Managing Home Maintenance Costs

There are lots of suggestions available on the web about what to do with various problems you may have with your hardwood floor. One piece of advice that we always give to readers is that before you try something on a hardwood floor, always experiment first. If you have a left over piece of hardwood floor use this piece to try your solution on first. If you do not have an extra piece of flooring, then select a location that is out of the way and try it on that area first.  This is the best way to avoid making a small mark even worse on your floor and having everyone notice it. This is one of the cardinal rules of Tackling Simple Wood Floor Problems.

Tackling Simple Wood Floor Problems

The following are a few suggestions, that are untried by the writer, however they have been picked up over the years as potential solutions to hardwood floor problems.

When white water spots mar your floor’s finish? Add a small amount of mineral spirits to an extra-fine (0000) steel wool pad and gently rub the area in a circular motion. Keep the area well ventilated as you work. Do not overwork the area or you will remove the finish that is on your hardwood floor. If your steel wool is not fine enough, you could damage your floor and you may see scratches across the wood. Take extra care when performing this activity.

Heel marks that won’t wipe off? Adding a small amount of wax to an extra-fine (0000) steel wool pad and gently rubbing the area in a circular motion will often remove the heel mark. However once again, if you over do it, you can remove the finish and leave a dull area on your hardwood floor.

Food stains leaving a mark on the floor? Wipe the surface with a damp cloth, rub dry and wax. When removing any stain (from wood or carpet), always work from the outside edge in toward the center.

Secrets to Preserving Hardwood Floors: 3 Must-Follow Rules

To extend the life of your hardwood floor regardless of what the finish is, use  these three simple rules:

• Sweep or vacuum often. Ground-in dirt destroys wood floors. To prevent buildup, clean floors once or twice a day in high-traffic areas, like the kitchen and dining room. In fact avoid placing hardwood flooring in the kitchen. It is a very high traffic area and pron to food spills.
• No time? Cut down on sweeping time by placing a doormat at each entrance to your home. Take your shoes off and leave them at the doormat. Vacuum this area often. (Some estimates suggest that doormats eliminate 80 percent of the dirt tracked inside!)
• Wipe up mud and spills immediately. Make sure that you clean all spills, including food that can leave marks. Wood is easily damaged by water.
• Choose carpeting wisely. While carpets will protect the floor there are a couple of issues. The floor surrounding the throw rug or carpet will bleach over time from the sun.  If you aim to protect your wood floor with a rug, remember that rug dyes have been known to stain floors, and plastic backings may affect the wood finish.  Plastic or rubber backings may stick to the floor and be very difficult to remove without damaging the floor. Ask an expert from the  carpet store to recommend an appropriate  underpad as a safeguard.

Our next post will be about removing dents and marks in your hardwood floors. If you found this post helpful and wish to leave a comment please do so. We also appreciate any suggestions that will also help our readers as well. If you are an expert please feel free to comment.

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I used to have Ethernet cables running around my office to connect up several computers that I owned. There was no Wifi at home. This is from the cable modem that we receive our internet connection with. I even had an Ethernet cable running from my office out the door , along the walls and over to the couch so that I could multi task at night. This included watching my favorite show or at least being in the same room as my wife in the evening. While I kept track of email or played a game or kept up with Twitter and Facebook.

Now with WiFi all of the cables are gone and my wife is happier since there are no cables running around the room. She still is not happy about my multi tasking when we are supposed to be spending time together. Oh Well. It was pretty simple as well. The cable company came and replaced the old modem which had only Ethernet connections with one that had Ethernet and WiFi capability. I do not even use the Ethernet any more preferring to use the WiFi when I am at home regardless of what room I am in, including the office.

WiFi Products are Interoperable!

Wi-Fi products from all manufacturers are easy to connect together. The Wi-Fi Alliance has awarded more than 11,000 product certifications to devices that have been tested for interoperability. This ensures that they are good neighbors to other Wi-Fi equipment. This means that they won’t interfere with operation in other products that you have in your home. Or while you are traveling about outside of the home with your WiFi enabled computer.Many coffee shops now have WiFi for their customers , although some limit the connection time to 2 hours.

All Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products have been tested to operate well on wireless networks. They contain the latest security features to protect users who are connecting to the Internet over the WiFi network.

Is Wifi at home for Me?

If you want to avoid having unsightly cables running around your home, WiFi is definitely for you. That really is the main reason for WiFi. It allows you to roam around your home or office within specific distances and still be on the internet. Upstairs, in the basement, out side on the driveway or in the backyard.  Best reception for WiFi devices is found when you locate the WiFi in the center of your home or as close to that as you can.  Some people have had weak signals if they locate the modem in the basement and they are at te other extreme end of the house.

Everyone can use Wi-Fi, almost anywhere in the world, in coffee shops, in their homes, even at the office. We will discuss WiFi more for business in the next post. Home Wi-Fi networks act as a gateway to the internet. As well as they can connect multiple devices to each other, to audio and video content, and to the Internet via a single high-speed connection. A Wi-Fi network can connect a family’s computers, media and display devices together. There are no cables to share hardware and media resources such as printers, audio files and Internet access.

Summary

We think that just getting rid of the cables and being able to wander around the house or yard with your computer, your smart phone or iPod is a real bonus. You are still be connected and it is by far the most advantageous benefit for having WiFi in the home.

If you have similar ideas or thoughts about WiFi at home, please leave us a comment. All helpful and thoughtful comments will be approved. We will even approve a link to your web site if you provide a quality comment  that is interesting and helpful to our readers.

For more information about using WiFi in your home, click here.

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This post is discussing the alternative energy businesses and follows our previous post about the renewable energy business  evolution. You might want to read that post first before reading this one since it is the 2nd post in a series we are doing about alternative energy businesses.

As we write this post, the big electrical companies are wondering if they are going to meet their targets of 30% power generation from renewable sources by 2020. The price of solar panels is coming down which makes home solar solutions more economical. Many government grants are either ending and not being renewed. Some are being reduced which also impacts the solar panel demand. Finally the environmentalists are getting into the act. They are delaying or in some cases stopping the construction of solar farms and even wind farms.

Our last post discussed how the industry was in it’s infancy and had many more evolutionary steps to take before it became mature. But what is the average homeowner supposed to do? should they invest in a small solar panel farm on the roof of their house? Should the investor invest in one of these solar companies and hope to reap millions as the business and the industry matures? These are just some of the very difficult questions. One company we talked to indicated that in California, with the weather they get, they can pretty much guarantee a 4 year payback. In addition they establish a reserve fund that pays for any maintenance that is needed on the units installed on your roof.

Investing in Alternative Energy Businesses

There are also thousands of small businesses that have invested in training and materials. They have done this to get into the business of installing and maintaining solar systems for consumers. Also for small business people who want to generate their own power.

This is a tough business which is impacted by some of the issues we have just mentioned. But also the ongoing competitive oil industry. Generally speaking the higher the price of oil goes, the better it is for the solar and wind farm industry. If oil peaks and then falls again, this will take much of the steam out of the push to become independent of the Mideast oil as a country.

Watch Every Dollar

Having worked in an unrelated business start-up, the advice that can be provided is that you need to watch every dollar. Only spend it when you are sure that there is going to be decent ROI associated with the investment.

This statement applies to everything including manpower, training, tools, vehicles and office space. With the industry in such turmoil, you need to make sure you have the cash flow to withstand any upticks.

With unemployment so high, this is not the time to pay high salaries. However you do want to have great staff. A combination of salary and bonus based on how well the company does is one way of tying the business results to keeping good people.

Consumers Beware of Long Term Alternative Energy Deals

Just the fact that this business is in its infancy should tell you that there will be lots of change. Especially over the next 10 years let alone 20 years. 20 years is the contract term of some agreements. The technology will change and improve immensely. The price of equipment will certainly fall as the technology is mass produced.

The only way to protect yourself whether you are a consumer or a small business is to invest very carefully. Look for solid ROI’s and short-term payback on your investment of 5 years or even less. Some people would suggest that even 5 years is too long in this volatile market.

