Fall Chores

Now that the leaves have begun their decent, we must be sure that the vital pathways of the roof are clear to allow for thawing and proper diversion of water – away from the foundation. Think of your the gutters on your house as the veins of the house. If they are clogged, things start to back up.  Ice Damning is a perfect example of a potential result of backlogged gutters.

Use the buddy-system if you are going up on the roof.  Make sure the ladder is tall enough to safely reach the top (so you can get back down!) some other roof cleaning options are mentioned on This Old House.

As you sweat from raking all the leaves – breathing in the crisp autumn air – remember, you’ll be done with “yard” work for the winter.  City of Madison leaf collection.  To make it less of a chore, do sections of the yard throughout the week.  Less aches and more Vitamin D.

Hostas and most perennials can be cut back: Perennial Fall Maintenance.  This helps with raking and will reduce the soggy spring plant bed preparation. A great way to stay green is to use decomposing yard waste bags as you clean the green away.

If you plan to use your wood fireplace, now is the time to get it inspected. Contact your local Fireplace installer to find a knowledgeable chimney sweep that can service your area. Remember to keep stacked wood away from the foundation of your home (especially if your home is made of wood!) A tarp will keep the moisture off of the wood. Bring in only what you need to use.

Before the snow flies, make sure that all the hoses are disconnected, emptied and stored for winter to prevent cracking. Double check the exterior faucet to see if there is an interior shut-off valve for the water. Better safe than flodded from a cracked pipe.

Speaking of winter, now is a great time to get first pick on a snow blower-before the first snow rush.  I just bought a Toro CCR 2450 after much online research. I’ll keep you posted on how it throws snow.

Cleaning Up Your Yard in Madison, Important to Your Real Estate Investment

So the weather is great, everyone is a bit happier and without a winter coat (FINALLY!!)! Another highlight, the Madison real estate market is picking up.All the signs are pointing to the start of the spring/summer season. With this season, comes the yard clean ups that are so very important in protecting your Madison real estate investment, your home!

Performing your yard clean up is important for all homeowners, but especially important if you are trying to sell your Madison home. I would encourage all Madison homeowners to take advantage of the Spring Leaf and Garden Waste Collection that is being provided by the city of Madison. It will continue until May 2 and pick up times are dependent upon your Madison property address. Take a look at Madison’s site for more details.

If you happen to miss the pick ups or have a need to drop off the waste yourself you can do that as well. There are 3 locations available to Madison city homeowners;
• EAST: 4602 Sycamore Ave.
• SOUTH: 1501 W. Badger Rd.
• WEST: 402 South Point Rd. (Brush will not be accepted)

All three locations accept the following;
• Leaves,
• Grass clippings,
• Garden debris,
• Flowers and other plant waste. The sites will also accept
• Shrub trimmings shorter that 18″. Tree and shrub trimmings longer than 18″ are considered brush. Brush is accepted at the 1501 W. Badger Rd. and 4602 Sycamore Ave. sites only. Do not bring brush to 402 South Point Rd.

Good Luck and Enjoy the Warm weather while performing your Madison yard clean up! And for all the home sellers in the Madison real estate market right now, don’t forget the importance of curb appeal!

Madison Spring Clean Up, Improve Your Curb Appeal

In an earlier post this week we discussed home maintenance/improvement items that would be most likely to attract Madison area buyers in this competitive real estate market.  One of the items on the list, and probably the most important, was to keep your Madison property clean, uncluttered, and constantly in show ready condition.  This is crucial on the exterior of your home because it will be the first impression of your curb appeal that may prompt prospective buyers to want to view your Madison property.  It is therefore essential that attention has been made to your landscape and yard clean-up.

I therefore wanted to let you know that Spring Leaf and Garden Waste Collection will begin in the city of Madison on April 7th and run through May2, 2008.  If you take a look at the cities site, you will be able to find specific collection pick up dates and times for your neighborhood, as well as directions on how to prepare the leaf piles.  So take advantage of this great Madison city offering and get your property show ready.  Give yourself the best possible advantage to effectively compete in this Madison real estate market. 

How Eco-Friendly is Your Madison Home – A Tip to Appeal to the Madison Buyer

Most people know how important it is to you have your home “sell ready” before putting it on the Madison real estate market. Today’s market is quite competitive with a great deal of inventory available for prospective buyers to choose from. It is therefore very important to consider what home items are most important to Madison area buyers. It is essential that these items have been given consideration before putting a for sale sign in the front yard. When a Madison area seller has given consideration to the buyer’s likes and dislikes, I am seeing that these well maintained and well priced properties are selling rather quickly.An area that is becoming increasingly important to many Madison area buyers is the home’s eco-friendliness level. They want to ensure that they will not be wasting resources or money when making a home purchase. I found a great site that is sponsored by the Green Built Home Program in Wisconsin. It provides a quick point system to determine how eco-friendly your Madison area home is as compared to the standard. The site also provides tips on making your home more green.

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some tips to appeal to area buyers in this competitive Madison real estate market. So Stay Tuned!!

Our Wisconsin Weather, How does a Roof Take It?

Madison area winters generally never fail to bring plenty of snow and cold, and this winter was no different. Looking at the 10 day forecast for Madison on weather.com, you will see that 34 degrees is the warmest projected temperature, with 2 degrees being the lowest. I am sure if we take a look ahead into the very near future, we will see that the daily temperature range will get even larger. We will experience days in the 50’s with nights in the teens.Here in Madison, this time of year and type of weather poses some maintenance issues for homeowners. This is especially true with respect to the roof after a long winter of ice damning. The effects of ice damning, if left ignored, can create some serious roof damage, gutter damage, water problems, and potential mold issues. I therefore wanted to post a few tips that my help in keeping down the potential damage and consequent expense.

1. Be proactive about checking your roof. You should make a habit of inspecting your roof at every season change. Look for buckling, loose or curled shingling, and interruptions in flashing. An easy way to perform this inspection is with a quality pair of binoculars.
2) Check your gutters. If there are a lot of granules from the roof in your gutters, then chances are the asphalt on your roof is becoming brittle and in need of attention.
3) If you have a metal roof, look for signs of deterioration and ensure there are no open seams.
4) Inspect your attic several times as the temperature warms up. You may find evidence of leaking as the snow and ice begins to thaw.

If you find that your roof is in need of attention or further inspection by a professional, you should contact someone immediately. Leaving your roof in a compromised state will undoubtedly lead to many areas of damage. If you need some assistance locating a qualified professional, just give me a call. I’ll gladly provide you with some resources that will help you find a contractor in your area.