​Spending money wisely is something we should all do but with so much credit often available to us, managing our money can hard.  With that in mind, how does our spending affect our credit score? And, does it really matter if we have a good one or not?
 
While we may not notice the effects of our credit report on a daily basis, when we are ready to make a large purchase such as a house, a poor credit report may lower our chances of being approved for a loan.  The reason for this is that a lender will likely refer to your credit report when deciding whether or not to give you loan.  They will want to see what sort of debt you are in and if you have a history of paying bills on time etc.  What should you do if you have a poor credit score?
 
Its never too late to work at improving it.  You can start by obtaining a copy of your credit report which you are entitled to receive free of charge once a year.  This way you will see it for yourself before a lender does.  You can also pay your bills on time.  If it is hard to remember to pay on or before the due date, why not set up an automatic payment plan to cover at least the minimum due?  This way you will build up a good history of timely bill paying and avoid the hefty fees that accompany a late payment.
 
If you have collected a number of credit cards through the years it would be wise to get rid of those you no longer use.  Make sure you call the company to cancel.  Too many credit cards can give a lender the idea that you put yourself in economic difficulty by allowing yourself too much credit.  It can work in your favor to maintain the longest held cards, though, as this will show a longer history of bill paying. 
 
Remember, a good credit report may be more important than you realize when it comes to making a big investment such as a new home. 

​Perhaps you are wondering what will happen if the home inspection reports reveal problems with the property you want to buy.  Well, its important to be aware that a thorough home inspection is designed to help you, the buyer, find out all you can about the condition of the property you wish to own.  Some things that are noted down as defects are not always serious.  What do we mean by this?
 
Perhaps the report has noted problems such as faulty smoke detectors or even some missing roof shingles.  While you want to be aware of these issues, they are not really that serious and will be a relatively inexpensive fix.  On the other hand, what if the report notes structural damage, mold or wood rot?  These are among the much more serious issues a property could have and would take a lot more work and money to resolve.  In some cases, they might be too bad to fix.  These few examples highlight the crucial role a home inspection plays when it comes to home buying.
 
Another question you may wonder about is; if the home inspector is also a licensed contractor, can they fix the problems they find? It certainly seems like the right choice, after all, they were the one to find the problems but, it could also appear that they only found the issues just so that they could resolve them which would then call into question how accurate the inspection report was in the first place.  If you want to make sure you get an honest and thorough home inspection, be sure to choose an InterNACHI certified home inspector who has knowledge of and abides by InterNACHI’s Code of Ethics.  That way you can have confidence that you’ve had the best home inspection possible.

Buildings can sustain a great deal of damage during a tornado.  While the amount of damage largely depends on the severity of the storm, even a less severe tornado can create a lot of issues that are perhaps not so apparent at first glance.  Let’s discuss some areas of the home that should be inspected for damage after a tornado.

• A buildings structure is severely shaken during a tornado which can affect many areas.  One area to inspect is the homes plumbing system.  Check for leaks by turning on all the faucets in the home and observe any signs of water leaking.  You would want to check under sinks and cabinets etc. also.

• Trees often become uprooted during a tornado and this can disrupt gas lines.  You must make sure this is not the case before you turn on the gas in your home. 

• Go through the home and check for signs of stress cracks, especially where the walls meet the ceiling.  It may be a good idea to use a level to see whether the floors and walls have shifted.

• If you notice damage to masonry and in crawlspaces, this could be an indication that the buildings foundation has been compromised.

• Check the chimney for damage.  This is important because a damaged chimney could cause a build up of carbon monoxide inside the home. 

• A roof often sustains damage during a tornado.  If this is the case, try to have it repaired immediately to prevent further problems such as water damage and mold.

 
If your home has been in the path of a tornado, it might be a good idea to have it inspected by a professional who can tell you if it has sustained any structural damage or not.

​Unless you purchase a brand-new build, the home you decide to buy will come with its own, unique, history.  This may be a good thing, but it can also mean the home comes with its share of issues.  Its important to find out as much as you can about the home you’re considering buying because it may well affect its value in the future, not to mention you’re comfort while living there. 
 
One example of potential issues with the home is if the property has a history of flood damage.  To help you understand what that may mean for you as the new owner, we have a brief video.  It will help you get an overall idea of what you should consider when purchasing a home with flood damage history.  You may well have more questions and concerns after viewing this video so, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to advise you as qualified and experienced home inspectors.
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​Perhaps the word condensation doesn’t necessarily conjure up thoughts of major damage to a home, but it can, over time, start to create certain issues.  For example, if you have condensation continuously dripping water in a certain area, that area could start to see damage in the form of rotten flooring and mold.  If the water is dripping on any type of electrics, this could create a fire hazard. 
 
Are there some things you can do to reduce condensation in the home? Yes, there are a few options you can try.  To start with, you want to lower indoor humidity levels.  A dehumidifier is a great way to do this as it draws in water vapor and gathers it in a tank instead of it forming on surfaces of the home.  You could try an air conditioner also.  Another thing to remember is that if you have a lot of house plants, this will contribute to higher humidity levels.  Reducing the number of plants will help reduce humidity.
 
As long as the air outside is not very humid, opening windows and doors will help to air out the home and lower moisture levels indoors.  You may have thought about insulating pipes to help with condensation issues.  This is an effective way to prevent it, although if you are relying on the heat from pipes to warm the home, insulating them will stop the heat from radiating. 
 
If, after trying different methods to reduce condensation, you are still seeing an accumulation of water, it might be that condensation is not the issue but that there is water leaking somewhere.  In such a case, it is important to have this looked at by a professional who can detect the leak for you. 

