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THE HOME ADVISOR
February 2009
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Courtesy of:
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Jo Alonso
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J.P. WEIGAND & SONS, INC.
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REALTOR
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327 E Madison
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Derby, KS 67037
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Bus: 316 788-5581
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Cell: 316 518-8510
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Fax: 316 788-8928
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Email: josalonso@cox.net
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INFORMATION HOTLINE
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www.garden.org
National Gardening Association
Loads of gardening ideas
802-863-5251
www.ctioa.org
The Ceramic Tile Institute of America - Online Resource for the Tile Industry
310-574-7800
www.thisoldhouse.com
This Old House - Ideas from the Popular TV Program
212-522-9465
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Timesavers
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30 Second Chores Even if you only have less than a minute to spare, you can take just seconds to handle these quick household chores:
• Empty the trash in the bathroom and have extra liners stored in the bottom of the trash container to use immediately.
• Dust your television screen - a used dryer sheet helps keep dust from resettling
• Wipe down an appliance - a quick wipe down on the outside of your dishwasher, refrigerator, oven, or washer and dryer so your kitchen looks much cleaner.
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Shop Smart
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Buy reusable and save
• Use cloth diapers instead of disposable. You can save up to $600 per child by using a laundry diaper service instead of disposables.
• Switch to cloth napkins, towels or dishrags. A family can spend up to $250 each year on paper towels and napkins.
• Use washable plates, cups and silverware for picnics and parties instead of disposable products.
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I hope you enjoyed The Home Advisor.
Enjoy this free newsletter and share it with your family and friends. Consider me your neighborhood real estate expert
Please email me at josalonso@cox.net for any questions about real estate. Thank you.
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Your Home Project
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Give a facelift to a room by removing old wallpaper!
Old-fashioned or peeling wallpaper decreases the appeal and value of your home. Replace it with fresh paint or one of the newer, easy peel wallcovering options. When it's time to resell, you'll be glad you did!
You have two choices to remove wallpaper: apply a chemical remover or rent a steamer.
Chemical removal: Use a wallpaper scoring tool to create diamond shapes about the size of your hand. Spray on the chemical solution following manufacturer's directions.
After soaking, use a wallpaper scraper or putty knife to carefully scrape away the paper. Avoid overuse of chemical treatment to remove the paper. Tear down as much as you can and then sand down the wall to remove paper and glue.
Steamer removal: A steamer is less likely to damage the wall surface, but it takes longer than a chemical treatment. The machine makes steam that dissolves the old glue; then you simply peel the paper from a wall. If the wallpaper is non-porous such as vinyl or foil, score it as if you were using a chemical solution. Use the putty knife to help work the paper from the wall.
After removing wallpaper by any method, sponge down the wall with water to soften any remaining glue. Scrape this off with a putty knife or scraping tool. If you nick the wall during removal, you can fill imperfections with spackle as part of wall resurfacing.
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Cost Buster Tip
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Home repair costs and renovation expenditures are higher than most homeowners realize. In fact, it may cost more than the mortgage, as much as 3 to 4 times the initial purchase price. Using a hypothetical homeowner who purchased a four-bedroom house in 1968 for $38,300, over 30 years, the same owner would have repaired, renovated and replaced to the tune of $140,786. Expenses would include necessities such as carpeting or roofing, or renovations to kitchen and baths.
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Home Reminder
Avoid faulty faucets:
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Check all home faucets for signs of dripping, and change the washers as needed which will help water conservation. For fixtures that are not commonly used, such as a laundry tub, spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run water briefly to keep some water in the tap.
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Courtesy of your neighborhood real estate professional.
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© 2001-2009 SellSmart, All rights reserved.
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