Winter tends to be the hardest time of the year for your roof. If your roof is going to fail and let water into your home, it’s most likely going to happen during the winter months. The other downside to the winter is that it’s the hardest time to get out and do roof repairs when it’s cold and wet. Roofing experts recommend that homeowners start now to get their roofs ready for winter so that they’re in top shape before the severe weather hits. Here are a few maintenance tasks you should complete before the weather turns cold.

Replace damaged shingles
Over the years, shingles will wear out and become brittle. Some of your shingles may crack, curl, or become warped. Some may even come loose and blow away with a strong wind. Wherever you have damaged or missing shingles, your roof is vulnerable and can let water in. Replace these shingles now rather than waiting until it’s too late.

Examine your roof’s flashing
At the most vulnerable areas of your roof, around the edge and around the chimney, vents, and skylights you’ll have a metal underlayer called flashing. If your flashings have rusted or cracked, water can get through those areas so it’s important to inspect your roof’s flashing before winter hits.

Check the varge and fascia boards
The trim boards at the end of the roof that run from the eaves to the peak are called varge boards. The trim boards behind the rain gutters are called fascia boards. These protect the roof’s edges and keep the roof’s frame protected from moisture. If these boards are pulling loose or rotting, your roof may be compromised.

Repair your rain gutter system
Your rain gutters allow water to get off of your roof after rain or snow. Keep them clear of debris and make sure they’re securely attached to your roof. Watch for any rust or cracks in your system.

Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.com
Source: thedailyworld.com/lifestyle/nailing-it-down-autumn-weather-inspires-household-winter-prep

Ask any real estate what is the most important room in the house when it comes to selling a home and he/she will tell you it’s the kitchen. It’s been said that to sell your home, you really only need to sell your kitchen. It’s not surprising then that a kitchen remodel is the most popular remodeling project. Unfortunately for homeowners, it’s also the most expensive room to remodel. Many spend tens of thousands to remodel their kitchen and only recoup a small amount of that cost when they sell their home.
If you’re remodeling your kitchen for your dream home, ignore this advice, but if you plan on selling, then here are four tips for a kitchen remodel that won’t break the bank and will give you a great return on your investment.

Paint
Paint is one of the least expensive ways to change the entire look of a room. For the kitchen, go with a white, or very light, neutral color. This will brighten up the space and will drastically improve the look of your kitchen for a very reasonable price.

Cabinets
Cabinets, along with counters and appliances are the three most important features that home buyers look at in the kitchen. If your storage space is woefully inadequate then you’re going to need to spend a little more money adding in new cabinetry and getting creative to find more storage space. If you’ve got enough storage space, then resurfacing your existing cabinets might be all you need. All of the existing structure stays the same but the cabinet doors, the drawers, and the cabinet hardware is swapped out.

Counters
Few things can improve the look of your kitchen as much as the counter tops. White marble has been the counter top of choice in decades past but because it is very expensive and less resistant to stains and scratches, granite is the new most popular choice. Granite is extremely durable and comes in a variety of colors to complement any kitchen. Granite comes in a number of price tiers so whether your budget is tight or you have money to spend, granite counter tops can work in your budget.

Appliances
When buying appliances, remember that brand name does matter. Don’t cut costs by purchasing off brand appliances that won’t last very long. Spend a little more on some nice, stainless steel appliances that are energy efficient. Though it’s a higher up front cost, you’ll recoup more of your costs this way when you do sell.
Most real estate experts will tell you to spend between 5 and 10% of the value of your home remodeling the kitchen. This should be enough to tackle these four remodeling projects at the very least.
Interior Decorating and Remodeling News Brought to You by BaseBoardRadiatorCover.com
Source: chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/community/chi-ugc-article-updating-your-kitchen-for-a-greater-roi-retu-2015-05-28-story.html

When you sit down and think about how you can do the best marketing to your customers, you probably start thinking of all the normal outlets, such as print ads and online ads. However, you may not realize that one of the strongest marketing tools you have is your loyal customers. There is nothing like repeat business and recommendations to help bring in more business. But how can you make sure your customers stay loyal so you can guarantee their return business and recommendations to friends? Here are a few tips.

