There are certain home maintenance jobs that are dangerous or need a special skill

Cleaning your chimney: A dangerous and dirty job done best by an experienced chimney sweep.

Roof inspection: Not only dangerous, but if you don’t know to look for cracked shingles, damaged venting, cracked rubber seals around vent pipes, stay off the roof.

Gutter cleaning and repair: Unstable ground and landscaping is always a problem when cleaning or repairing your gutters. A pro will have the materials to fix leaks. Fix them now or replace your fascia, gutter and siding later.

Tree trimming: Keeping limbs and leaves off your house is important and doing it safely without hurting your tree is better left to skilled hands.

Pressure Washing: A professional will have the right equipment for the job. It is easy to gouge or damage decks and siding with the power of high pressure water. Besides, it is one wet and dirty job.
Use a licensed or experienced contractor to get the job done right. Ask for referrals and references from anyone you have working on your home.

Quick Home Inspection can save you a Bundle

Every year take a walk around your house and give the windows and siding a good look. Here are a few things to look for that can save you a bunch of money on repairs later.

Gaps in the siding: Look for gaps where siding has pulled apart due to seasonal expansion and contraction. Use a good, elastic caulking (paint-able) to seal the gaps.

Caulking windows and doors: Look for failed caulking around windows, top and sides especially. This a major cause of home damage and repairs. You may have to cut away the old calking before installing the new stuff.

Soil contact: Check the siding and trim to be sure you have at least 6″ of clearance from wood surfaces and soil. Also, check molding around exterior doors. It should not touch the cement or decking on the exterior. If it does, cut away from the bottom and seal with the correct calking.

Cracked fascia boards: Look at the boards that wrap around the roof line. Leaking gutters can cause water damage here and will just get worse if not addressed.

Hose bibs: Anything that penetrates the exterior siding should be well sealed. Hose bibs (valves), furnace drain, dryer vents, and exterior outlets should be closely inspected and sealed with caulking.
A couple of good brands of caulk:
Vulcum, comes in a wide range of colors and is very sticky.
Super Stretch: very elastic and paint-able.

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Everybody knows that moving will take some time, but do you know what items you will need in order to conduct your move? Most people would assume that boxes and tape are all that you need, however, you need more than that. What I suggest is that you get boxes, tape, packing peanuts, garbage bags, moving blankets and even a couple people with trucks that you can use. The reason why you need all of this stuff is so that you can conduct your move in the shortest amount of time possible.

All of that stuff is great, however, you still need help when moving. This is why I highly suggest getting help from friends and family if at all possible. I recommend this because it is cheaper than hiring a moving company and you will be able to spent time with the people you enjoy being around. Now, if you don’t have any friends or family that are willing to help you out, then you can always call on one of the many reputable movers in Bellwood. There are a lot of reputable movers around the city of Chicago, so you should have no problem finding one that you like and doesn’t charge too much.

One other item that everybody must have when getting ready to move is a moving dolly. The nice thing about a moving dolly is that you will be able to move heavy pieces of furniture without the help of another person. This is a great thing to have because you can also move multiple boxes in very little time without worrying about pulling a muscle or dropping a box. Just know that it is not that expensive to rent a moving dolly and that is why I highly recommend that everybody gets one. You might not think that you need one, however, they will make your move that much easier.

It is important to be frugal and wise when it comes to buying anything for a new house. The house itself is already expensive enough, especially if you are really not that rich. So, you should aim to save when it comes to the other things needed in the house such as furniture and kitchen tools.

It is important to remember that you should stick to the basics and only buy things which are really essential. Buy them first and when you still have money left from your budget, you can then buy the things you want but are not that that important.

Whatever it is that you are buying whether it is a home appliance such as a television and DVD set or a home protection unit such as accordion hurricane shutters which protects your window and home during a storm, bear in mind that you need to go for quality. However, at the same time, you also have to prioritize your budget. If you can find a good quality material at an affordable cost, do so. It will help you save a lot.

Here are some suggestions when it comes to buying things in the house like accordion hurricane shutters and others;

1. Compare prices. Shop in different stores and also consider online stores. Do some comparison before making the final decision, to make sure you get the best deal. Doing this will help you save a lot of bucks that you can already use to buy another important item.

2. Consider second-hand items. There are many shops out there who sell second-hand or used items at a much lower price. Even online shops offer this kind of promotion. For certain, if you spend some time into it, you can find a high quality second-hand item that can be at par with new ones but are much affordable in price.

