JULY 17, 2019 • Volume 14 • Issue 29
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
Always Available Online SEPTEMBER 14, 2016 Volume 11 • Issue 37
RE WEEKLY
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 Volume 11 • Issue 36
RE WEEKLY STORY
COUNTY
STORY
COUNTY
• AREA DEVELOPMENT • FARM • COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE 317 5th Street, Ames State of Iowa 515-233-3299 • ® licensed in the
RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL 515-233-3299 • AREA DEVELOPMENT • 317
5th Street, Ames All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
® are REALTORS All REALTOR ads within
www.AmesTrib.com
ALWAYS ONLINE
un.com
www.StoryCountyS
www.AmesTrib.com
ALWAYS ONLINE
www.StoryCount
ySun.com
Ames at your finger My
Ames
tips!
EAT • SHOP • PLAY • EVENTS •LIVE DEALS
DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY!
AmesTrib.com/realestateweekly
Online at www.AmesTrib.com/realestateweekly
Page RE2 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, July 17, 2019
By Laura Firszt
Rewiring a house
More Content Now
I
s your electrical system underperforming? Tripped breakers, flickering lights and strange sounds or smells all spell trouble — in the form of potential for shock, fire and electrocution. Now may be the time to have an electrician replace your wiring. Find out why.
Warning signals that rewiring your house might be necessary Overamped panel. Your panel is dangerously overloaded when it includes circuit breakers or fuses rated at a current that exceeds the capacity of their branch.
1. 2.
Breaker trouble. Frequent tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses are more than an annoyance. Think of them as a cry for help from an electrical system that’s overamped or overaged. Brownouts. Your electric lighting grows dim or flickers. (If you are using CFL bulbs, be aware that these may be the cause of dimming lights. They lose about 20-25% of their power 4,000 hours into their 10,000-hour lifespan.)
3.
Strange sound or smell. This should be a no-brainer: Sizzling, buzzing or crackling noises and odors of charring, scorching or smoke from your electrical system are a wakeup call to investigate rewiring your house … ASAP!
4.
Heat or discoloration. Watch out for overheating or scorching. Electric components, such as outlet covers or switch plates that are blackened or uncomfortably hot to the touch signal danger.
5.
Shock. Any kind of electric shock — no matter how mild — when you handle an outlet or cord may be a warning. Don’t risk electrocution; get the problem seen to. Obsolete wiring. Tough rubber sheathed cables (TRS) and aluminum or knob-and-tube wiring are outdated for residential use. Rewiring your house according to modern safety standards is a must in these cases. In fact, it may be ordered by your insurance company or mortgage lender.
6. 7.
Two-prong outlets. Old-school two-prong outlets are ungrounded which means they are a potentially lethal electric shock hazard.
8. 9.
Extension cords everywhere. Once in a while, you might need an extension cord when a lamp or toaster plug doesn’t quite reach a nearby outlet. But if your home is bristling with extension cords or you’re using them for major appliances, beware!
Home improvement. Wait, what? Isn’t home improvement a good thing? Yes, but if you add a room, a home entertainment center or even a few new appliances, you’ll need increased electrical capacity. Older homes tend to have 60-100 amps of service, while contemporary standards call for at least 200 amps.
10.
Why is rewiring your house not a DIY project? Safety first! Rewiring a house is not a job for amateurs or a place to hone your DIY skills. A professional, licensed electrician will upgrade your home electrical system the right way in order to: • safeguard you and your family against electrocution and house fires • comply with local building code • provide you with a written warranty against future problems • satisfy your insurance provider and mortgage lender requirements • maintain value when the time comes to sell your home
What does it cost? Cost tends to vary widely, depending on factors like the size of your house and physical accessibility of the wiring. Experienced electricians may be able to remove old wiring and run replacement wires through a crawlspace, basement or attic – or fish new electrical wiring through the walls of your home. This will spare you the expense and hassle of having to rip open your walls or flooring. A rough estimate of the cost of rewiring a house is $4,000-8,000 for a small 1,200square foot home with easy access to the wiring system. Cost goes up to about $20,000 for a much larger floor plan or more difficult access. Keep in mind: Whatever the cost is to rewire your house, this is most likely a oncein-a-lifetime expense. Not sure rewiring your house is necessary? Have an electrical inspector check your home. Prepare for the inspector’s visit by noting any danger signs you’ve noticed. Photos of problem areas can be very helpful, saving time and possibly money. Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, July 17, 2019 • Page RE3
Realtors, do you want to reach a wider group of potential buyers? Advertise in the RE Weekly. In print and online.