Build a relationship

People have no problem walking away from a product or service. However, most people get nervous about walking away from a relationship,, according to Forbes. That’s partly why pyramid schemes have so much success. People don’t want to walk away from the friendships they have built with the people around them. They have no problem walking away and trying some new products if they aren’t tied to that relationship. That is why you want to focus on relationships with your customers. The stronger the relationship, the less likely they will ever leave. Even one little dent in that trust and relationships, though, and you could lose a customer forever.

Reward them for recommending you

One of the best ways to help your customers feel like you appreciate them and are happy with what they are already doing is by offering cash for recommendations. With pay per call marketing, you pay a good chunk of money for every recommendation that calls in using their unique phone number. This means they will tell their friends about it and post it on their blogs or websites for people to see. It is basically free advertising for you because you only pay when you get a quality lead calling, and your loyal customers increase their loyalty to you. It is a win-win for everyone.

Stay on top of products

One reason why people may suddenly be willing to make the change from Apple to Android (or from Android to Apple) would be because the products are suddenly lacking. With new products constantly being released, you cannot expect to stay on top if your product isn’t one of the greatest. Loyalty can only go so far. If the iPhone was still in its first generation, there would be nobody sticking around and being loyal to Apple instead of switching over to Android. But since both companies are constantly improving and updating, their customers have a reason to stay loyal. If you aren’t offering the best, then you aren’t really helping your customers, and they have no reason to stay loyal to you. Just make sure you are always doing your best to provide a great brand, and you’ll have a lot more of your strongest marketing tool to work with.

Marketing News brought to you by paypercallmarket.com

Source: forbes.com/sites/dorieclark/2015/02/02/how-to-keep-your-customers-loyal-forever/

Tags: strongest marketing tool, tools marketing, tools, strongest marketing, marketing, loyal customers marketing, marketing to loyal customers

Believe it or not, spring is almost here and that means it is time to tackle spring cleaning.  Even if it is still winter weather outside, Good Housekeeping suggests that spring cleaning should actually take place before spring arrives.  Let’s face it, once the warmer weather hits, the last thing we want to do is spend all of our time inside cleaning.  Avoid being bogged down by the stress of spring cleaning and enjoy the warm weather knowing your cleaning is already done! Here are a few helpful tips to getting a head start on your spring cleaning.

Organization is key

If you are not organized, your home is not ready for spring.  Start with a plan to help you stay on task.  If you like cleaning and organizing some rooms more than others, start with your least favorites to get them done and over with.  Make a list of all the supplies you will need from cleaning products to organization tools to make sure you have everything you need before the project begins, because once you get started you will not want to stop.  Get rid of unnecessary clutter to open up more space and make your house feel fresh and organized.

Using the proper supplies

Cleaning does not have to take hours upon hours.  In today’s world we have cleaning tools that are specifically made to make cleaning quick and simple.  Do your research online or in the stores to see which cleaning tasks you can make simpler with different cleaning tools.  Stock up on the important supplies like cloths, a steamer, extension tools to reach high places and a vacuum that has attachments.  It might be costly to stock up on these necessary items, but you will never regret investing in quality cleaning supplies because you will use them forever.

Avoid taking on too much

Don’t jump into spring cleaning with the intent of finishing it in one day.  In fact, do not even set a goal as to when you want to be finished because all that does is cause more stress.  Instead, work from room to room, completing one or two daily and you will be surprised how much smoother the project goes and how quickly you will finish.  Work while you have the motivation, and when you start to get tired and not work to your full effort, take a break.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help either.  If you are a perfectionist and want things done a certain way, give easy tasks to other that you know will be completed properly no matter who does them.

Do not miss the small areas

Spring cleaning means no mess gets forgotten.  Don’t have the mentality of “oh I will get to that later.” Instead, tackle every tiny area you can to make sure your home is as clean as possible.  Make a list of spots that will easily be forgotten so you do not accidentally miss them.

Interior Decorating and Remodeling News brought to you by baseboardradiatorcovers.com

Source: goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/spring-cleaning-mistakes#slide-5

Tags: home remodeling tips, home renovation ideas, home upgrades, interior decorating, spring cleaning, house cleaning tips