​It’s a sad reality that thousands of elderly people are injured every year due to accidents that occur while they perform everyday tasks in their homes.  A good majority of these accidents are caused from slipping and falling.  With that in mind, what adjustments can you make in your elderly loved one’s home to help prevent some of these accidents?  We will discuss just a couple of simple adjustments that can be made.
 
When looking around the house, have in mind the specific needs of someone with limited mobility and see how easy it is for them to get around.  Check for tripping hazards such as electrical cords.  Is there any stretching over walk through areas?  This could easily cause someone to trip and fall.  Also, depending on the kind of appliance the cord belongs to, it could become a fire hazard as well.  If you notice that there doesn’t seem to be enough electrical cords where they are needed, why not arrange the furniture differently so that no wires or cords need to extend far.  This would also be a good time to check the condition of such wires and cords, anything starting to fray or exposing wires should be replaced as these too are a fire hazard.
 
Carpeting is another area that can easily become a tripping hazard.  Many older ones enjoy the comfort of carpeting.  Look for areas of wear and tear.  Is the carpets adhesive wearing out in some areas? This could make the carpet loose and start to raise up in those areas making it dangerous for an elderly person.  What about rugs?  These can be lethal if they don’t have a good rubber backing to keep them firmly in place.
 
As we stated earlier, this is only a couple of suggestions towards accident prevention in an elderly person’s home.  You will, no doubt, notice many more areas that can be improved for safety as you check through their house.

​Deciding to put your home on the market is a big decision.  Perhaps you’ve lived in the home for many years, so a great deal of planning will be involved.  Every home owner wants to get the best price for their home and this may mean spending time on repair work or sprucing up the place to give it more curb appeal.  What else can you do to give your property the best chance for a good sale? This is where a pre-listing inspection plays an essential role to the selling of your home.  But you may be wondering what is a pre-listing home inspection?
 
To help you with that question, here is a short video which highlights what a pre-listing home inspection is and what is will do to increase the sale of your property.  If you would like some more assistance regarding pre-listing inspections or if you would like to schedule a home inspection, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  We are happy to help.

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​To avoid costly home repairs, we all know that regular maintenance is the key.  Something home owners should be aware of is wood decay also known as wood rot.  This is not the same as damage to wood caused by termites or carpenter ants but is a form of fungus.  This fungus loves warm, damp environments but is pretty tough and so can survive in more extreme conditions.
 
Perhaps you are wondering what areas of a house are more vulnerable to wood decay.  Its good to consider what it needs to thrive, moisture, oxygen and a food source.  There are a lot of places in a home that can provide all these things, here is a list of a few of them:
 
Roof penetrations which have incorrect or damaged flashing.
Wood which comes into direct contact with concrete, soil or masonry.
Cracks in foundations
Insufficient grading which means that water cannot drain away from the foundation, and so creates pooling. 
Ground floor decking or deck support posts.
Area surrounding corroded plumbing fixtures as well as sub flooring which surrounds toilets and tubs.
Plumbing leaks
If they have not been correctly installed, you could see wood rot underneath sliding glass doors and windows.
 
Perhaps after seeing this list, you will be able to locate areas where wood rot might be a problem in your home.  If you are unsure about detecting wood rot, why not consider a home inspection.  This way, you will be able to either detect the problem or find out ways of preventing it.

​During a home inspection the last thing you want to happen is to have damage occur to the property, if it does, you would likely assume that the home inspector should be responsible for the damage.  But, is it always the fault of the home inspector? Let’s discuss our reason for asking this question:
 
We are not talking about a random accident such as when a vase or lamp is accidentally knocked over.  We are talking about damage that can occur as a direct result of the inspection being performed.  By way of example, imagine the home inspector must access the boiler or electrical paneling etc. and while inspecting it, something breaks or falls apart, is the breakage due to the inspector’s sloppiness or is the broken item defective and has it deteriorated due to the age of the place? Remember, a home inspectors’ job is to find any problems or issues that a property might have so that the homeowner can be alerted to this.  By finding such problems they are just doing their job.
 
Another way to look at it is: would the item have fallen apart or broken regardless of who touched it?  A home inspector has to access areas of a property that are hardly ever used by the home’s occupants, so the likelihood is that they will find these defects first.  In fact, it is better for the home inspector to find problems or defects in a home rather than someone else in the household.  

​Getting rid of unwanted pests can be a real challenge.  While there are many different bug repellents out there, we are going to consider one, bug zappers.  A bug zapper is designed to attract a flying insect to a type of fluorescent light.  Before the fly reaches the light, it is quickly electrocuted, or zapped, by the surrounding electrified wire.  This is an effective way to eliminate flying pests, but are there any hidden dangers to bug zappers we should be concerned about?
 
When a bug is zapped, it is blown into many fragments which become airborne, up to a distance of around 7 feet.  Yes, this is a gross thing to think about.  The problem is that these fragments also contain many harmful bacteria, which also becomes airborne.  This means that anyone in this radius has the potential to breathe in this harmful bacterium.  Think about what this could mean if a bug zapper is situated over a food preparation area?
 
Another issue with bug zappers is that they might not prevent you from being bitten from certain types of flying insects.  A mosquito, for example, although it is attracted to light, is more attracted to humans and animals.  This means you will probably still be bitten by one even if you have this type of repellent. Bug zappers will also eliminate insects that are much needed for the preservation of the environment, such as bees. 
 
As we can see, then, while bug zappers are very effective, you might want to think about the best place to position one so that it won’t cause harm to humans and also so that it protects those insects that are so important for our environment.