. Walkways and steps should not be loose or crumbling. Use non-skid tape for area rugs, and keep kitchen, bathroom, and utility room floors dry.
- Not all molds are extremely dangerous, though they do cause allergic reactions for some. As soon as mold is discovered in your home, clean it with non-ammonia cleaner and water, or for hard surfaces, use a one-cup-bleach: one-gallon-of-water mixture. If the mold continues to grow or if it is found in carpets and drywall, it is better to have those items replaced.
- Asbestos is only a dangerous substance if it is disturbed. If you notice deterioration in an area that you suspect is made of asbestos seek a local professional that can safely remove the offending material.
Do your very best to save for emergencies like this. Insurance and home warranties do not always cover health hazards such as these. However, correcting problems as soon as you find them is best for you, your wallet, and your family’s health and well-being. Home SAFE home is a home SWEET home.
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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Photo credit: The Zebra
Posted in Home Tips from Teri | 2 Comments »
April 20th, 2022 by tisner
Your home’s windows could use some sprucing up, inside and out. Do not let window-washing intimidate you–it is a time-consuming task, but one that goes quickly once you are in the zone! Here are a few tips to encourage you to get those windows sparkling clean:
Before you Begin:
- Mix up a cleaning solution in a large bucket: 1 gallon of water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and a squirt of liquid dish detergent–it is best to use too little detergent than too much, as too many suds can lead to streaking and extra rinsing time.
- Use a soft-bristled brush with a long handle (a car-washing brush would be perfect) or a flat microfiber mop, water hose, a step ladder or stepping stool, and a squeegee is the best tool, but a microfiber cloth will do.
Wash the dirt away:
- Begin by removing the screen panels, laying them on a hard surface, and giving them a good shower with the hose, then gently scrubbing with the cleaning solution. After rinsing, prop them up to dry while you tackle the windows.
- Much like washing a car, rinse off as much dirt as you can, starting at the top of the window. Use the brush to give the glass a gentle scrubbing, paying extra attention to anything that is stuck to the window.
- Rinse with the hose, and use a squeegee or microfiber cloth to wipe off excess water. If you use a squeegee, work from top to bottom, and wipe the blade dry between swipes.
No Ladder Necessary
A ladder is not needed to get a clean finish on windows that are too high to reach using a hose and a hose-end window sprayer:
- Use the same recipe for the cleaning solution, but stir in 1-2 tablespoons of dishwasher rinsing aid to the mix.
- Give the entire window–screen and all–a thorough spray of plain water to remove and loosen dirt.
- Fill the sprayer with the cleaner, attach it to the hose, and, out of direct sunlight, spray from top to bottom.
- Immediately rinse with plain water, and the rinsing aid should allow your window to dry without streaks, no wiping or squeegee required!
The Family Handyman has a great tutorial, which includes a how-to for the sticky stuff, as well as getting the best results from a squeegee. Go ahead and get started on this much-dreaded chore. Once it is complete, everyone will see you have the most sparkling windows in the neighborhood!
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!
Photo credit: BobVilla
Posted in Home Tips from Teri | No Comments »