We will be writing more on this subject, so please stay tuned for more posts on this subject and others.

For more thoughts about conserving energy and reducing your energy foot print, click here.

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Every electronics store tries to sell you insurance for your new cell phone. In fact they try to sell insurance for just about everything you purchase these days and we were wondering if it is worth it? The consensus is that you should not purchase cell phone insurance, or for that matter any other insurance for electronics. There are a number of reasons for believing that this is the right approach and there are a number of situations were you may decide to go ahead an purchase cell phone insurance. We will try to cover these situations in this post and the next one, When to buy cell phone insurance. It will be out in two weeks time so come back to our web site to see the next post.

Is Cell Phone Insurance Expensive

Cell phone insurance to begin with is expensive compared to the cost of most cell phones unless you have an expensive PDA or smart phone. It can cost as much as 4 or $5 a month for some phones, which comes to $48 or $60 a year. I do not know about you, but I can use that money elsewhere! If you do lose your phone, you may have to go to the phone store and purchase another one at full price. However depending on your usage, your cell phone provider may partially compensate you for a new phone. Heavy users can get almost any phone they want any time due to the high fee’s they pay. Some cell phone providers automatically provide a free credit towards your next phone after one year so depending on when you lose it you may pay less than you expect.

Other Insurance Options

Depending on the type of credit card you have, your cell phone may be covered on your credit cards insurance. Usually they extend the manufacturers insurance by one year. They also cover lost or stolen items as well. It depends on the type of card you have. You must charge the cost of the cell phone to your credit card for the insurance to be active.

One thing we learned about out credit card is that it only extends the manufacturers warranty for the item, in this case your cell phone. If you purchase extended insurance from the store for your cell phone, you are actually covered twice, if your credit card also provides coverage. In this case it makes no sense at all to purchase an extended warranty!

Probability of Losing your Cell Phone or Having it Stolen

We really do not know what the probability is. However I am sure you know of or have heard of people losing their cell phones. In 30 years we have never lost one and none of my friends have ever lost a cell phone.  Electronics are so dependable these days that they virtually never fail unless you keep them for a very long time. They either work well right out of the box or not at all. So it is pretty easy to tell if you need your cell phone replaced under warranty.

We just do not think it makes financial sense to purchase cell phone insurance and pay the extra fees that are involved.  This applies by the way to all other electronics as well . Save your money to spend on other things. We can all use extra money these days and this is a way to save some money.

In our next post we will examine a few situations were you might actually consider purchasing cell phone insurance. Also what the fine print can say and deductibles that might be an issue for some people. We will have it out in two weeks time on this web site. Stay tuned!

For more information about cell phone reviews, click here.

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Just returned from Costco, where we had our tires checked and rotated. What a great service these guys provide. More on that in a bit. Approximately 6 months ago I went through a laborious task of trying to decide where I was going to buy a new set of tires for my car.

I say laborious because I checked on web sites and over the phone for prices and service conditions. This took a bit of time to do and then I went to the two places that offered the best price for the tires and the best advertised service. My short list was America’s Tire, Walmart and Costco, all in Palm Springs, California.

• Tire rotation was one of the items on my list, in addition to :
• Price of the tires
• Tire Warranty in terms of miles
• Service level and knowledge of tires
• Service after purchase
  • Tire rotation
  • Balancing
  • Tire pressure
  • Tire check up

Visit the Location

All three locations that I mentioned above met all of the requirements and prices were pretty close, but you get a much different feel about the place you are making your purchase from when you visit the location.

My first visit was Walmart and although they actually had the best price, I was very disappointed with the service I received. Once you decide on the tires you are going to purchase, it is a simple thing to compare price, and service levels. However for the Walmart people I spoke to, this was difficult. They had a hard time getting a price for me and then when I asked them about tire rotation etc I drew a blank look. I really did not get a warm feeling about making a $600 purchase from some one who did not know what they were talking about. Crossed them off the list.

