As a home inspector I love sharing tips and information with home owners and I ran across an article that listed several of the top home improvements that could be done for less than five hundred dollars.  When you’re trying to sell your home one of the best things to check is your curb appeal. 

1. Wall paper just one wall in a room - this alone can change the appearance of a room dramatically and yet still be affordable. 

2. Kitchen roll outs - take out the out dated shelves and add kitchen roll outs.  This is one of the most satisfying upgrades you can do.  It brings everything that was tucked away into sight.  (Don’t tell my wife, I can just see this being added to my honey do list!)  They say this only takes 15 minutes per rollout, Let me know your opinion.

3. Track lighting - this is another addition to our home that my wife wants to add.  Track lighting lets you put the lighting exactly where you want it.  My wife has an island that she wants to add this to.  (I see my list growing.)

4. Closet organized - The name of this one says it all.  Wire shelving is inexpensive and easy to install.  Organization is the key to happiness. 

5. Add curb appeal - transform your front entrance with small accents and minor changes. 

There you go 5 top home improvements that you can do without a lot of hassle and it won’t take a fortune to do it.  Now that I’ve given you this list I had better go get started on my own.  For your pre listing inspections be sure to give your Atlanta Home inspector a call today at 404-788-2581. 

Now if you’re like my wife, if I did all five of these to get it ready for sell, we may be rethinking the idea.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock,

Atlanta and all of North Georgia.  Call David today at 404-788-2581 to get your dream home

inspected.

We are proud to offer our new FREE Home Concierge Services where one call does it all,

Satellite, Internet, Cable TV, Home Security, and Phone.  Call 1-866-594-4871 and provide

them with access code 1008126.  Call our Free Home Concierge Services to save time, save

money and simplify life!

You can also schedule your own home inspection today online.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time. 

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our

inspection report.

As the Atlanta Home Inspector I am constantly looking for home owner tips to help out new and old home owners alike.  I ran across this one from a guy by the name of Kent Keith from Fort Worth Texas. It was called cheap wall paper remover and is definately one of those things that I have never heard of. You use old fashioned windshield washer fluid, check out the rest of his Kent Keith’s blog for more information.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia. Call him today at 404-788-2581 to get your dream home inspected.

We are proud to offer our new FREE Home Concierge Services where one call does it all, Satellite, Internet, Cable TV, Home Security, and Phone. Call 1-866-594-4871 and provide them with access code 1008126. Call our Free Home Concierge Services to save time, save money and simplify life!

You can also schedule your own home inspection today online.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

Here is a great tip for making your home inspection go smoother from David Lelak an Atlanta Hme Inspector.

Find out how simply lowering your grade around your house can help with selling your home faster and with less hassel or why you want to maintain the grade level and what this prevents….

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.
You can also schedule your own home inspection today.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report

As an Atlanta home inspector, I like to give tips on the best ways to maintain your property. This time, I want to talk to you about your gutters and downspouts. They should be cleaned and inspected at least semi-annually. Typically the best times to tackle the job or spring and fall. The reason that you need to keep your gutters cleaned out is because when their full and backed up, flooding can occur as well as roof leaks caused by water seepage.

There’s no easy way to tackle this job and if you’re not a really great do-it-yourselfer there are professional companies that you can hire that will do the job for you. Using a garden often washes debris into the downspouts and often causes clogs and consequently more work.

The best way to do this job is to simply attach a latter to the roof and have a garbage bag or a bucket handy so that you can take and clean the gutters and put the debris in the bucket or bag. Then use a garden hose to wash away the dirt or residue.

If by chance there is a backlog in your downspouts. Then you’ll need to use a plumber’s snake to dislodge the clog! Hope this helps home owners out there.. And if you have screens on your gutters, lucky you.

Now just for your enjoyment here’s a video showing what happens when you allow a blockage in your system

IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today!

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

Atlanta Home Inspector gives you several reasons why you should never buy a new home without a home inspection. So many times we think we’re getting the best home possible without the issues that an older home would have. I mean, let’s face it “it’s a brand new roof, and a reputable builder with great contractors.”

