Maintenance

Tools to Keep In Your Home Emergency Repair Kit

As a homeowner, you’re ultimately responsible for the maintenance and care of your home. And even if you’re not an expert in plumbing, electrical work, or basic carpentry, you should keep a few tools in your home emergency repair kit—just in case disaster strikes. In some cases, you simply need enough tools to perform triage until someone else can come along with greater expertise and better resources to provide a long-term solution.

Pittsburgh Storm Safety and Preparation: How to Keep Your Family Safe

There’s no telling what Pittsburgh weather will throw at you. Sure, we’re well insulated from coastal catastrophes like hurricanes and tsunamis, but we often experience heavy snow in the winter, flooding in the spring, and occasionally even tornados in the summer. While your risk often depends on your location within Allegheny County, we should all follow proper Pittsburgh storm safety and preparation so you and your family remain safe no matter what Mother Nature brings.

Home Inspection Checklist: 10 Line Items Your Inspector Will Look For (And What You Should Do As the Buyer or Seller)

Home Inspection Checklist: 10 Line Items Your Inspector Will Look For (And What You Should Do As the Buyer or Seller)

No matter which side of the sale we’re on-- representing the buyer or the seller, there is always a nervous anticipation when it comes to the inspection. As a buyer, the inspection is a reality check that is a bit like jumping from the “first date” to the “tenth date,” and you may learn some details about the house that leave you a bit uncomfortable. If you’re the seller, a long list of problems could kill your sale or directly cut into your home’s value. You may have initially listed your cozy Cape Cod for $200,000, but a serious foundational issue could torpedo the sale—or cost you an extra $10,000 (5% of your sale price!). As the buyer, an inspection that comes back with a series of issues could work in your favor since you can use them to negotiate a lower price or have the seller fix them before you move in—or it could completely turn you away.

How to Keep Your A/C Running Efficiently During the Hot Summer Months

How to Keep Your A/C Running Efficiently During the Hot Summer Months

The temperatures are rising, and that means we’ll soon be deep into another Pittsburgh summer. With some quarantine measures still in place, many of us are still secluded inside our homes. If we’re not careful, staying inside could soon be as uncomfortable as staying outdoors. If you plan on cranking up the air conditioning to keep cool, make sure your home is prepared to keep the cold air in and the hot air out!

Thriving as a Homeowner During the Coronavirus Outbreak: Navigating Mortgages, Renovations, and More

Thriving as a Homeowner During the Coronavirus Outbreak: Navigating Mortgages, Renovations, and More

Whether you bought your home two weeks ago or two years ago, there’s nothing quite like your mortgage statement arriving in the mail to remind you how significant your responsibility is as a homeowner right now. Here are some of the more pressing questions homeowners may be wrestling with.