Being apart of Home Inspections on a weekly basis, I have heard my Home Inspector make some very common helpful home tips to all of my Buyers whether they are first time buyers or buying their 3rd or 4th home. Having a Husband that was previously a G.C. and a man that is meticulous about our house I always ask him if he is aware of these tips. Many of these suggestions he has not, so I thought I would share them with you. Every little tidbit helps when trying to maintain a home and avoid large costs of not maintaining your home! Some of these are just fun facts for you!

- After meeting with an Environmental Specialist he told me that it did not matter how expensive a furnace air filter was that I just needed to make sure that it's rating was a Merv 8. Interesting since my husband has allergies. He suggests contacting or reading about your allergies and checking the guidelines, but no too assume more expensive was better. In fact if you buy too high of a Merv rating you could snuff out your furnace.

-Got a clog in your drain? I used to run out to the store and buy Drano. Expensive and Bad for the environment. Pour Baking Soda down the drain, then pour Vinegar. Let this fun mess sit for 15 minutes then rinse down with Hot Water. Tried it, and it worked!

- Did you know that the basement window wells in your home actually have drains in them to prevent water from filling them? Yep, and we should be cleaning out our Window wells every year and putting down some loose stone so that the water can flow loosely through them to the drain. Helps avoid flooding and water in your basement.

-When winter comes, many of us rush out to the store for salt rock. This is really bad of our walks, driveways, carpets, and floors. To begin with salt will not work in lower temperatures. If we put salt rock out there and there isn't enough snow it sits on the pavement and eats it away and we drag these stones into the home ruining floors and making a mess. Instead, pick up the most inexpensive table salt and spread that around for melting. It's less harmful, less messy, and less dangerous to everything.

-Many of us have home humidifiers, when was the last time your replaced the filter? Did you even know it has a filter? I didn't which caused a clogged filter to leak. We need to change these yearly.

-We should all know by now that we need to change the batteries in our smoke detectors twice a year at the time changes. Here's a great way to keep batteries in one place without clogging up a whole drawer. Go to Walmart, Target or such and buy a hard plastic pen/pencil box. When you buy batteries put them into the box and throw away the package~thus saving you alot of remove, and when you open the box you know which batteries you are low on.

-Brighten up your Home with Reveal Light Bulbs. They really do show a more natural lighting in your home, rather than the yellow tint you get off of regular light bulbs. OK, so now you are thinking I am going to use those other bulbs (fluorescent bulbs) I know we are trying to save money, BUT with the mercury in them going directly into landfills, the run off is causing birth defects and more...

-Checking your Home Caulk. Major water damage and mold avoidance can be avoided by re-caulking your tubs, showers, floors, etc. Many people hate to do this and do not apply it well. They actually have a cheap tool at the Home Stores to help you take off the old(never put new on top of the old, it does not grab) and apply the right amount. Saves ALOT of money in the long run, and buyer's hate moldy caulk in Tubs and Showers-

Hope these little tidbits help you take care of your Home. Remember your home is where you raise a family and such, but it is also an expensive investment-

Stay Warm, Karen