A vacation home is a santuary, a place of peace and rest (or endless recreation).  Sometimes the second home ends up as the catch all for things you no longer want at your primary home.  After a number of years it can be such an easy update - with a little paint and new furniture.  Home Fridays just managed an update one of our owner’s homes and the results are amazing!  New paint, furniture and window coverings and the interior looks brand new!  They also had the cabinets, counter-tops, and appliances replaced.  It was a fun job to manage - such dramatic changes every day as each step was completed.  I am so amazed at the improvement and can hardly remember what the old kitchen looked like.  A couple of local companies provided excellent service and superior products to finish it all.  Ed at  www.pgcbuilding.com   performed all the construction.  Pamela, a senior designer at www.norwalkfurniture.com  provided amazing furniture for the new improved rooms.   And while we wanted to have a burning party for the old couch, we refrained and donated it to someone in need.   Carrie at Classic Window Coverings www.hdwfg.com   provided some great windows coverings that are a huge improvement over the old drapes.   This summer is going to be busy as many of our owners are taking on some great improvement projects.  Building or improving what you have is an easy and quick way to improve your enjoyment.  And with Home Fridays here to manage the project, you can simple go away and come back when the job is finished.  What could be easier?       

Home Fridays is in the press this month - both Oregon Home Magazine and Cascade Business News.  Cascade Business News was a story about spring clean up similar to my posts.  Oregon Home Magazine did a multi page spread on 2nd home owners and one of our great clients mentioned us.  So we were included in a subsequent article about myths.  Our myth busted was about 2nd homes staying maintenance free.  Yeah, that doesn’t happen.  The 2nd home needs care and feeding just as the primary home.  Not exactly a big surprise.  So pick up a copy and check it out.   www.oregonhomemagazine.com  and www.cascadebusnews.com  

Spring Home Maintenance

Home Fridays recommends spring maintenance for all home owners.  For our second home owners we are watching over their homes regularly to make sure the maintenance schedule is followed, the home is in good repair. 

After such a rough winter it is time to look over the home and fix any problems and prepare for the season ahead.  There is no such thing as ‘maintenance free’ – all building materials deteriorate over time.  So maintenance is an ongoing process that is best done before the problems arise.  Being proactive in your maintenance will put you in the drivers seat.  It is also the most cost effective way to take care of your home and see it appreciate, not depreciate. 

            Spring Maintenance

·         Rake debris away from home and foundation  inspect the foundation for cracks, water damage and or drainage issues

·         Clean exterior gutters and downspouts and repair where necessary cleaning the gutters will allow for smooth water flow as the rain storms begin.  It is also a good time to get the repairs made that occurred during the winter – holes, pulled away from the house or downspouts missing or bent.

·         Clear away plants and bushes from dryer spout  Often times a slow dryer is the result of the vent blocked.  Be sure the plants, water and landscaping materials are all well clear of the vent.

·         Inspect foundation and crawl space for signs of water damage  Looks for any signs of water intrusion and get them repaired now.  Also, keep an eye out for any mold that may have started as a result of water damage  It only takes 48 hours for mold to get started in a warm damp environment..  With all the snow and water this winter it is not unusual to find some areas of water intrusion.

·         Inspect attic for any signs of moisture or roof leaks  It is always better to find the leak when it is a small sign of water in the attic and not a waterfall coming through the living room.

·         Inspect the roof for any damage that may have occurred over the winter – broken tiles, missing tiles or noticeable signs of excessive wear.  When in doubt have a trusted roofing company inspect the roof.·         Inspect decks and perform annual maintenance – sanding and refinishing and replacement of any rotting or damaged boards and support beams  Weather, birds or old age can be devastating to the decks in our high desert climate.  ·         Inspect for woodpecker and other bird damage and take action to repair and prevent further damage with bird blocks, netting or even the new touch caulking products.  Bird damage can be a big issue in Central Oregon and exclusion is the ideal, but also being proactive to make sure you fix the damage as quickly as possible is key.

·         Exam exterior and paint and or caulk the exterior  Painting is an expensive endeavor and one many homeowners post pone as long as possible.  By putting it off the job becomes more expensive – this is a great area to proactive and get painted in a timely manner. 

·         Annual air conditioner maintenance and filter change  Nothing is worse then no air on the hottest day of the year.  Schedule your annual maintenance and change those filters regularly.

