Home Services

If you have rented or leased a residence long enough, then you have likely encountered the question of tenant versus landlord responsibility. When does the landlord have the obligation to fix and repair items? These questions can include items, such as doors and windows to appliances and household fixtures. Another common area in question is the bathroom, and does the landlord have to replace the bathtub?

No one wants to have to look for cockroach droppings, but this simple task can go a long way towards preventing infestation and disease. Locating roach feces will help you find out where the cockroaches are congregating, where they’re getting their food and water from, and, thus, give you the upper hand at getting rid of them for good.

A properly functioning AC unit is a must in sweltering hot summers. It’s easy to panic if you notice your air conditioner isn’t working correctly. One common problem is an AC unit with a fan that is not spinning and that is hot.

Nobody wants to sit in a house full of hot, humid, and stuffy air, but many people have to. That said, you don’t need to put up with a stuffy house if you get to the root of the problem. So, why is my house so stuffy?

House hunting very well could be one of the most exciting yet stressful times of your life. You’re making a huge decision, spending a lot of money, and in many cases, you’re taking a lot on faith. This sliver of uncertainty is why it’s so important to look for red flags when buying a home.

When adjusting your thermostat, you occasionally run into a situation where the numbers on the screen don’t match what you feel. At this point, it is only normal to wonder why your thermostat is not reaching the set temperature. With this guide, we will answer that question.

Whether it be abrasive chemicals or a bag of charcoal, movers won’t pick up many items. That’s why it’s important to speak openly with a moving company before you hire them. Many moving companies operate similarly, and professional movers won’t move some items, such as:

Every tenant should understand what their landlord is responsible for. Landlords are supposed to act quickly when it comes to their responsibilities as per the rental agreement that you signed. This applies to everything from plumbing problems to air conditioner failure. Many renters have asked themselves the question: should my landlord pay for pest control?

Since mice have the ability to squeeze through spaces as small as a nickel, it’s important to carefully inspect the interior and exterior of your home for holes. Even one small hole in the wall can result in a major infestation over time. To prevent mice from infiltrating your home, repair large cracks or holes and fill small ones with a combination of steel wool and caulking compound. This makes for an effective plug to seal small openings; however, “what grade steel wool is recommended?”

Finding an unusual coloration, namely green, on your copper pipes can be disturbing. You may have questions racing through your head, which is an entirely typical response to this. So let’s answer this question: what is the green stuff on your copper pipes?

Buying a new home is a monumental decision that involves many moving parts. The good news is that once all is said and done, you will have the keys to your future dreams placed in your hand. But there are many boxes to check between the day you close on your home and the day you move into it. One important step between these two moments is getting in touch with all your utility companies and making sure everything is set up when you move in.

The Internet has become an essential tool in modern society. Wifi is available in even the most remote locations. Our phones are usually able to access the internet when wifi cannot. Landlords are now including the internet in rental agreements more than ever. It may confuse you then, if you find your landlord decides to turn off your internet one day.

If you get manicures and pedicures often, you’re probably familiar with the smell of nail polish remover. It’s certainly a unique smell, and when it emanates throughout a home it’s impossible to miss. So, what causes a house to smell like nail polish remover?

For many homeowners, there’s no worse indication of an unkept or filthy home than an infestation of pests – like ants. If you find ants inside your house, it’s highly likely that you also have them outside. Depending on the type of ant that you have, you may have to tackle nests or mounds to prevent them from getting inside. Though, for the majority of ant infestations, this isn’t a problem.

Watching dirty washing machine water back up into your bathtub can be a confounding experience for some. It can be difficult to pinpoint the source of the problem if you are not experienced with drainage systems. As a result, it is common for people to think that the problem is more serious than it really is.

The heat exchanger in your furnace is a group of tubes and coils. These tubes and coils heat the air that then shoots out into your home or workplace. There are many reasons why your furnace heat exchanger can go bad, and if this happens you need to act quickly.

Whether you are building a home or remodeling an older home, you should understand drain configurations when deciding on plumbing. A licensed plumber is involved with the contractor or builder, but you should know what is up to code. Understanding the main differences between a P-trap and S-trap will help to ensure your home is a safe environment.

Condos are a unique type of real estate. On one hand, it’s like an apartment that you can rent. On the other hand, you have to deal with condo associations, which almost can act like a landlord. They can cite you, they can make your life a nightmare…but can they actually go so far as to force a condo owner to sell?

