Category Eco-Friendly Properties

How Clean is the Air Inside Your Home?

 

 Indoor Air Quality is Important

The air inside a home can become unhealthy. It isn’t always a matter of lack of cleanliness or neglect to address dirty air problems.

Even in new and unoccupied homes, indoor air quality can be compromised. Air is that component of human existence that may seem invisible. Yet, there are times when air is quite visible.

For example, a cold winter day with frigid temperatures will show air expelled from each human breath. You can also see air in a glass container as water is poured into it too quickly. We hear air escaping when it is released from a flat tire.

Air is a mix of several types of gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. These gases contain tiny molecules. This is a clue to learning how to judge the level of air quality in your home.

Become an Air Quality Inspector

Once you know the air is a mix of gases, it makes a home inspection for potential problems easier to find.

The internal areas of your home have several possible causes of dirty air. Dust accumulates easily in homes located in windy areas just as it does in sandy beach locations. Dust in airstreams occurs when particles heavier than air clings to air molecules.

It is important to create a designated inspection list to ensure the air inside your home is clean. The list should include:

. Inspecting heating, cooling, and ventilating units and ductwork that collect dust and give off musty odors when actively in operation

. Replace furnace and A/C filters regularly

. Check pipes for leaks that create mold and mildew odors

. Vacuum floors, upper areas of walls, and draperies to remove dust

. Steam clean kitchen areas where cooking odors and grease lodge on walls

. Regular upholstery cleaning to remove stale odors

. Keep pet areas inside the home fresh and clean

. Sanitize floors and carpets regularly

Clean Air Inside Your Home for Good Health

Once you identify the causes of air quality problems, you may want to invest in an air purifier. For individuals prone to lung and sinus problems, an air duct cleaning can reduce the amount of dirty air inside the home.

Contrary to popular belief, opening windows may add to air quality problems depending on location. Keep in mind the use of air fresheners, hair spray, and perfumes in aerosol form adds to odor buildup in the air and on all surfaces.

An air quality professional begins with a sniff test. Next, special detection and metering equipment identify the particulates in the air and the volume. If the air inside your home is a persistent problem, you may need an indoor air quality expert to test the air.

For minor air quality issues, the best way to judge how clean the air is inside your home is the sniff test. If your nose detects odors, it’s time for cleaning.

 

Dealbreakers for Renters-and How Owners Can Avoid Them

unhappy renter arguing with landlord

 

If you’re a renter, you know how frustrating it is to find the perfect place only to have the landlord tell you that they won’t rent to you because of your income. If this has happened or if another dealbreaker has prevented a renter from renting your property, here are some tips on how owners can avoid them.

Dealbreakers for Renters

Dealbreakers are the specific conditions that renters look for when looking for their new place to live. Some common dealbreakers for renters include:

1. Pets

Dozens of renters will not rent if they cannot have pets, or they will only accept small lap dogs or cats and not other larger animals. If you own the property, this is not your problem. But if you are trying to rent it out, you need to consider this when setting up your advertising and showing the property. You can ask for a pet deposit that is usually equal to one month’s rent, but some tenants will refuse to pay this.

2. No Smoking

Many renters are looking for properties that do not allow smoking. This is becoming more common as concerns about second-hand smoke grow. Some owners only allow tenants who will not smoke in their home, while others include no-smoking rules in the lease, which usually requires a higher security deposit.

3. Employment

Many owners will not rent to tenants who do not have a stable income. If you’re trying to rent out your property and realize that you’ve chosen renters who don’t meet this criterion, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board on choosing your potential tenants. You can resolve this issue by requiring that the tenant have two years of stable employment before allowing them to rent.

4. Cleanliness of the Property

If the property is not well kept you could deter renters. Bad smells and items in disrepair can prevent a potential tenant from renting, no matter how low the rent is.

 

Tips on How Owners Can Avoid Them

If you’re an owner and you realize that you’ve chosen renters with dealbreakers, then there are a few things you can do to avoid them.

1. Ask Questions

When meeting with a potential renter who wants to see one of your properties, do not hesitate to ask them questions about their lifestyle and whether or not they have any pets or children. You can also find out if they smoke by asking specific questions or smelling their clothes.

2. Be Honest

Before working out a deal with potential tenants, owners need to sit down and be honest about the terms of their rental agreement. If you do not allow pets or smoking in your home, say so. Most renters are much more flexible than it appears when it comes to renting and will be open to the idea of having a pet as long as they can afford an extra security deposit.

3. Get Good References

Many owners will ask for references from potential renters, but they need to do more. In addition to asking for written references, you should call the references to see what kind of tenants they were. If most of their references are landlords, then it is likely that this tenant will be the same way.

4. Keep up With Maintenance

Be sure that all small projects are kept up with including plumbing fixtures and painting. Perform a thorough steam cleaning before showing the property.