3. Don’t buy the item right away – If you can still wait for a month or two before buying the item you want or need, do so. In most cases, when you go back to the same shop, the price is already marked down.

4. Buy the item in a not so well-known shop – Oftentimes, the brand of a particular product is what makes it expensive. If you can find the same item in another not so popular shop, buy it from there because there is a greater likelihood that there is a huge price difference between them. And you’ll end up buying the same item at a much lower price.

Those are four tips on how you can save some bucks when it comes to buying an item for your new home. Don’t be too hasty to buy all your items. Wait for the right timing. Doing this will help you get your items at a much reduced rate and it will make a big difference in your savings. If you follow these tips when it comes to buying a home item such as accordion hurricane shutters, furniture, kitchen appliances and others, you will find that you will have the ability to save a lot. You can still use the money you will be able to save, in a lot more ways that will work for you. Buying a new home is definitely an exciting thing to do but don’t get too excited in buying every home item all at once. Follow our tips above so you can save.

In the modern era the backyard or front yard is no longer just a yard. Today’s outdoor spaces are designed with outdoor living in mind. The modern backyard or front yard is an extension of our home.

Where to start your landscape project can be a daunting task. The first step is to list what you consider to be the important functions of your outdoor space in order of priority, this will help you decide on a focal point. Here are some examples:
- to grow food
- to entertain guests
- a quiet relaxing space for the family
- a place to indulge the senses
- a place for the children to play
- a place to attract native wildlife (birds etc)

If I have decided that growing food and a place for the children to play are the going to be the functions of my garden, then my garden design will start with an edible garden as its centrepiece following this would be the children’s play area.

Next, gather your landscaping ideas, use as many landscaping resources as you can to decide on a style of edible garden/vegetable garden and a children’s play area that you like. Resources could include landscaping magazines, books, DVDs, gardening shows, open garden schemes even gardens that you like in your neighbourhood. To save money you could use the local library for books and DVDs. Once you have decided on the functions and style of your outdoor space, the next things to consider are:

- what is your budget and are you being realistic
- how much water is available (this will be really important when deciding on which plants to use)
- what is you soil quality, will you need to import large amounts of soil (this can be very expensive)
- the amount of time will you be spending in your outdoor space
- the amount of time you are willing to devote to maintaining your outdoor space
- doing all of the work yourself or outsourcing some or all of the work
- are you planning on staying in your property for a long time or are you thinking of selling in the near future? – this has big implications as you do not want to over capitalise if you are planning to sell the property soon after completing your project.

If you have answered these important questions (you have a budget, you know what your soil quality is etc) then start collecting your landscape ideas and start to build a picture of what it will look like. Once done, congratulations! you have jumped the ‘where to start’ hurdle and you will be well on your way to begin transforming your outdoor space into your ideal haven what ever that may be.

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What makes a good kitchen? To many, a good kitchen is one that has not only a beautiful and roomy cabinet set, but also long lasting kitchen counters. In fact, most of us would put the kitchen counter before the cabinet when it comes to the level of importance. For, it is here that the bulk of kitchen work is carried out.

There are many options you can find in the market when looking for kitchen tops. We have seen countertops made of metals, stones, wood, and even PVC. Metals would include copper, zinc, and stainless steel, while stones include marbles, granites, and quartz tops. Nowadays, metal tops are rather rare. Wood is quite rare too, if you ask me, but not so PVC. In fact, it is the most popular in many kitchens – probably due to its relatively inexpensive price range.

Our personal favourite is the quartz stone. Most of us would find the look of quartz fascinating. The equal streaks all over the surface evoke feelings of being at one with nature. And we are definitely not alone here. Quartz kitchen tops are gaining popularity as we speak.

While it is true that quartz is a little expensive, it is also well worth your money if you can enjoy looking at it and using it every day. The best thing is, it can last very long too. And you don’t even need to apply sealant on its surface, like the countertops made of granite stone need to, in order to take care of any stains that might occur from time to time.

Quartz is also known to be tough against damage due to spills from acids, like vinegar and juices, unlike the countertops made of marble. To add, it has been observed that the quartz is quite scratch resistant. If you use your kitchen a lot, you are likely to subject it to much wear and tear. Hence, it is a good idea to get a quartz countertop for its elegance and also its durability.