·         Smoke alarm batteries should be changed annually  Smoke detectors are great – but they won’t do any good if the batteries are not working.  And there is nothing worse then the 3am wake up call with the alarms beeping.  So change the batteries ever year and be safe.

·         Start up the sprinklers, replace and redirect as necessary  Time for the spring clean up of the needles, the downed branches, trimming the trees and starting up the sprinklers.  The lawn won’t recover if you don’t have the sprinklers working correctly.

Well Spring is here - but you can hardly tell in Central Oregon.   We have had snow most of the day today.  Temps are in the 40’s with night time lows in the teens.   Usually we would be getting the house and yard ready for spring.  But instead we are in a holding patter, waiting for the temperatures to increase and the snow to go away.   But at Home Fridays we are ready to jump in as soon as the weather breaks and get our clients yards looking good. 

What is involved in a spring clean for the yard? That is the startng up of the irrigation and fixing all those broken sprinkler heads, making sure no pipes cracked over the long winter.  And replacing any connections or pipes that did get broken.    Pruning all the shrubs and trees.  Pulling any weeds or plants that didn’t make it through the winter.  Cutting the grass and edging the lawn and applying the fertilzer.  Of course there are  extras that will really bring on the shine - adding new bark throughout the beds, new plants and of course adding annual color.   

Necrotic ring spot is a fungus that has become more prevelant in Bend.  Annual aerating, over-seeding with a fungus resistant strain of grass and top dressing the lawn with a nutrien rich compost which absorbs tand retains water to keep the lawn cooler are all ways to combat necrotic ring spot.  More information can be found at www.ext.colostate.edu/pub/garden/02900.html

Keep your home looking good and take care of the yard - it is so much easier to keep it up then try and fix up a run down, overgrown yard. 

In my business I hear so many stories about jobs gone bad.  I think the value of good contractor can not be overstated. 

It is key to get a good bid.  Check out the references and see if they have a history of ‘bid creep’.  That is when you start out with a number you like, but then as the job goes along more $$$ keep being thrown in.  Now it is one thing if you change your mind and request new things as the job goes.  But if the price of materials, unknown items and all the things the contractor forget just ‘creep’ in - well that just doesn’t work well for me.   I want my owners to know what it will cost and be able to budget at the max amount.  So be sure to check the contractors history.

Accessiblilty is key - can I call the contractor?  Do they return my calls in a timely manner.  This all is reflective of great customer service.  I want to reach you when it is conveinent for my schedule. 

References and knowledge of the area are another critical component.  I hear about floor guys clearing roofs of snow or contractors drying out houses that don’t know what they are doing.  It just isn’t worth it to be the ‘first’ time they have done that kind of work.  Unless you are an expert on the area (and have time to be there in person every day) make sure your contractor knows what he is doing. 

Do they stick to the timeline and budget - I can’t stand a 3 week job that turns to 6 weeks.  It is one thing if the weather gets in the way of an outdoor job.  But if your job is small and they just can’t make time.  Well that just isn’t an excuse.

Do they clean up after themselves.  I do not think that you should have to have a cleaning crew in to clean up after a job.  If the furniture isn’t returned to it’s correct location or the garbage is left at the house from opening up parts.  All contractors should clean up after themselves. 

I have found contractors that I love and take good care of my clients.  And I in turn am happy to refer them out.  If the contractor understands good customer service - then we all win.  Happy clients, bills paid - great experience. 

If you don’t change the oil on the car — it won’t keep running.  If you don’t make that dreaded trip to the dentist - your teeth will fall out.  Are houses any different?   I think not.  Take care of it today and it will look great, appreciate and in value and provide you loads of pleasure.  Ignore it and your savings this year will put you in the ‘money pit’ category in future years.  If you don’t take care of the house… it won’t keep appreciating.  Pretty simple concept, but not one that every home owner practices.    Ongoing maintenance costs are estimated at 1.5 to 4% of the purchase price annually.  Here is an interesting article from Coldwell Banker about estimating maintenance costs http://www.coldwellbanker.com/servlet/News?action=viewNewsItem&contentId=700662&customerType=Buyer 

At Home Fridays we walk the walk and encourage, plan and execute regular maintenance for our home owners.  Not taking care of the furnace - will mean replacement, not painting will save you money for a few years and then cost more when the paint job requires siding replacement.  Decks look great if you seal annually, but ignore them for years and you might be looking at a major replacement job. 