Call Ali Eernisse 515-663-6956
RE WEEKLY
Page RE4 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, July 17, 2019
TIPS OF THE WEEK TIP OF THE WEEK
HOME SELLING
GARDEN GUIDE
GREEN IN THE KITCHEN
SEEMINGLY SMALL REPAIRS
GETTING STARTED
Many people are concerned with their environmental footprint, and surprisingly, one of the places we leave the biggest impact is in the kitchen.
When you sell your home, small defects become obvious, according to Maxrealestate exposure.com. Here are some simple things you can do:
Gardening is a relaxing hobby, but it can be daunting to start. As in real estate, the most important factor is “location, location, location.” Make sure it’s in a place you’ll see often, close to water and great soil. The sun is crucial to letting your garden thrive, so pay attention to how the sunlight moves through your yard.
• Touch up paint jobs to cover up chips and other eyesores.
— More Content Now
Here are three tips for going green in your kitchen, being more efficient and helping the planet in the process. • When you wash your dishes, fill one side with soapy water and the other with rinse water, then turn the faucet off. This method uses much less water. • Invest in reusable canvas bags to cut down on plastic usage. • Identify which items can be recycled and composted — and how.
• Replace missing fence posts, sod the yard and clean any miscellaneous spots around your home. • A clean bathroom is crucial to selling your home.
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, July 17, 2019 • Page RE5
BRING
summer
INSIDE Indoor plants can brighten up your office
Plant your greenery in whimsical, tropicalfeeling containers, such as a pot with a pineapple design or a souvenir coffee cup from your favorite resort. Or decorate your own planters with paint pens, summery fabrics or seashells.
PHOTOS FREEPIK.COM
By Laura Firszt More Content Now
S
ummer’s here, but you’re stuck inside at the office. Sound familiar? What to do when you’re craving a touch of green to lighten up the greige of your workspace? Add a few indoor plants to your environment, of course. Indoor plants will not only bring a summery look to your place of business, but they offer a host of additional benefits.
Advantages • Personality. Adding a plant is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to personalize your work space, whether it be a corner office or a humble cube. Which is your houseplant personality: spiky cactus or feathery-fronded spider plant? • Stress reducer. Science has now shown that caring for indoor plants at the office tends to lower levels of psychological and physiological stress among workers. • Performance booster. Having houseplants at work also increases employee productivity by 12% and reduces absenteeism by a whopping 14% (but don’t break the news to your boss!). • Noise blocker. When you work in an open-plan office, the noise of your coworkers chatting about vacation plans may get in the way of your concentration. Indoor plants to the rescue! Well-placed houseplants reduce the ambient noise level by several decibels. • Air quality improver. Office air can get to feeling a tad stuffy, especially in summer when you’d rather be outdoors hiking, biking, gardening, picnicking or anything but working. Exotically attractive Anthuriums will naturally freshen and improve the indoor air quality.
Choose the best • Color. Look for boldly colorful houseplants, like Fittonia, croton, polka dot plant, Begonia rex, Earth star and waffle plant. These will create a tropical vibe that echoes balmy outdoor weather, in even the blandest of office atmospheres. • Beautiful blooms. To some folks, a houseplant without flowers is just a boring bunch of foliage. For beautiful indoor blooms, try raising a crop of African violets, elegant orchids or peace lilies. If coworkers happen to be allergic to flowers, substitute a bright-leaved Alternanthera. • Light. Unless you’re lucky enough to occupy an office with wall-to-wall windows (in which case you probably hire a professional gardener, anyway), your indoor summer garden will likely need to cope with relatively little daylight. Keep this in mind when you purchase plants, and look for low-light species like ferns and begonias. • Care. Though it may feel like you’re going to be cooped up inside all summer, chances are you’ll get away for at least a few days. That makes your most practical option easy-care indoor plants, such as pothos or the aptly-named cast-iron plant (it takes any kind of growing conditions in stride).
Style • Cool containers. Plant your greenery in whimsical, tropical-feeling containers, such as a pot with a pineapple design or a souvenir coffee cup from your favorite resort. Or decorate your own planters with paint pens, summery fabrics or seashells. • Clever combinations. Create a cluster of indoor plants to look like an exotic oasis. Give your arrangement extra zing by mixing up texture, height, pattern and scale. Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
Page RE6 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Don’t see your home in the
RE WEEKLY Then contact a Realtor® today, because you are missing out on over 37,000+ potential buyers seeing your property for sale.
DIRECT MAIL + ONLINE AmesTrib.com/realestateweekly
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, July 17, 2019 • Page RE7
Page RE8 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, July 17, 2019