Preserving the environment and “going green” is often seen as an outside activity. While protecting the ozone, using less disposable containers, and picking up after ourselves are important, it’s also important to wisely use the resources within our home. Going green at home is critical for a number of reasons that range from protecting the outer environment to saving money.

There are many ways to go green at home; here are a few of the most important ones. Many are easy to do and cost little to no money.

Saving Energy

• Conduct a quick energy audit of your home. A do-it-yourself guide can be found at the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Switch appliances to more energy efficient models. These models will likely bear the “Energy Star” label. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to help people save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices
• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
• Unplug appliances when you’re not using them. Also consider using a "smart" power strip. These strips sense when appliances are off and reduce energy use.
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. According to the Worldwatch Institute, as much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
• Dry clothes using a clothesline.
• Turn off lights when you leave the room.
• Utilize natural light during the day.
• Turn off your computer completely at night.
• Use a ceiling fan to cool off a room or house. It consumes as little energy as a 60-watt bulb. Turn the fan off when you leave.
• Install a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature in your house through the day and night.
• Install storm windows and doors.

Saving Water

• Don’t rinse your plates before putting them into the dishwasher. Time and water are wasted during this activity.
• Install low-flow toilets. These gadgets use advanced computer modeling to deliver more flush power with less water.
• Fix leaky faucets.
• Take shorter showers.
• Install a low-flow showerhead on each shower.
• Install a faucet aerator on each faucet.

A little bit of work around the house can make your home more environmentally friendly while keeping some green in your bank account in the long run. The money you save in the form of reduced utility bills and fewer replacement light bulbs will ultimately pay for the renovations, plus some. If you have looked over this list and seen that many of the items apply to your house, then you are like most people. If you would like a little help from an expert so that you can make some home improvements and still enjoy your weekend, let us know. We can send reliable handymen to help from Tampa to Melbourne.

Sources:

Simple Mom

Earth911.com

World Watch.org

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Go Green at the Office

It’s almost spring for most of the country, but here in Florida it’s warm enough to start cleaning up around the house. The weather is great for open windows from Clearwater to Naples, so getting the house aired out and ready for summer is probably in your plans. Once you have scrubbed out the inside of your house, your attention needs to turn to the outside. How do your driveway, porch and house look? If your property is like most, you are likely in need of a good pressure washing to clean up your outside areas.

Benefits of Pressure Washing

• Less toxic: While you can incorporate cleansers for extra dirty jobs, most of the time highly pressured water is enough to remove dirt, debris, mold, and anything else that might be affixed to the surface you are cleaning. That means no harsh cleansers on your skin, in your eyes, or draining into your prized petunias.
• Less work: Scrubbing down a deck or cleaning a driveway requires lots of manual cleaning without a pressure washer; with a pressure washer the water does most of the work for you.
• Less time: Pressurized water gets the job done faster than your arms, no matter how much you bench press.

All of these factors tend to add up to a superior cleaning job compared to a manual cleaning job on top of those benefits. By now it should be pretty obvious that a good pressure washing is the best thing to spruce up the outside of your property.

How to Pressure Wash Your Property

• Get a pressure washer: This is a bit of an expensive purchase, so you might prefer to rent one for about $100 per day from your local hardware store. Don’t get a unit that has more than 2,500 PSI (this is a measure of the strength of the pressurized water blast) if you are cleaning a painted surface, wood deck or anything similar.
• Clear the area: You need to move patio furniture, basketball hoops, trellises over windows and anything else that might be moved around or damaged by the highly pressurized stream of water you will be cleaning with. Cover any small or delicate plants that are in range of your cleaning area.
• Get your hose: The pressure washer attaches to your garden hose, which is in turn attached to a water source outside of your house.
• Start up top: If you are cleaning the side of your house, start at the top. Spray down the soffit, gutters, and any other areas first, and then work your way down. Wave the wand slowly from side to side. Hold the wand at least a foot away from siding or paint so that you do not damage it. Hold the wand at a 45° angle, downwards, so that water naturally drains towards the ground and does not splash back into areas you are cleaning. If you seem t be removing bits of paint or small pieces of wood from your deck, stop immediately. Turn down the pressure and continue cleaning with a lighter spray.
• Avoid the pitfalls: The pressurized water can do damage, so avoid spraying windows, people, pets, cars, etc. Basically if it isn’t a surface you directly intend to clean, then avoid it at all costs.