You rely on your air conditioner to keep your home cool and comfortable when it’s hot and steamy outside. But what happens when your house is humid with the AC on, leading to excess moisture in the air? Isn’t your AC supposed to take care of that?

Insurance policies can be very confusing, especially if you’re a new renter. While the policies usually have everything in the fine print, they can be difficult to understand. What’s covered? What’s not? How about windows; will your renter’s insurance cover a broken window?

Depending on where you live, air conditioning may be a necessity rather than a luxury. Oppressive temperatures year-round could be impossible to bear with no air conditioner helping you out.

It’s hard to imagine a world without air conditioning, even if air conditioners can be a mystery themselves. The average homeowner doesn’t have professional-grade knowledge when it comes to air conditioner amperage, voltage, and wattage. So, how many amps does an air conditioner use?

Bubble wrap is one of those things that people tend to think of as a fun popping time, but not much else. Well, until they actually need it anyway. When people need it for wrapping up goods prior to a move or cushioning stuff during a major project, it quickly turns into a race to find a place that carries this stuff. Wondering where you can get enough bubble wrap for your next project? We did the research…

Once you sign a lease, you expect to be in your home for the entire term of the lease. But then, one day, you receive a notice from your landlord that the lease is being terminated early. Can your landlord terminate your lease early?

Many people wait to turn their furnaces on until it’s necessary each fall and winter. However, some people are shocked when they turn on the furnace and notice weird smells. So, why does the furnace smell bad when you first turn it on?

It can be challenging to figure out what rights landlords and tenants have when it comes to spare keys. For some renters, it can be disconcerting to think that their landlord could potentially enter their home at any time. So is it legal and acceptable for a landlord to have a spare key to their rental property?

Whether you are experiencing issues with your gas furnace or are simply performing routine maintenance, keeping your furnace clean is imperative. When components get dirty or clogged, it can lead to components working improperly or not at all.

In the summertime, when it can get quite hot both indoors and outdoors, having an air conditioning system is critical. But not all homes and businesses can accommodate massive HVAC systems, and those that can’t tend to rely on the classic window AC units.

“No solicitors” signs are timeless, and that’s because there is still a big demand for them. Door-to-door solicitors are still quite active, but you can dissuade them with a sign, although some pushy solicitors may still knock on your door even if you hang a sign.

Being evicted for calling the police may sound unlikely, but unfortunately, it’s something that happens somewhat frequently. You might wonder whether these evictions can only happen if the police are called without a legitimate reason. In reality, it depends on your local laws and whether a nuisance ordinance is in place.

A lease between tenant and landlord can be a precarious one. The landlord sees the relationship as an investment, a means for making income from their property. For the tenant, it is a place to live and possibly a bridge to a better place in the future.

Raid is one of the biggest names in pest control, especially when it comes to sprayable poisons. The brand’s line of poisons are famous for being effective, but they’re also known for being (kind of) risky to people and pets. Spraying them in kitchen cabinets seems risky. So, is it even doable?

If you ask many cultures of the world, bleach is the wonder cleaner. It’s super popular in Eastern Europe, and it also happens to be a Midwestern mainstay. It’s not just for cleaning tile, either. Many people use bleach to kill vermin, too. Fleas are one of the many pests alleged to be killable by bleach. Does it work?

If everyone had the opportunity, they would likely do what they could to live in their dream house. However, building your dream home can be stressful, expensive, and exciting. There are many pros and cons to building a house, and you must weigh them before making a decison.

With the winter months coming fast, ensuring that your furnace motor stays in good condition is paramount. Because of this, it is good to be aware of what causes a furnace blower motor to go bad. Having this knowledge will prepare you for quick action should a repair be required.

Your landlord should make every effort to provide you with a clean and safe home. However, some of the responsibility is yours. So, do you get charged for damaging the property? And how much can a landlord charge for a hole in the wall?

Selling a house is one of the most stressful things a homeowner can go through. It’s not just about listing a house and exchanging money, and that’s why most people use realtors. That said, some people prefer to forego using a realtor when selling their house, and doing so carries some pros and cons.

A water heater is a lifeline when it comes to being comfortable in your home. If it involves water, then you need a reliable way to heat things when necessary. This is why it is so essential to make sure you take care of your water heater properly. 

Regardless of how it gets into our home, we source the water that we use to drink and bathe through groundwater. The thing is that the water picks up soluble bits of the ground as it passes through and into our pipes.

