Home Inspection

6 Tips For Maintaining Your Roof

Your roof is a major component of your home protecting the structure from all kinds of things that want to invade and damage the interior. At Buy Your Side Home Inspections, inspecting all the components of the roof is what we do everyday.

Here are 6 tips you can easily do to maintain and extend the life of your roof.

1. Inspect your roof a minimum of  twice a year (especially after major storms) from ground level using binoculars.  Viewing your roof from a neighbor’s home with their permission can also be another vantage point.
2. Remove excess debris such as leaves, sticks and any other material that may be caught inside your gutters.
3. Trim tree branches to prevent them from hanging over your roof.
4. Examine caulking around chimney vents and reseal if necessary.
5. Repair and/or replace missing tiles or shingles before further roof damage occurs.
6. Check skylight seals for leaks and reseal if necessary.

If your home needs a checkup, Buy Your Side Home Inspection will ensure that your home is in top condition or let you how to get it that way in the most financially sensible manner. Call Central Florida’s most respected Home Inspection Service. 407.780.0911.

Foreclosure Filings Drop

The housing market is on an upswing and the good news is that foreclosure filings in the US have dropped by 18% in 2014 which represents the lowest level since 2006, according to a report filed by RealtyTrac, a real estate data company headquartered in California (via Forbes).

The bad news is that the monthly level of completed foreclosures remains above the 2008 pre-crisis levels. November 2014 saw 41,000 completed foreclosures which is nearly double the monthly average before the housing crash (via CoreLogic) From 2000 to 2006, the U.S. averaged just 21,000 completed foreclosures per month.

The ugly news . . . RealtyTrac reports that despite a 4% drop, Florida still remains the hardest hit state with the highest foreclosure filing rate in 2014 (2.3% of all housing units with a filing),

The opportunity: Central Florida continues a slow but steady rising median sales price of Orlando area homes. The median price rose 7.5 percent from September 2013 to September 2014 (per Orlando Regional Realtor Association). With the relatively low interest rate, Central Florida homes are considered a good value at affordable prices.

When you’re ready to put your home on the market or purchase that next home, call Buy Your Side Home Inspection 407.780.0911 for a professional home inspection. We’re Central Florida’s most respected Home Inspector.

10 January Home Maintenance To Do’s

Hopefully, you’ve taken down and stored your holiday decorations by now. If not, this should be the first item on your January checklist. Here are some other suggestions you should consider doing to keep your home in tip top shape.

1. Create an inventory of your home’s furnishings and valuable possessions to use should you need to file an insurance claim. Take pictures of the inside and outside of your home.
2. Replace your HVAC filter or wash permanent filters.
3. Clean under and behind your refrigerator including the coils. Check the refrigerator’s water filter to see if it needs replacing.
4. Deep clean your stove, oven and range hood fan.
5. Give your drains a good cleaning by adding one-half-cup baking soda followed by one-half-cup white vinegar. After 10 minutes, flush with boiling water.
6. Clean lint from under laundry appliances, especially the dryer. Use specifically-designed tools to carefully clean the lint filter and dryer vent outlet.
7. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and check the charge on your fire extinguishers.
8. Check and test GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlets to make sure they are working properly.
9. Check grout/caulking in tile and marble in wet areas (showers, sinks, etc.); repair as needed.
10. Drain the water from your water heater to prevent sediment built up,

Buy Your Side Home Inspections protects home buyers all throughout Osceola County with the most thorough and affordable home inspections available. Call 407-780-0911 for more Information on how to save money by doing a Home Inspection!

4 Home Features 2015 Buyers Want

The year 2015 is expected to see a seven percent increase in existing homes sales according to the National Association of Realtors. If you want to make a housing move this year, here are four home features potential buyers are willing to pay “extra” for  in the purchase of their next home.