A good pressure washing is an easy way to add some curb appeal to your property. It’s also a good way to prep before you paint your house or refinish your deck. We hope that you learned some basics here that will help you in your spring cleaning. If you would rather stick to mops and buckets and leave the power washing to a seasoned veteran, we would be happy to help.

Sources:

EHow

Ezine Articles

Home Tips

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Check Out Handyman Connection in the News

In this post-boom housing market, a lot of people are finding good deals on new homes. They are opting for new development for all kinds of reasons, from modern fixtures to a lack of desire to make home repairs. While newly built structures do give you a “brand new” feeling when you move in, home buyers should be aware that even a new house will likely need some renovation within the first few years.

If you are in a home that is just a few years old, you might be noticing some things around the house that warrant concern. Have you noticed:

• Cracks on the exterior of the house
• Cracks around door and/or window frames
• Bowing or space in hardwood or laminate flooring

Buildings Settle

All of these occurrences in your new home are most likely a result of your home settling. Generally speaking, these occurrences are not the fault of your home builder; rather they are natural occurrences that happen as your home settles. The foundation that your home is built on will sink into the earth a little bit, and the building materials used (we are talking about wood here) have a tendency to expand and contract as humidity and temperature change. This is an unavoidable event as gravity and nature have uncontrollable affects on your house. As these forces take their effects on your home, the structure itself will be tested and moved. While architects plan for this when designing buildings, anyone who purchases a new home should plan on making some repairs over the first few years to keep their house together.

What to Do Next

Gauge the damage: You will have to survey your house to see what has moved as the house settled. Cracks in the exterior of the home or along door and window frames will be visible, as will any instances where the floor has separated slightly. If you are having an issue where a door—to a room or to a closet—has become difficult to open, then this itself is a sign of settling. The door is sticking because the frame around it has pressure applied to it.

Get to work: Once you know what is broken, you will need to make the necessary repairs. Identify your issues, make a list, and plan out your repair schedule. Each issue will require a different approach.

• Cracked exterior: Often the cracks that show up on the outside of your home just need to be filled in. This will make sure that your structure does not fall victim to further deterioration from water damage. One summer of Florida storms will expose these cracks to enough water to make them larger and can eventually let water inside your home. If you have small, manageable cracks in your stucco, you will need to take a trip to your local hardware store. Talk to someone at the store about your problem and ask them to recommend a filler. You will probably end up with a bag of hydraulic cement, which you will need to mix with water according to the instructions on the bag. Once you have mixed it, fill in the crack using a trowel and then let it set for half an hour. The cement will expand slightly, so after it has set, take your trowel and remove any cement that has expanded outside of the crack until it is flush with the rest of the wall. Once it is dry, a little paint will cover it up and you will have sealed your cracked outside wall.
• Door frames: You will need to examine your hinges to see where the problem begins. As a house settles, the hinges are screwed into the frame, which moves. You may need to install a pad behind a hinge if the frame has bowed outward. You may also need to change the hinge out altogether. Each door solution will be a little different, so we can’t offer a one-size-fits-all fix here. If you can’t see what the problem is by looking at the hinge, you should call in a professional.
• Bowed floors: Settling foundations cause the floors to change slightly, which can separate floor boards or push them closer together, causing them to bow upwards. In either case, you will need to add or remove some of the flooring to bring it back to normal. You will be able to see where the problem starts pretty easily; it is either the gap or bowed part of your floor. The humidity we live in is usually the culprit here, so issues with wood-based flooring is simply a trade-off for the snow-free winters you get once you move to Bradenton or Orlando. Once the home settles and the floor has been repaired by someone who knows what they are doing, you should be trouble-free.

Sources:

eHow.com

House Task.com

Ask the Builder

Remodel Kitchen.net

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Time for Floors: Laminate Verse Hardwood

Interior Doors More Than Finishing Touches

Mold inside your home or commercial property is something that no one wants to encounter. If you think that you might have a mold colony—or several—on your hands, the following steps will help you take care of the problem.