Coming home to find a notice on your door that you have 30 or 60 days to vacate is terrifying. The situation is even worse when you find out that your landlord is selling the property. So many questions go through your mind, and you suddenly feel like you’re about to be homeless. Can a landlord really break a lease to sell the property?

One easy way to reduce the likelihood of spider and other insect infestations is to reduce the amount of clutter in your home. For one, clutter can attract small insects that spiders eat. 

It’s hard to get warm and cozy on a winter evening when you know you’re surrounded by bugs. However, that may be the case, even if you don’t see bugs at the moment. That’s because many insects and small mammals can easily come indoors during the winter.

Hidden cameras are ultimately among the biggest privacy violations that you can experience. Spy cameras have become so small that you can find them in everything from smoke detectors to light bulbs. That said, the average person still struggles with how to tell if a light bulb is secretly a camera.

The only thing worse than coming across a bug in your apartment is finding a mouse. When mice get into your apartment they bring with them harmful diseases and can, and will, chew through boxes to consume your food. Of course, the ideal outcome is to keep them out of your apartment in the first place, but one has already gotten in, you may be wondering: “How do mice get in upstairs apartments?”

Mice are household pests that are difficult to get rid of once they make your house their home.  Although not as harmful as the most harmful of household pests, the mosquito, mice come with their own hazards.  Lots of things attract mice, and these critters have a way of ingratiating themselves into your place of residence.

Utility bills are a fact of life for most adults. They vary in price and frequency but it can sometimes feel like bills roll in nonstop. It may come as a shock then, when your landlord does not send you any utility bills. 

When you discover that you have termites, you naturally are eager to get rid of them. There are several ways to get rid of termites, including drilling, but you want to ensure that you choose the best way. How do you decide when drilling is necessary for termite treatment?

For many homeowners, distinguishing between an occasional brown recluse spider sighting and an infestation is difficult. However, you can tell the problem has gotten out of hand if you watch out for a few key signs, such as:

Having hot water in a home is essential, and this is why most homeowners go out of their way to ensure they have reliable water heating systems. One way you can ensure you always have hot water at home is by installing complementary point-of-use water heaters.

You’ve probably come across the names SpacePak and Unico in your search for heating and cooling solutions. They are the leaders in high-velocity HVAC systems. These systems have a lower profile and require less space than your average air conditioning unit. Their supply tubing is more compact than traditional ducts, and they are often used in older homes that have space limitations.

Don’t panic if you find a frog in your house. All that will do is stress the frog out and make removing it much harder. Instead, you must pay attention to its location and isolate it as quickly as possible. 

You try to pay your rent every month, right on time. One month, though, didn’t quite make much sense. You dropped off the check at your landlord’s mailbox, but the check never got cashed. You waited and waited. It’s been three days without a check cashed. What gives?

Arguably, they are one of the most popular alternatives to air conditioners for home cooling options. That is partly because of the comparable cost and effort of purchasing and installing air conditioning systems. What happens, and what do you do though, if your swamp cooler starts making noises? Swamp cooler making humming noises or sounds? Read on.

Not only can mice be a nuisance when found in the home, but they also present a significant health hazard. Their eating habits can quickly result in the spread of disease, contaminating your food. Some individuals may also develop harmful allergic reactions to mice infestations. Identifying the best repellent method is crucial to achieving a mice-free home.

Many tenants prefer to rent a property that comes with a washer and dryer. It’s always more convenient to do laundry in the comfort of your own home than to go to a laundromat. But what happens if your landlord takes away the washer and dryer; are they allowed to remove these appliances?

Roach infestations are disgusting. They’re also challenging to fight and dangerous to encounter. So, what happens when your neighbor’s roach problem makes its way into your house? Can you do something about it, or do you have to live that way forever? Here’s some good news.

If you recently noticed a strange pool of water near your HVAC unit, then you probably have been thinking about checking out the condensate pump. Condensate pumps are a vital part of most air conditioning units. This is doubly true if you live in a humid environment prone to lots of moisture. It’s normal to wonder if your pump’s actually working. So, how can you tell if it is?

Most homeowners are likely aware that heat exchanger problems can be quite dangerous. However, not everyone knows what a failing heat exchanger looks and sounds like. That’s why we compiled a list of some of the serious signs of heat exchanger failure.

Mice are some of the most invasive and annoying pests that homeowners have to deal with. They invade houses all across the country and begin to eat food that’s left out and repopulate. If you’re not careful, you can quickly get overrun by a mouse infestation. But why are mice drawn to houses in particular?