• New Kitchen Appliances:  Updated appliances that are energy efficient, especially stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, make the list of desired features. While the stainless steel feature is more an aesthetic factor, the energy efficiency is key.
• Upscale Countertops: No longer just a functional space, today’s kitchen has become the hotspot of the family and a visually pleasing kitchen with beautiful granite or marble countertops are a plus.
• Energy Efficient Features: Low-flow water and plumbing fixtures, high efficiency insulation, energy efficient HVAC systems with programmable thermostats, ceiling fans and low-e windows (low-emissivity windows) are important to today’s energy-conscious home buyers.
• Hardwood Floors:  The durability of hardwood floors over time when compared to carpet is an investment most home buyers consider very important.

Making any or all of these home improvement investments now could increase the resale value of your home and how quickly it’s sold. When you’re ready to put your home on the market, call Buy Your Side Home Inspection 407.780.0911 for a pre-listing inspection.

Multi-Purpose Extinguisher

Having fire extinguishers installed in your home should be part of your overall fire safety plan and selecting a fire extinguisher for your home might seem elementary. However, knowing which type of extinguisher to use depends on the type of fire and may seem more like rocket science. Here are the facts you need to know.

• Know your fire types. Using an extinguisher not rated for a particular type of fire could have disastrous results. Here’s the short list:
  • A: common combustibles such as wood, papers, textiles, plastic,  etc.
  • B: flammable liquids such as gasoline, kerosene, methanol to name just a few.
  • C: electrical equipment such as switches, outlets, etc.
• Select a multi-purpose extinguisher designed to handle the most common A, B, and C types of home fires. The extinguisher should be large enough to put out a small fire, but not so heavy that it’s difficult to handle.
• Become familiar with the extinguisher before you need it in a real fire situation by reading the instructions and familiarizing yourself with the various parts and how they operate. Most local fire departments offer free hands-on training.
• Make sure that your extinguisher is properly maintained. Again, refer to the instructions and check your local business listings for companies that service fire extinguishers.
• Use the fire extinguisher when the fire is confined to a small area, such as a wastebasket, and is not growing. First, make sure everyone has left the home and the fire department has been called. Home fires can quickly get out of control so let the professionals handle the situation and ensure your personal safety.

For additional information regarding fire safety equipment such as smoke alarms, refer to our New 2015 Smoke Detectors Law in Florida and any of our other fire prevention articles in the Home Maintenance section of our blog for more information.

Buy Your Side Home Inspections wants you and your family to be safe in your home.  When you need a professional home inspection, give us a call. We’re here for you. 407.780.0911.

New Code for Smoke Alarms in Florida

Statistics report that 94 percent of American households have smoke detectors, but 30 percent of those alarms don’t work. Additionally, most fire fatalities happen in homes that lack working alarms. Between January 1st and December 1, 2014, there were 114 deaths due to residential fire reported in Florida. Of those reported deaths, 43 percent of the homes either did not have smoke alarms installed or the smoke alarms were not functioning because of missing or disconnected batteries.

Beginning January 1, 2015, the Florida Building Code now requires Florida homeowners that do not have hard-wired smoke detectors to install 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms. A hard-wired smoke detector is wired to 120V household electrical circuit and connected to other detectors throughout your home. Hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide alarms sound simultaneously, on all levels of your home, when a single unit detects smoke or gas. Units with battery backup provide extra protection by functioning even if a fire causes the power to go out. Smoke alarm manufacturers recommend alarms be replaced every 10 years.

The new code only requires homeowners to make the switch when replacing outdated or non-working alarms or installing new 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms. The date your alarm was manufactured can be found on the back of the device. These smoke detectors have a longer life lithium batteries inside and are tamper resistant and removes the consumers’ worry about remembering when to change batteries.

The 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms are available online and at most hardware stores averaging between $25 and $50. The savings in battery costs alone as well as saving lives more than justifies the cost.

Buy Your Side Home Inspections wants you and your family to be safe in your home.  When you need a professional home inspection, give us a call. We’re here for you. 407.780.0911.