• Find it: When a mold colony develops, you will be able to see it, smell it, or both. Use your eyes to look for green, brown, black, and even yellowish patterns of mold growth on walls, in corners, and around air ducts. If you keep picking up on an earthy aroma in the air, it might be mold.
• Determine the cause: Cleaning the mold is necessary, but if you don’t fix the cause, it will probably come back. Is there a leak that is leaving moisture on the moldy area? Maybe you’re A/C needs an adjustment.
  • A/C tips: Your air conditioner might contribute to indoor mold. Make sure the fan is set to “Auto” and not “On”; if it is set to “On” all the time, then moisture on the condenser coils will not have time to drain off before the unit immediately blows it back into your vents, distributing moisture. Your unit might also be too big for the building it cools. If a unit is oversized, then it will not spend enough time dehumidifying the air that it circulates, which means that your home or office will constantly be delivered moist, mold-friendly air.
• Rip it out: Most mold can be wiped away with the right cleanser, but if you have drywall or cabinetry that has a large mold colony on it, your best bet is to remove the material altogether, wrap it up, and dispose of it. This will also give you more space to clean inside walls and a better view of the extent of the damage.
• Sanitize: There are mold cleansers available at the hardware store. You can also mix one cup of bleach with one gallon of water. We suggest putting your cleanser in a clean spray bottle and spraying down the entire moldy area, then wiping from top to bottom with a clean towel. As towels become soiled, throw them away in a disposable bag that you can later seal. Repeat the scrubbing process until all the mold is removed, and then allow the area some time to dry.
• Vacuum: Once the area is dry, you will want to use a HEPA vacuum. These vacuums have a special filtration system and are made by many manufacturers. Spend one minute per square foot. This process will remove debris and mold spores that may still be there, but are too small to see.

At this point, many people will use a paint or other agent known as a fungicide, which will help to ensure that the mold does not grow back. This step is definitely recommended, as is throwing away all of the rags, brushes, and cloths that are used for cleaning the mold. If you have questions about how to eradicate fungus in your home or commercial property, feel free to visit us online. If you do the job yourself and find yourself in need of some new drywall and paint or need some cabinets installed, we would be more than happy to help.

Sources:
Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services
Florida Department of Health
Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida

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Getting Rid of Mold Part One

Bathroom cleaning has a tendency to involve scrubbing away mildew and mold. While this process is easy enough in the restroom, it gets to be more difficult–and arguably more necessary–in other parts of the house. Unfortunately mold can find its way into walls, closets and all kinds of other places in any type of building, be it your home or workplace.

Mold and Health Risks

While it is true that mold spores exist all around us every day, certain types can easily grow and become a health concern, making quick removal a necessity.

• Allergies: Some people will have allergic reactions to mold, which can include many symptoms from headaches to difficulty breathing. Contact with mold has been known to trigger other health conditions such as asthma.
• Irritation: Mold is neither a plant nor animal, but its own distinct kind of organism. The organic composition of mold disagrees with many people, and contact can result in itching, sneezing and more.
• Toxicity: This aspect of molds and health is debated among medical professionals and scientists. Some say that labeling mold as “toxic” is going too far, but rest assured that you would not want to eat off of a plate that has been stored in a moldy cabinet.

How Does Mold Grow?

There are four elements that must be present for mold to grow.

1. Mold spores: These are kind of like seeds and are the basis of mold growth. The planet is covered in mold spores, and you need a microscope to actually see them. Dedicating time to eradicating them is fairly pointless, as they will re-enter your home with fresh air or stuck to you or a pet.
2. Food: Mold is technically a living entity, so it needs fuel. Most molds can attach to anything organic and feed, so again, you can’t do much here. Your home, office and the cleaning materials you use on them are all made of some type of organic material.
3. Temperature: Mold is pretty tough and can grow at temperatures from just above freezing to hotter than you want to set your thermostat. Some do recommend keeping the A/C at 78° or above but again, mold can still grow.
4. Moisture: This is where you can really control mold growth. Mold grows in wet (and dark) places. That is why you are constantly cleaning it off of your shower. It also responds well when the humidity rises over 70%, which means that here in Florida we are pretty much constantly at risk. Every area of Florida is subject to high levels of humidity, so it doesn’t matter if you are responsible for an office building in Bradenton or a home in Orlando.

