What to do When Water Damages Your Home

Right now Maryland and the DC area are experiencing heavy rains. As important as water is to us, we know that there are times when too much of it in certain places can cause all kinds of trouble. Here are some of the first steps to take in the event that heavy rains, a storm, or even a previously hidden leak have caused your dwelling to be exposed to large amounts of water.

If your home has sustained significant water damage, you should:

First decide if your home is safe enough for habitation. Is there any standing water?

Call your insurance company to inform them of the damage.

Turn off the power in your home.

Shut off the natural gas supply line.

Turn off the main water supply.

Look for any broken electrical fixtures and exposed wiring.

Look for damage to plumbing connections and pipes.

Look for problems with tree limbs or power lines.

The more quickly you act, the better. Fast thinking can prevent more damage and keep you from losing valuable assets to water damage.

Time to Winterize p.2

Now that you have taken some steps to get your home ready for the winter, you should continue this maintenance before it gets to be too cold. There are many small tasks that if done early, can go a long way towards preventing big problems later.

Here are five more things you do now so that you can spend a cozy winter relaxing in front of the fire (or space heater)—

1. Make sure that your outdoor drains are free of leaves and debris. While you’re at it, you can also rake below your porch or deck and clear the wells of your basement windows.

2. Wipe down lawn furniture and put it into storage. If you do have adequate indoor storage for your lawn furniture, use covers, a tarp, or a plastic sheet to protect it from the elements.

3. Trim tree limbs to prevent them from causing damage if there is a storm.

4. Check for cracks in your walkways, driveway, and steps. You’ll want to patch any cracks or small holes.

5. Keep outside water faucets from freezing over by closing the valves for these faucets. Use insulation to wrap water pipes and put insulated covers on outdoor faucets.

Time to Winterize p. 1

In other areas of the country, temperatures start to drop the moment fall starts, but this is not always the case in our area. Sometimes the continued warm weather can lull homeowners into a false sense of security. You may have put off getting your house ready for winter, but it is time to get started.

Just as many people winterize the cars they drive to keep them working despite the chill, you need to winterize your home. With summer-like temperatures, your heating systems may be the last thing on your mind, but you do not have to wait until temperatures drop to get ready for the cold.

Besides, even though it is still warm during the day, nighttime temperatures are dropping.

October is time to:

Check that your furnace is in good working order

Make sure the area around the furnace is uncluttered

Change filters

Test for carbon monoxide

Insulate your water heater

Re-stock your supply of firewood

Exchange screens for storm windows

If you do these things at the same time each year, they will become routine. You change the oil in your car (or have someone else do it) on a regular basis, right?

A house is no different: it must be maintained to keep it in good order. Look for more tips on getting ready for winter next week.

Home Remodeling Projects Get Back to Basics

Just in case the proliferation of home store ads hasn't tipped you off, May is National Home Improvement Month. The slowdown in the housing market has cooled homeowners' ardor for high-end remodeling projects. Savvy homeowners want to make certain that when they sell they'll recoup most of their investment.

Gone are the fancy faucets, fireplaces in the master bath, custom hardwood floors, Italian tile and other expensive extras that tickled the fancy of home remodelers a few years ago when a hot housing market guaranteed a 90% return on their investment. Today, with return on investment running at 70%, popular remodeling projects focus on safety, energy efficiency and home maintenance.

What gives you the best return on your remodeling dollar?

• Safety upgrades. Electric and gas systems should be in top shape and comply with current codes. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are good selling points.
• Energy efficiency. Have your furnace cleaned and your A/C checked. Add insulation to your attic. Replace old appliances with new energy-efficient ones that are cheaper to operate. Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Home maintenance. Have the roof and gutter system checked and make necessary repairs. Scrape and paint peeling siding, or better yet, replace it with aluminum siding. Install energy-efficient windows. Repairs left undone can wind up costing your thousands of dollars in damage to your home, so fix problems as soon as they're discovered.

Once you've covered these important basics, if you still have the remodeling bug, you'll get the best return from updating your kitchen (75%) and bath (72%).

If you want to know what remodeling projects sell best in your neighborhood, contact veteran realtor John Day. If you're planning to sell your house, don't waste unnecessary repair and remodeling dollars, talk to John and have him take a look at your house. He can let you know what you need to do to make your house saleable in today's market. Visit John's website to see what the competition has to offer. If you're buying or selling a home in Maryland or the Washington DC metro area, realtor John Day is your key to success.