 Did you know that Denver came in 3rd place per Dogington Post as one of the most dog friendly cities in the U.S. Walk almost any neighborhood in Denver and you'll find the locals walking their fur babies. Keeping our fur babies safe and healthy is a priority! If you are getting ready to move or purchase a new home use the Pet Safety Checklist below to help you have peace of mind. 
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Life Expectancy ChartAre you currently looking to buy a home, an investor or a current property owner and you need help building out your budget for equipment replacement? Or maybe you're not sure when its time to repaint the exterior. Use the chart below to help guide you! If you have any questions feel free to contact me anytime.  Click link below for Home Buyer Tips, provided by InterNACHI. https://www.nachi.org/documents2012/Homebuyer-Tips.pdf  Pet odor! The more you know, the more you can potentially save! A close family friend is looking at making their first purchase and asked if I would tour homes with them. We walked into a property and right away I could smell cat spray/urine!! I noticed everything had been newly painted and the carpet was new as well.
From my experience from managing property apartments with this issue, replacing the carpet and pad isn't enough. Most likely it has been absorbed into the sub-floor. I highly recommend that you seal the floor, let it air out and reassess prior to installing the new floor. Recommend at least two coats. While the existing seller tried to do what was best it didn't solve the odor problem and whoever purchases the property is now going to have to rip up the new floor or learn to live with the smell. If the seller offers to have the carpet cleaned. You can request the carpet to be cleaned and then go reinspect it a few days later. Some odors could be surface but you want to make sure! This is good to know so you can ask these questions when you're looking at new potential property! On the low end you're looking at $3 a square foot but on average most are spending around $5. If it's 1,200 square feet you're looking at $3,600-$6,000 to have it replaced. Add that to your negotiation tool box ;)  Looking at homes built before 1990?! Take a look at the electrical panel. A large majority of electricians won't even service these panels and recommend replacement.
📌Avg replacement cost $1,300-$2,500 ☑️ Federal Pacific (stab-lok) ☑️ Zinsco ☑️ Bryant & Challenger ☑️ Fuses That cost is for a panel up to 200amps and doesn't include the wiring within the walls, panel only. Let's talk about Federal Pacific specifically as they have a history of being the source of several known home fires. Knowing this early allows you to ask questions and gives you negotiation leverage. If you're the seller you can disclosure it and save time. Mainly in homes built 1950-1990. Look for Federal Pacific or Sylvania (which is most likely a rebranded Federal Pacific. However not all Sylvania are in this category), the term stab-lok, Zinsco, Bryant and Challenger. 📌 What if it's a condo or townhouse complex!? - In this case you would need to know if it's your responsibility or the HOA but if it's the HOA why haven't they already done it? Do they have enough reserves? If it's the owners responsibility keep in mind you might upgrade your panel but what about the other five units connected to the structure? It's a good idea to do a final walk through of the house you are moving out of and or the house you are selling. With your busy schedule and life demands it can be easy to forget a room. Download this PDF to your phone or tablet to help guide you through the process. 
 [Air Conditioning Suction Line] Weathering, UV rays and/or bad installation can compromise insulation on an AC unit. It’s a good practice to inspect it every year and replace as needed making sure it’s always doing its job. Animals, pest, & birds are another known issue that can cause damage. There is pest proofing available if this is an issue. I highly recommend that commercial insulation wrapping be including in the bid process for replacements and or new rooftop units along the coastline. 📌 What is a suction line? - The suction line (the larger copper pipe on the outdoor unit) helps to supply cool refrigerant back to the compressor in the outdoor unit. The section line is usually cold to the touch. If it is warm this could be a sign that it is low on refrigerant & you may need to schedule a preventative maintenance or call a licensed HVAC contractor. It is also important to note that only the suction line should be insulated. 📌 It's purpose - In refrigeration and air-conditioning applications, insulation needs to be able to protect against condensation. Moisture control is critical to thermal efficiency. If moisture intrudes the insulating material surrounding cold-water piping, thermal efficiency is lost. Foam insulation, unlike fiberglass, is a closed-cell structure that acts as a built-in vapor retarder (jacket) preventing moisture intrusion. Another very important reason to insulate the suction line, which is sometimes overlooked, is to limit the amount of heat added to the refrigerant as it travels back to the compressor. This additional heat will cause the system to reject unnecessary heat without any benefit. In addition, if too much heat is added it may cause the compressor to run too hot. 📌Why is it important to you? If the system’s suction pipe has damaged insulation, this could cause a loss of required cooling for the outdoor unit which could damage your system and may also cause you to lose energy as well. A well-insulated suction line can help save money by reducing both energy consumption & equipment breakdowns. The insulation helps to prevent condensation. The condensation drip can cause water damage to the material under it and/or cause a slip/trip hazard. Do you love to bike but have no idea how to store it?! If you live in a City or Metro area, space may be limited. The solution I found cost less than $20 and saves a ton of space. Easy & inexpensive way to store your bike! If you purchased a townhouse or condo in a metro area you may not have a garage or additional storage. I have been looking at different solutions for months. Pinned a dozen different ideas on Pinterest, visited my local bike shop in North West Denver but the solutions were too bulky. Then I went to Amazon to see what I could find. I'll drop the links for the materials below. This solution with tax is approx $20. You can also spray paint it to match your wall color to blend or any color you choose. Go crazy! The wheels do scuff up the wall a bit. I'll be installing a thin piece of naturally stained trim to protect the wall. 📌 Bike Hanger/Rack, $10.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HNNJZFW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_53tfDb7ASR8DV 📌 Self Drilling Plastic 50lb Drywall Anchors, $7.89 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCZ8I3I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_c7tfDbEPF80VC 📌 Zinc Self Drilling 50lb Drywall Anchors, $9.79 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVT1N4M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Z9tfDb5DPQA1J [Why Checking the Shower/Bath Pan is important] Water is the root of all evil to a building structure. Will the shower pan hold water without it leaking?! I'm glad you asked! I have just the tool that tests just that. I don't just turn the water on, I also test the load. Here is an example in this video of a failed pan in a rental unit and the damages it caused. The entire bathroom had to be remodeled, including the subfloor replacement. The tenant never reported a leak. Remember to inspect, what you expect. If you have a rental property or you hire a property management group ask if an annual inspection is included and the detail of that inspection. Give me a call and I'll inspect it for you or answer any questions you may have. Myself and one of my closest friends did the majority of the demo. I was the Project Manager and was the first point of contact for any questions. I was advised that the upstairs neighbor wasn't very keen on the remodel noise. I went and introduced myself to her, explained the process/timeline and gave her a Fandango gift card so she could escape the noise. Putting the customer and people first. |
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