If all four of the necessary components for mold come together, then you will likely have a mildew colony on your hands. For the health and obvious aesthetic reasons you will want to get rid of it. Check back next week for tips and tricks for eradicating mold.

Sources:

Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services

Florida Department of Health

Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida

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Time for Floors Laminate Verse Hardwood

Handyman Connection is Lead safe Certified by the Environmental Protection Agency

A new addition to your family is a wonderful thing. It means more opportunities for memories. It also means that you need to make some immediate changes to your home. Once your little one is crawling, she is likely to get into anything and everything. It is amazing how many updates need to made to your cabinets, doors, windows and even appliances to prepare for a toddler.

It will take some time and cost some money, but as all of your friends with children have probably already shared, having kids is not cheap. It is worthwhile to spend the money to know that your child can play in every part of the house and still be kept out of harm’s way.

Childproofing Additions

• Safety latches- Kids will get into cabinets and drawers where household cleaners, scissors, and all other sorts of potential dangers await. You can purchase safety latches that require an extra step to open drawers and cabinets. They can be installed fairly easily, but remember to put them on all appropriate openings.
• Corner bumpers- Children will inevitably run in the house and fall. If their head comes into contact with the edge of a counter, you will be on your way to the ER for stitches. Avoid this trip by purchasing plastic bumpers that will cover the edges of counters, tables or anything else, and affix them properly.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors- These are safety elements for the whole family that many people do no install until a child is born. If your house does not have working units that identify both substances, you must invest in them. They need to be hung strategically around the house so that all areas have a detector. Some units run off batteries, while other are wired into your home’s electrical circuits.
• Furniture and appliance anchors- Kids climb on things and jump off of them. For a kid it’s fun; for an adult it is dangerous and sometimes even annoying. Protect your children from the potential injuries incurred when an appliance or piece of furniture falls on them by anchoring the object to the ground or wall. This will require some tools and basic craftsmanship, so if you aren’t that handy you may want to have a professional handle this aspect of childproofing.
• Pool fence- Living in Florida makes having a pool feasible. Whether you add it yourself or have someone else do it, a pool is a family-friendly home addition. But it can also be dangerous for homes with small children. Have a safety fence installed around your pool to keep little ones away. A quality pool fence will require that it be attached to your porch or deck at some point. Having a handyman do this for you will ensure that the job is done right and that the end result looks good. You will hate looking at a mangled deck that resulted from an inexperienced person trying to drill a fence in and then realizing that they did not calculate space correctly.
• Outlet covers- This is an easy one–just purchase a set of plastic pieces that you can insert into electrical outlets so that your child cannot insert their fingers. Make sure to buy enough for the whole house.
• Slip-resistant tub- Bath time can turn into an accident very quickly, in as little time a sit takes for you to go retrieve a new bottle of shampoo, in fact. Slip-proof your tub. You can buy adhesive pads or mats that install very easily. If you like the idea of a long-term slip-resistant tub, you can have it resurfaced to add traction.

Keeping your kids safe is a parent’s number one priority. Take the time to childproof your home. If you do not have time or want to know that it is done right, feel free to contact us at the Handyman Connection. We can make any of the changes that we listed so that you know your child is safe. We can have a handyman inspect your home and install childproofing tools in Tampa, Orlando, Fort Meyers, Bradenton and many surrounding areas.

Sources:
eSSORTMENT
U.S. Product Consumer Product Safety Commission
Good Housekeeping

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Kid Friendly Renovations

The plumbing in your home does a thankless job. It constantly brings water in, disperses it properly, and then removes it from your house. It generally does such a good job that we take clean water to drink or bathe with for granted–until there is an issue with the plumbing, that is. To keep your pipes in tip-top shape, or at least to have some type of warning before a plumbing issue becomes a serious problem, it is important to keep up with some maintenance.

Take some time to inspect your plumbing and do a little work. You should at least invest an afternoon annually, but doing it more often will definitely not hurt. Take these tips to clean out pipes and inspect for problems.