Recently a home owner (not a Home Fridays client) ordered new floors installed in their home.  When the flooring installer went to the home, they found the floors wet due to a major leak.  The home owner is remote and had no idea about the leak.  Someone was called in to fix the leak.  To fix the leak, the roof needed to cleared of snow.  So the homeowner paid the floor installer to clear the roof.  

Roofs and floors are substantially different and wouldn’t you know it - something awful happened.  The guys clearing the snow tossed so much snow on top of the gas meter - that they broke it.  But they didn’t know it was broken.  So someone else figured that out.  The gas company came and capped the meter and shut off the gas.  So the repair guys come out 3 days later to finish the job and the house is cold (no gas, no heat) and the pipes are freezing. 

This will be a fun one for the owner to explain to the insurance company!  The simple solution - have a local contact that watches the house, hires and manages all the workers.  That way you are getting the right people, doing the right job and in the end - saving a lot of money!   

Lots of owners tell me stories about what awful things have happened on their homes.  One that I really hate to hear about is getting taken advantage of by greedy vendors.  I heard about a home owner who paid over $1,000 to have her roof cleared of snow.  That is really too much (unless her home is very very very large and has a flat roof)!  She was called by the neighbor who told her she needed to have the roof cleared and they had 7 guys in the driveway that could do it.    Were they roofers?  Were they licensed?  How are their references?  Who knows in an ‘urgent’ situation such as this - neighborhood  peer pressure.

What would Home Fridays do?  First we would be checking on the roof regularly (we look 2x per week to inspect the roof snow levels and ice damns during extreme weather).  We would call in a licensed qualified roofer to remove the snow.  We want the folks on the roof to be experienced with roofs, understand how roofs are built, where it is safe to walk and what needs to be cleared.  We look at what is necessary to clear.  It is almost always necessary to clear the eaves - this clears the way for snow melt and helps minimize ice damns.  Then depending on the shape, slope and ice damns we figure out what else needs to be cleared.  Many times you can get the valleys cleared, the eaves cleared and around the sky lights.   This will create a safe roof and minimize your cost.  In the clearing process we make sure the decks and other key areas are not burdened.  Some snow removal companies just do the roofs and then you end up with a deck that has over 5 feet of snow built up - which is over the structural load for the deck. 

It is hard to get these items taken care of when you are far away.  That is why it is better to have a local contact who can manage everything.  You shouldn’t find yourself in a pickle with last minute ‘urgent’ needs and at the mercy of unknown ‘guys’ clearing your roof in the seventh hour. 

We have had a busy week.  We have had 3 furnaces go out –  one after the other and each with a unique problem.  The importantance of checking weekly on temps can not be over emphasized.   One furnace was a faulty part that caused the propane leak, another was snow blocking the air intake and the third was caused by heavy winds blowing down the exhaust pipe - shutting off the furnace.    None of these problems are the result of neglect - but without an inperson visit who could have known.  Cold alerts on the house are great - but what do you do if you are not close by to fix.  With the ever-changing temperatures in Central Oregon a personal touch is important.  Right now everyone is up and running, keeping warm and we are enjoying a few days of sunshine and warmth.    Don’t let your home go unattended!

I have been hearing about some companies that offer inexpensive ‘drive bys’ to home owners as a means of checking on their homes.  What the heck is a drive by?  What can you see from outside the home that is helpful to maintaining the home?  What about the back side of the house?  What about inside?  What about the temperature?  What about water leaks? What about pest intrusions?  What about propane leaks?  What about the hot tub status -  is it cold, did the top blow off?  None of this can be detected from the outside of a house.  Save your money - driving by won’t tell you a thing about the house.  A proper inspection inside and outside of the house is necessary to identify the issues.  And continued knowledge of the house is helpful to spot anything that is running amiss before it becomes critical. 

At Home Fridays we are inside and outside the house every week.  We know the house and watch it closely to see what is happening, what needs immediate attention and what needs to be kept a close eye on.   Some things (like ice damns) might melt away safely on their own - or they might not.  But if you only show up once in a while how will you know?  If you drive by what do you know about the ice damns on the back side of the house?   Spend your money wisely and stay away from ‘drive by’ home management.  Here is a link to questions you should ask when hiring someone to watch your home.  http://www.homefridays.com/property-management-questions.php