The Takeaway

If you’re an owner and realize that you’ve chosen renters with dealbreakers, then there are ways to avoid them. It would help if you asked questions about their lifestyle, were honest about your terms, and got good references.

Impact of Going Green on Residential Property

Impact of Going Green on Residential Property

There is quite any fuss within the last few decade roughly with the particular rising temperatures with the world, which provides led the particular protest movements against extremely big professional buildings along with those household complexes which can be building up without regards for the environment in any respect. This difficulty required an instant solution and that is provided from the green genuine estates. These environmentally friendly homes usually are not only planning to be the shelters, nevertheless they will furthermore do their particular bit for your environment, for the protection and also conservation.

It is not that only the smaller towns in america of America are getting green, to be able to say. Even the particular big cities for instance Chicago, Nyc have performed programs to market green dwelling, beginning with your green genuine estates. There are numerous evidences which can be found throughout the bigger towns that suggest that there are an more and more growing trend with regards to building any green and also sustainable dwelling. Several components of green are increasingly being incorporated in to the building regarding newer structures for instance condos, apartments and also houses. The people who already use a home may also be making many positive changes which will be of benefit for the Earth and also ensuring any lifestyle which is more conscious in regards to the environment.

When you’re green, it really is of course good to the surroundings, it helps inside the maintenance with the ecological balance inside the Earth. Perhaps one of many worst stored secrets on earth is the natural resources in the world are almost around the brink of being completely used up, and in which too at a rate which will be unsustainable and what exactly is even a lot more thought provoking is in which whatever we opt to do are leaving any carbon presence. The demand around the ecosystem will be, to a point, relieved from the green properties which utilize recycled materials plus the renewable sources, green roofs in addition to energy-conserving devices. The environment-safe residences which can be uncovering a tinge regarding green are utilizing materials which can be pleasant for your environment, which contain bamboo surfaces (that are produced from sustainable materials), re-using outdated building components (which can be, in many cases, salvaged from your buildings which were taken straight down), non-toxic paints, which scarcely cause any problems for the atmosphere as well as other such components.

The usage of the elements which can be very energy-conserving for discussing the structures isn’t only helping the surroundings but also the lender accounts with the residents. The inhabitants of these kind of eco-friendly, green properties are conserving almost 50% with the amount on their utility bills and so are also offered tax benefits as well as other incentives from your government. Despite the fact that, in first, the expense of developing greener factors into the existing home would have been a bit large but eventually, these will probably be compensated and you may see massive profits serving into your bank account.

So carry out your bit for your environment and green living!

Does Going Green Cost More?

Does Going Green Cost More

Global warming is probably the biggest universal conditions that we are usually facing nowadays, and lots of people should consider a approach on how you can reverse the consequences of international warming. Sadly, there are lots of people who remain unaware of what they are capable of doing so that you can help the fight it, and they’re also unaware of what they are capable of doing so that you can minimize the effects.

Eco-friendly properties are reported to be one of the better things that an individual may do so that you can fight international warming, but lots of people are saying which it would cost big money. This is why there are only some people who are considering building their particular eco-friendly properties. This article will allow you to understand the benefits and drawbacks that you may get from eco-friendly properties and tips on how to benefit as a result.

Are Green Real-Estate is More Pricey

If you’ve planned to create a green real-estate, you must be sure that you will be prepared along with your finances. You is going to be spending twice the quantity you will be spending with an ordinary residence, because there are tons of things that you might want. Keep at heart that these kinds of commodities usually are not cheap, and would certainly require other items that you may not need over a regular residence.

For illustration, you must install solar panel systems to make your property solar-powered. You will end up spending thousands for these kinds of panels, which a lot of people don’t have got. The simply thing you need to consider is which it could help you save money from the electric intake. There already are some self-sufficient buildings which can be not making use of electricity, but these kinds of establishments would certainly cost millions to create.

You also can use eco-friendly paint that may help you absorb carbon inside the air. This may well cost additional money working for you, but take into account that you may also be considering the environmental benefits with this paint, which can be not low-cost. Depending on the sort of paint that you are likely to use, you’ll probably be spending twice how much a typical paint, making eco-friendly houses higher priced.

It does work you will be spending additional money if you are likely to build eco-friendly properties, but we could consider that as the contribution to be able to fight international warming. Rich nations around the world are spending huge amounts of dollars in reducing carbon emission, and spending much more than what you are likely to spend inside ordinary houses is quite small. What you think would function as effects if you can find hundreds regarding green houses in the state?

The simply thing you need to consider can be your finances so that you can build eco-friendly properties. It could be better if you are likely to consult a specialist prior to starting renovating your property, because they can assist you make the decisions any time choosing the particular materials you will be using to your new green real-estate.