• Leaks- You can hear a leaky faucet, but when it comes to pipes the leak might not be obvious. Walk around the areas of your home where you know you have pipes in the walls or ceiling. Look for discolored spots or other signs of water damage. Usually the leak is at the spot of the discoloration, but water may be traveling down the pipe before finally dripping off. Catching a leak early can save you from replacing portions of walls or ceiling when you replace the pipe. If any pipe is exposed, look for green tarnish around joints and sealed portions. If there is a green substance, it is likely that the seal you are looking at is not tight enough.
• Hot water heater- Think about life without a hot shower. Now take the time to go drain your hot water heater. As sediment makes its way into your heater, it collects in the tank. Draining the tank will remove corrosive sediment and keep it from clogging up your hot water heater. It will also mean that the water you use to shower with does not pass through a sediment-filled reservoir before you use it bathe. When you are done draining the hot water heater, follow the instruction manual and restart it. Look into the burner chamber that displays a flame. The flame should be entirely blue; if you see yellow or orange you might need to have the valves that feed the flame cleaned out.
• Drain exterior faucets- You don’t need water to set idly in your plumbing. Turn of the water feed to the faucets on the outside of your home and then go turn each one on and allow it to drain. This will remove sediment and keep standing water from growing mildew and/or leading to corroded pipes that will leak.
• Drains- A well working drain turns standing water into a swirling display that quickly and effectively removes spent water. If your drains are slow to remove water or if bubbles are coming back up from your drain you have an issue. You can try plunging, chemical drain cleaning products or you can purchase an inexpensive disposable device that you insert into a drain to clear any debris at your local hardware store. If none of these fix the clogged drain the problem could lie deeper than you are ready to handle and you should call a professional.
• Toilets- Toilets play an important role from a plumbing and a sanitation perspective, so they must stay in good shape. Make sure that they do not rock back and force when you push them. If they do, they need to be anchored; a moving toilet can lead to leaky or broken pipes. Also take off the top and make sure that interior parts are in working order. The plug should fit snugly in the drain at the base of the toilet and should not leak. Otherwise the interior of your toilet could have one of several basic kits. So long as the toilet is not “running” and fills and drains efficiently when flushed, you should be in the clear.

Preventative plumbing maintenance is necessary. It can save you headaches and reduce repair bills even if they are necessary. If your inspection turns up some leaky pipes then you should consider professional help. Feel free to visit us online, we have replaced toilets from Bradenton to Orlando and helped with many other plumbing problems.

Sources:

Do It Yourself.com

Good Services Plumbing and Heating

All Bay Home Inspection

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Kids need to get outside and run around. Their bodies need the exercise and their parents need for them to release some pent-up energy. With all of the video games, websites and flat screen televisions that kids have access to, it is sometimes a little tough to convince them that they need to be outside and active. One great way to help coax them away from television or computer is to have backyard playground equipment installed. It gives them a toy that will keep them active and entertained for hours.

There are some things to take into account when you are choosing playground equipment for your children. You have to evaluate your back yard, all of the available products, and what your children need, among other factors.

Safety First

Every parent is concerned with the safety of their children. Backyard playground equipment can be very safe but you have to take a few things into account.

• What it’s made of- Playground equipment generally is made of wood, plastic or metal. All of these materials can be very durable, so long as you keep a few factors in mind.
  • Metal- Look for play sets constructed of galvanized steel. This is a durable, rust-resistant material that can handle the pressure your kids will put on the equipment while swinging, jumping, and otherwise having a good time.
  • Wood- You need a wood that doesn’t rot easily on its own (redwood or cedar) or that has been pressure treated. Wood that rots will eventually lead to injury, so spend the extra money.
• Corners- Your kids are going to be running and diving on the equipment. Look for equipment that does not have a lot of sharp corners, or better yet a set that has soft plastic covers over every corner.
• Two Yards- In this case, we mean six feet. This is the distance of open space that, at minimum, should be left open around the equipment. Swinging, sliding and other playful activity needs space, so do not put your child’s play set near a building, fence, or any other object.
• Flat surface- Your yard will probably need to be leveled before you have your playground equipment installed. Setting up a play set on uneven ground leads to a dangerously wobbly place for your children to play.
• Maintenance- Having a professional install the equipment lets you know that it is set up correctly and safely. Down the road you will want to pull out your tool set and make sure that all of the nuts and bolts are tightened and that your child is playing on structurally sound equipment.

Features

Some sets have slides, while others have swings or other features. Think about what will best suit your child when evaluating a play set.