It came down to America’s tire and Costco. There were really was nothing wrong with America’s tire other than the national and international coverage they provided. They were really only in the US and their stores were in various locations. Since we travel a great deal we had to rule them out although we really liked this store, their service level and the technicians knowledge.

Costco Tire Rotation and More

It came down to Costco who had a very good price on the tires and also offered after service for free Costco tire rotation, free Costco tire balancing and free tire checks of air pressure and condition of the tires. So enough of the background on why we chose Costco to purchase our tires.

Yesterday we took the car into Costco in Palm Springs. There was no wait time. It was late  on a Sunday afternoon and they were not that busy.  All we had to do is to show our original receipt. They took the keys and made arrangements for the tire rotation to be done. Within half an hour the tire rotation was completed while we shopped in the Costco store.  After making our purchases, we found our waiting at the entrance to the tire shop for us to pick up.

My tires are filled with nitrogen and they topped this up as well so all in all this was a really good deal. In Canada, I would pay at least $100 for the same service, however I can take the car to a Costco in Canada and receive the same service.

We are really satisfied with our decision to buy cars from Costco! If you have had a similar experience, let us and our readers know by leaving a comment. This is a really great deal and really great service.

Vacant Home Property Management

We recently received an email from a client who was looking for someone to look after their home for a one year period. This person is with the armed forces and is being posted out of the country for a period of one year. They have obviously decided that they do not want to rent their home to someone while they are away and they also want to be able to return from time to time during vacation periods and other time periods. They need a number of services which we will discuss in this post.

Vacant Home Property Management Services

They are taking the right approach to ensure that their home is looked after while they are away. This is where vacant home property management comes in, regardless of whether you have a friend, a neighbor or a family member look after the home. There are two really important things to consider when you hire someone or ask a favor of someone.

First you need to always check with your insurance company to ensure that you meet their requirements for monitoring while the home is vacant. Failure to have the home monitored adequately could void your home insurance and void any claim you might have while you are away.

Each insurance company is different in their requirements. Some want the water turned off and they want someone to check on the home every day. While other insurance companies are ok as long as someone checks on the home at least once per week. We will touch on pricing in our next post, Charges for Vacant Home Management.

The second item to consider that is important is who you have look after your home while you are away. Regardless of who you have do this important task, they need to be dependable. They need to be able to always check your home according to the schedule you set and they need to be able to deliver a report to you after each visit.

Claims for Home Insurance

This is so important because if there is a claim to you insurance company, you will need to be able to confirm that someone was visiting the house according to the schedule they require. Hopefully there will be no situations that require the involvement of the insurance company etc, however these same people should also be able to deal with these situations under your direction.

Choose your home sitter or property manager carefully and not just on price alone. Price is important, however you really need to make sure that you have the services you need. Most professional companies will have a checklist that they will walk you through to confirm all details associated with management of your home. After all, your home is your most valuable possession as are the the things in it. Why would you take a chance with your most important possession.

What are Insurance Companies Concerned About

For most insurance companies the major worry is water damage from leaking pipes. If you live in a cold climate were the pipes could freeze you are going to need someone to check more often unless you drain the pipes and turn the water off. Of course they want the security of the home confirmed each time, but the big worry is whether the furnace is working and the temperature is high enough inside the home to avoid water freezing in the pipes.

This is where a professional property management company can really help you. They should visit your home on a regular schedule defined by you and they should also provide you with a report confirming that someone from the property management firm visited the home and verified the security, the temperature inside the home and that there are no water leaks.

They are also concerned about break-ins, however there is not much you can do about this other than make sure that the home looks like it is lived in. Make sure that all newspapers and flyers are taken in every day and that the lawn is cut on a regular basis. These are dead give indicators to a vacant home.

Make it Look Lived In

Some home owners will also arrange for lights on timers to come on at regular scheduled intervals in the rooms that you use. It makes no sense to have lights on in rooms that you do not use normally. Have the lights and timers in the rooms that you use and follow your regular schedule.

In our next post we will discuss Charges for Vacant Home Management. If you have comments on this post please leave them. We love to get comments that our readers will enjoy and find helpful.

For more information on vacant home checklists, click here.