Well I just had the privilege of doing a home inspection on another brand new home and one of the main issues was the painters failed to finish painting the area around the upper roof line and it would not have been seen if I had not walked the roof. But the roof alone once again had several small issues and I ended up with over 25 pictures. Now nothing that I found was a deal killer, but it was definitely issues that the home owner needed taken care of. When I inspect a new home I go out of my way to let the new home owner know that I am gong to point out even small stuff, so that the builder is not stuck with it later on, right now the contractors are still around, who knows what will happen in a year, the contractors may still be there or they may not. So let’s take care of things right now.

Please let me encourage you, to encourage your new home buyers to have an inspection done. It is such a great way to have your check list ready.
David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia. Be sure to visit us at www.AskYourGeorgiaHomeInspector.com

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today!

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

David Lelak, an Atlanta Home Inspector was out doing an Alpharetta Home Inspection and found the issue where the electric wire coming directly into the home had a large gap all the way around where the wire came in. This is not a big deal; it is more of a maintenance issue. There are two reasons that you would want to seal around wiring or plumbing coming from the outside to the inside.

The first reason is to prevent entrance to insects and rodents. You don’t want these critters sharing your living space. The second reason would be to prevent heat or cooling loss, especially if the hole is in a conditioned area. A simple fix for this is to use a foam spray called Great Stuff. You simply spray it in and it expands to fill the cracks and holes.

Getting your home inspected by a certified home inspector can not only help with the major safety issues, but it can help with maintenance issues and energy efficient issues also.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.  Be sure to visit us at www.AskYourGeorgiaHomeInspector.com

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

If you are concerned about the price of electricity and fuel going up then look at these energy saving tips from the Atlanta Home Inspector. When the price of heating fuel or electricity goes up, it means higher bills at home to keep temperatures comfortable. If you’re concerned with these issues then don’t just sit around your Alpharetta or Roswell home and look at the thermostat. You need to check and see if your home is sealed and insulated properly.

All openings in the walls, including windows and doors, can bring warm or hot air into the home and pull cool air out, causing your air conditioner to work over time. Sealing these areas with caulk or weather stripping can help prevent this problem. To test for weak areas, visually inspect the exterior of windows and doors. Focus on the area between the window trim and the exterior siding of the home. Any cracked or missing sealant should be repaired.

Inside, you can use a candle to check for drafty windows and doors. Hold a lit candle close to the window and door seams. If the flame bends, flickers or goes out it could be a sign of a draft. When caulking either the exterior or the interior of the windows, remember to move slow enough with the tube or caulking gun to fill in all the gaps completely. Always clean out the old caulking before adding new. I gave these same tips out while on a Roswell Home Inspection.

We are a certified Home Energy Audit technician through Home Energy Tune Up a CMC Energy Services company.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.  Be sure to visit us at www.AskYourGeorgiaHomeInspector.com

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

If you’re like most home owners and have a busy family and a crazy household schedule, there’s isn’t a “good” time to reseal tubs, showers, sinks and countertops.Waiting 24 hours for traditional caulk to dry before using their tubs, showers, sinks and counters, is not a luxury most people have. Because of this they simply overlook this inexpensive home maintenance project. Overlooking this can turn a small maintenance task into a major repair project.Here is a couple of signs that will give you a clue that it is now time to reseal:

1. If the caulking around the tub, shower doorframe, shower handles, stall base, toilet, countertop or sink is cracked, shrunken, missing or moldy, it’s time to recaulk.

2. Current caulk has mold, mildew or soap scum on it. Old or severely discolored caulking should be completely removed and the area properly cleaned and dried before new caulk is applied. Knowing when to recaulk can help busy homeowners quickly and easily update the seal around bathroom and kitchen fixtures. The key is to keep a well-maintained, clean and tight seal around water-prone areas to prevent big repair bills down the road. And to help homeowners and remodelers do this, Polyseamseal has introduced a new, fast-dry silicone system. Polyseamseal EST Speed Seal creates a durable, flexible and watertight seal that will withstand water contact only two hours after application, allowing you to shower in two hours, which is 12 times faster than traditional sealants.

Here is two benefits that I really liked:Fast-Dry Silicone System withstands shower and water contact in two hours so you can “Shower in 2 Hours”Cured Sealant is Mold & Mildew ResistantFor more information on caulking the kitchen and bathroom, or for product information, visit www.polyseamseal.com.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.