• Swings- Swings are very popular features. Make sure that your children have a clear path while swinging (the six-foot rule) and that the bar that suspends the swings is made of steel or an extremely strong material. Also remember to check weight restrictions to ensure that your child’s weight is accommodated.
• Slides- These are very popular features and are usually made of a sturdy plastic. Make sure the slide will not drop your child in front of the swings or into an area that is likely to be heavily trafficked.
• Education- If you have small children, you can buy sets with features that will help stimulate their minds. Moving parts or attachments with letters and shapes can be a great for toddlers to learn basic lessons while playing outside. Do keep in mind that a play set entirely designed for little kids will not be fun once your children are a little older.
• Ropes, nets and ladders- Most equipment will have various ways for your kids to climb on or inside. Ladders and rope nets are fun for older kids, but might be a bit much for the younger ones. Make sure that your play set has options for every child in the family; you might also want to consider waiting to install some of the features geared towards older kids until your child grows up a bit.

Adding some playground equipment is a great way to get your kids outdoors. If your yard doesn’t accommodate a play set, you can look into a basketball hoop on the driveway or something similar. Spending a little bit now can keep your kids active for years to come.

Sources:
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
My Great Home
Choosing Backyard Play Equipment

Related Posts:
Kid Friendly Renovations

With the housing market offering some very favorable purchase prices around Florida, some people are considering investing in rental properties. If you have the right outlook, a solid plan and a partnership with a reliable handyman, this might be just the right way to build up your nest egg. If not, it might be a better idea to leave this form of income to those who are a little better suited.

The Right Outlook

• Know what you want- You can’t just jump into a rental property without knowing what you want to get out of it. Do you want profit every month from collecting rent, or are you willing to wait a decade while tenants pay your mortgage and then collect on resale? Knowing how you intend to make your money can make or break your landlord experience.
• Expect to do collections- Becoming a landlord will mean becoming a debt collector at some point. Not to say that every, or even most, people who rent will skip out on payments, but ask any experienced landlord and he will tell you that collecting overdue rent comes with the territory. Some will even tell you that security deposits are as much about insurance from unpaid rent, as they are about damaged drywall or stained carpet.
• Plan to address customer service- Your tenants will expect some level of service, not to mention that you will be legally obliged to provide it. If water pipes break on a holiday, the special occasion does not allow you to ignore the problem. You will also have to build lasting relationships with good tenants in order to maintain steady income. If this doesn’t sound like you, then being a landlord might not be your thing.

A Solid Plan

• Consider your finances- Do you know how much the house will actually cost you after expenses like taxes, insurance, repairs and improvements? (Note that the IRS differentiates repairs and improvements.) Are you aware that you can get a bank loan for a rental property but that the interest rate will surely be higher than the one associated with your residential mortgage? Do you have enough liquid assets—i.e. cash in the bank—to make unexpected repairs or cover your property taxes when they are due? Ask yourself these questions, then review some of the common write-offs—yes there are tax benefits to being a landlord—that the IRS details for you here.
• Length of ownership- Knowing how long you will own a property is instrumental in successful real estate investment. Planning to own a property for five years requires a different investment strategy than planning on owning the same parcel for 20 years. Length of ownership dictates how much you will spend on repairs/improvements, which ultimately influences what you will upgrade on the property. Keep in mind that the housing market is down everywhere from Tampa to Melbourne and the value of a property you buy in 2011 could drop by 2012 or 2013, as there is no assurance that the housing market has hit bottom. On the other hand, buying in a severely devalued market with a long-term plan could put your kids through college if that part of the state rebounds over the next 15 years.
• Details- You must know exactly how you intend to buy and then subsequently manage the property. Come up with a fixed spending limit for the purchase. Some landlords use basic calculation such as deciding on realistic rent for the property and then not paying more for the property plus immediate repairs than they can feasibly collect in six to eight years. Knowing what to expect monetarily will help you decide if a property that looks great on paper is really an investment lemon. You also must detail management issues such as amount of security deposits, whether and how you will do background checks (criminal and financial), a pet policy, who will represent you legally when an issue arises that goes to court, etc. If you are not a detail person, then investing in rental properties is probably not for you.

