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How To Keep The Allergies Outside The House

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Allergy season is upon us, and according to the national weather service, we’re in for a big one! Thankfully, there are some things you can do to keep the allergies outside the house, making it a safe haven for you and your family.

Don’t leave the house open

It seems like a good idea to air out the house. You open all the windows, sliding doors, and let the breeze run through. However, what you’re really doing is letting the allergens in. Opt to close up instead, and focus on cleaning around the home.

Get rid of that dust

You might be waiting for Spring cleaning to do all the dusting. Instead, get ahead and dust before the allergy season hits. Get rid of the dust in all the small creases and cracks of the home to reduce your reaction.

Clean the sheets

It’s time to do a big cleaning. Clean all the sheets, blankets, and pillow cases in your home. Cleaning the sheets help to get rid of any lingering allergens or bacteria that might be hanging around.

Steam clean your carpets

A lot of people overlook their carpets. But carpets tend to soak in and keep allergens and bacteria. Vacuuming will only go so far. Instead, rent a machine or hire professionals to steam clean your carpet. This could significantly reduce allergens around your home.

We hope these tips help you survive this allergy season! Don’t forget to keep us in mind for your home inspection needs.

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Who Should Attend The Home Inspection?

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As a home inspector, I often get asked who should attend the home inspection? The answer is fairly simple. Anyone who is involved in the transaction of the home for sale should attend the home inspection. This includes the real estate agents, the buyer, and the seller.

What you will learn at a home inspection

During a home inspection, the inspector will inspect the entire home. The inspector will record the condition of everything in the house and also detail any issues or concerns that might arise. A good inspector will educate you on the home and give you guidance on the condition.

Why the real estate agents should be there

Both real estate agents have a client to represent. Both agents should be there to record the findings of the inspection, ask any questions that might arise, and guide their clients in which questions they can ask.

Why the seller and the buyer should be there

If you find a seller doesn’t want the buyers to attend the inspection, that’s a big red flag. Every buyer has the right to learn about the house from the expertise of a home inspection. And since most buyers are the ones paying for the home inspection, it doesn’t really make sense that you wouldn’t attend.

During our home inspections, the more the merrier! We want everyone to feel comfortable attending, asking questions, and learning about the home. We inspect absolutely everything, including attics, crawl spaces, and the roof. Book your home inspection anytime with us online or by giving us a call!

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Keeping Your Home Safe For The Holidays

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It’s the holiday season and shopping is in the air! Unfortunately, so are break-ins. Keeping your home safe for the holidays is a top priority. Many neighborhoods have already reported break-ins and attempted thefts as people fill their home with presents. There are a few things you can do to take precaution and discourage thieves from breaking into your home.

Keep your security lights on

With your Christmas lights up you may forgot to turn on your security lights. But when the timer goes off during the night and turns off your Christmas lights the area becomes very dark. Lights are a direct determent for thieves so make sure to turn them on.

Shopping bags go in the trunk

When you are shopping at the mall and decide to drop off some bags to the car, make sure you put them in the trunk. Scouts hang out in parking lots at malls and watch what people do with their shopping bags. Putting your gift in the backseat will be very attractive to someone staking out cars to break into. The backseat is much easier to access and get away so put them in the trunk.

Lock up your home securely

You may be thinking this one is really obvious. However, many people who feel secure in their home will leave doors and windows open or unlocked throughout the day. Some maybe even at night. During a season that theft is at its peak, it’s even more important to always keep your home secure. Even if you are home.

We hope everyone stays safe and has a wonderful holiday season. Don’t forget to put down the phone and other technology, and be present with the ones you love. Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

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How To Prepare Your Home For Cold Weather

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We don’t get cold weather too often here in Florida. But every once in a while a good cold snap come through, like the one we’re getting next week. Believe it or not, there are some steps you can take to prepare your home for the cold weather.

1. Fix any window that don’t close properly

Windows can be a huge source of heat loss. This is also an easy way for allergens that come with the cold to get into your home. Make sure all of your windows, doors, and sliding glass doors close properly.

2. Prepare your fireplace

A fireplace in Florida can actually come in handy. Thanks to he humidity, 50 degrees can feel a lot colder. A fireplace is a quick and easy way to heat the home without burning your energy bill and is also a great way to keep the allergens at bay. Just be sure your flute is open and clean.

3. Change your filters

Changing your filters should be done every month. If you have pets, then even more often. Yet many people don’t change their filters for three months or more. Your filter is key to keeping allergens out of the home and the air fresh and clean.

4. Do a pre-winter clean

We all have those heavy blankets and bedding that are pulled out for use only a few times a year, if that! Don’t wait until you need them. Go ahead and wash them, get them ready for use. Do a big clean around the house to get rid of dust mites and mold spores that can create trouble in the cold.

5. Do as much as you can before you close things up

When you close up the house to keep the cold out is when you close up the house to keep everything else in. So the more you can do before you close up the house, the better. Keep in mind you won’t have the fresh air blowing through the house for days, maybe even weeks.

We hope these tips help you fair the cold weather. It should be coming in this week and lasting for a while so get ready Floridians!

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Getting Your Home Inspection During The Holidays

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Getting your home inspection during the holidays can be a challenge for both the homeowner and our inspectors. We want your inspection to be as thorough and smooth as possible. So here are some things you can do to make it easier for the both of us!

1. Put away the holiday storage boxes

After you decorate your home, you may find yourself left with empty storage boxes. The idea of taking everything out and putting it all back after a month may seem daunting. However, these things can easy get in the way for us.

You can make a big difference by simply putting your storage boxes back in the attic, garage, etc. Leaving boxes all over the home could mean we have to move them around if they get in the way of our inspection.

2. Keep your holiday decorations to a minimum

I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but your decorations could actually get in the way of our inspection. If we have to inspect your roof and you have it covered in lights, it will be a problem. In fact, likely we will end up breaking some of your lights in our attempt to do our job.

Worse, we may not be able to do our inspection completely and you would have to reschedule your inspection. Simply put, if you think the decor will be in the way of your home inspection, either put it up after the inspection or skip it this year. Whichever is more convenient for you.

3. We’re not liable for breaking your stuff, so keep that in mind

If you treasure a specific piece of decor, consider putting it away. We are very respectful of your things and would move it aside before every taking the chance of breaking or damaging your property. That being said, if we break some Christmas lights because we have to get on your roof, we’re not liable.

In fact, we would likely ask you to remove those roof lights before doing our inspection so we can confidently do our job with no chance of ruining your decorations. So as I said above, better to remove them or wait until the completion of the home inspection to put them out.

Having your home inspection during the holidays can be inconvenient. But, there are many benefits to listing or selling your home this time of the year. We will do everything we can to make your home inspection go smoothly, including scheduling one! Right here on our website.