A Good Handyman

• Quality work- Unless you are a craftsman, and most people aren’t, you need someone who can make quality repairs and upgrades to the property. Getting a great deal on a property almost always means putting cash into it to make it rentable. Cheap houses have old plumbing, outdated cabinets and probably exterior issues like a need for new soffits and fascia. Building a relationship with a quality handyman is a necessary part of being a landlord.
• Reach- Many savvy landlords own properties in multiple cities because you buy property by value and not location. Maybe you own a single family home in Ft. Myers, a condo in Bradenton and a villa in Clearwater. If you know the right handyman, he will be able to make repairs and upgrades to all of your properties, saving you the hassle of tracking down three separate repair companies.
• Availability- This might be the best reason to go with a handyman and not a contractor. When a tree goes through the front windows of one of your properties, you don’t want to hear that your contractor took a bid elsewhere or that your independent fly-by-night repair guy does not want to work that week. Make sure that your service provider can have a handyman out to your property ASAP. Repairs jobs don’t follow a schedule, yet they must be addressed quickly.

Sources:

MSN Money

Investing in Rental Property

Internal Revenue Service

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Finishing Touches

Time for Floors: Laminate Verse Hardwood

Seal It Up

An old adage tells us that you only have one chance to make a first impression. When it comes to commercial properties, a first impression is often made by the entryway. The entrance to a business needs to be functional of course, but adding a design element to the mix can ensure that your customers are greeted by a storefront that both impresses and accommodates.

Think Function First

• Doors- You need to funnel traffic in and out of your doors correctly. Hopefully the builder put in large enough doors to accommodate your floor space. If not, or if you have taken over some neighboring space vacated by a closed business, you may need to remodel your entryway with larger doors. If you are in an older plaza and your customers regularly carry large items out of the building, you might want to consider automatic doors or at least ones that open and close easily. Don’t forget the aesthetics if you are switching out doors. Commercial entry doors come in a variety of styles in addition to a variety of sizes. Going for the cheapest door may save you some cash, but appearance-wise it will be just that…cheap.
• Cover- Naples thunderstorms can slow business down. Don’t hamper the customers who do come out in the rain by not providing cover for them over your entryway. Anything from a simple, yet clean looking, canvas awning to a full-on wooden covering will help keep your customers dry and dress up your storefront.
• Flooring- Even once you have added cover you will likely need to keep water in mind; after all it is Florida. Go for concrete or install slip-resistant tile. The tile will look better and help to keep customers from falling. This will free up traffic and help reduce your liability if a customer ever does become injured.

Don’t Forget Design

• Put your best foot forward- Your building probably already has at least one admirable characteristic. Don’t take this away when you remodel your commercial property. Any historical significance in the architecture should be emphasized, not covered up. Focus on replacing the “uglier” aspects for your entryway and use the aesthetically pleasing portions as a basis for your new design.
• Chic and durable- People associate commercial buildings with concrete, brick, stucco and other durable materials. If you are currently in a building that has deteriorating siding or wood, your customers might get the impression that your business is cheap at first glance. Don’t let material choice or lack of maintenance give customers the wrong idea; get someone out there to fix your building. At the very least replace siding with newer, cleaner more durable varieties. If you are in a mixed use property that is fine; siding may be a good option for the residential units upstairs, but choose something different for your entrance.
• Details- Detail work can really add to the aesthetics of your commercial property. Paint the trim of a storefront window a complementary color. It improves the look of your entry and can potentially attract peoples’ attention, i.e. they will look at the merchandise in your window. Don’t stop at window trim–paint rails and anything else that could use a little sprucing up. The only thing that you may want to avoid painting is brick or finished concrete; these building materials look good on their own. It should go without saying, but avoid loud or disorderly colors unless they somehow can be worked into the branding of your business.
• Announce yourself- Your sign is a necessary means of announcing your presence. It should also work with the theme of your entryway. Make sure it is visible (you might need more space than the landlord originally gave you. Bring this up now or wait until they want you to sign another lease) from multiple angles or at least from both ways that traffic travels on the street. Think about your logo and colors when you are choosing paint for your trim–everything should match so as to be visually appealing.

The point is to make sure that your storefront is presentable. A few commercial renovations might be the difference between an inviting storefront and one that makes customers take their business up the street.

Sources:

The Tile Doctor

Iowa Department of Transportation

City of Minneapolis

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