Harris, Reed & Seiferth
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If you're anything like me, you look forward to the cooler seasons of the year — a break from the heat and a little kiss on your nose from the chill is welcome. However, once that first cold morning hits, you often wish those days of humidity and heat were back with a passion. Here are a number of tactics to help you survive the cold and keep your toes warm in your mobile home this winter.
Source: https://www.foremost.com/learning-center/mobile-home-tricks-to-survive-the-winter.asp
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Let's admit it, summer is definitely the most cheery season of the year. That warm, sunny weather boosts our mood and allows us to go on adventures wrapped in the warmth of the sun. But hey, winter has its perks too! Think of all those holiday parties, tasty treats and snow forts! Or maybe you prefer a warm, cozy night watching your favorite movie or reading your favorite book. Wait… your furnace isn't working? Well that's no good. If you live in a cold-weather state, it's important that your furnace is in great shape so it keeps your home warm all season long. Here are seven tips to help keep your house toasty without burning through cash. Stay warm and save money with these seven tips for getting started:
Source: https://www.foremost.com/learning-center/getting-your-furnace-ready-for-the-winter.asp
Do you remember when you were young and had to check under your bed for monsters before you could go to sleep? I sure do! Because of my hyperactive imagination and the poor decision to watch one too many cheesy 80s horror movies, I was absolutely terrified of monsters when I was a kid. Every night I would thoroughly inspect all of the best hiding places in my room before I reluctantly switched off the light and frantically dashed for my bed, fully expecting to be ambushed by a mob of gremlins as soon as everything was dark. I certainly didn't want any mischievous little critters to snack on one of my exposed limbs as I slept, so I wrapped myself in a cocoon of blankets as an extra precaution.
Now that I am an adult who is fairly confident that there are no monsters under my bed, I have a more important question to ask: What's lurking below your mobile home? The answer probably isn't monsters, but here are three things that you may find: Animals Mice, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, insects and other critters may invade the space below your mobile home and cause messes, loud noises, bothersome odors and other damages. Keeping your trash and recycle bins tightly closed and making a point to keep the underside of your home clean of trash and debris are good strategies for keeping otherwise curious animals away. It also helps to keep bird feeders a good distance from your home, as they attract pesky squirrels and raccoons. According to SFGate, sprinkling chili or habanero flakes in the dirt around your home is an effective way to repel many animals. But if you do end up finding an animal under your home, don't try to remove it yourself. Instead, call your local animal control service−they can help you find a safe solution. Water If there is an abundance of clay in the soil around your home or if your yard is not graded well, any water that collects under your home may not be able to drain properly. Rainfall and even plumbing leaks can lead to excess moisture, and if you don't act quickly to fix this problem, your home could become musty and moldy. My Mobile Home Makeover suggests addressing the issue of pooling rain water by stapling plastic sheeting to the bottom frames of skirting so that any water that collects will be absorbed beneath the plastic and will not damage the bottom of your home. You can also install gutters to prevent rain water from pooling underneath or around your home. Holes It never hurts to thoroughly inspect the bottom of your mobile home for holes. Gaps, tears and open spaces enable animals to sneak in and make your home their own. Holes could also expose water pipes and wires, which could easily be damaged by outside elements. If you find holes in the polyethylene belly wrap below your home, SFGate suggests stuffing fiberglass insulation into the space before patching it. Additionally, cleaning the area around the hole will make the patch stick more effectively. Lastly, if you plan to file a claim with your insurance company, be sure to take photos of the holes and other damages and keep careful records of your receipts and invoices related to any mobile home underbelly repairing projects. Routinely checking under your mobile home for animals, water and holes will help you stay aware of potentially monstrous damages that require your attention. It's a necessary task for any seasonal home owner, and you still have time to get it done: preparing your seasonal home for the rigors of winter. Properly planning now can help you avoid damage and expensive repairs in the spring. The best preparation is to develop a checklist of tasks and then follow it faithfully. Here are the major areas for winterization that Foremost recommends your list includes:
Source: https://www.foremost.com/learning-center/winterizing-seasonal-home.asp
If you're anything like my husband, you like having a crackling fire in the fireplace on a cold winter's night. Watching the light dance on the walls and enjoying its warmth is one of the most charming aspects of the otherwise cold and harsh season. Yep, there's definitely something alluring about having a fireplace in your home. According to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbeque Association (HPBA), a fireplace ranks second among the top features buyers seek in a home! Additionally, approximately 80% of American homes have a fireplace, hearth or pellet stove. I'll admit, a fireplace was one of the features we searched for when looking at homes. Unfortunately, the perks of having a fireplace also come with a bit of responsibility. Any homeowner with a fireplace should know that the desire for a crackling fire also requires a lifetime commitment to make sure it’s in proper working order. If you need to brush up on your fireplace safety before brushing off the hearth, check out these eight basics of preventative wood burning fireplace maintenance: Additional precautions should be taken when you use the fireplace:
If you are the proud owner of a gas fireplace, this resource provides great information and recommendations about how you can best care for that investment. Now go enjoy that warm and toasty glow. Source: https://www.foremost.com/learning-center/8-tips-for-keeping-a-fire-safely-in-its-fireplace.asp
An ounce of prevention saves a ton of trouble when it comes to making your home more comfortable. Why put up with drafts, leaks, excess moisture, mildew or pesky pests when you don't have to? You can put a stop to costly drafts or leaks before they start with the right sealant, caulking compound or roof coating. Unwanted moisture can be a problem even in today's well-built and insulated manufactured homes, but not if you take steps to control it. Pests inside or under your manufactured home can also cause trouble. Homeowners agree it's far easier to keep bugs or unwanted animals from getting into their manufactured home than it is to get rid of them once they've moved in! Here are some quick preventive maintenance tips that pay off in both time and money. How to keep out drafts and leaks Sealants, caulking compounds and roof coatings prevent leaks and drafts. Sealing your home is probably the easiest and least costly way to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient. Basically, any crevice, crack or connection (except the edges of siding panels) should be sealed. To determine if your old caulk needs replacing, poke it with a screwdriver or nail. It should have a rubbery consistency. If it is hard, brittle and cracked, remove and replace it as part of your regular preventive maintenance. You will probably need more than one type of sealant to do your entire home. Here are some common sealant types:
Source: https://www.foremost.com/learning-center/mobile-home-repairs-draft-and-leaks.asp
Moving into a new rental property is such an exciting process! Sure, it's also super time-consuming and can be pretty demanding, but finally settling in can bring so much joy. I recently made the move from my college house into a full-on adult apartment and I was giddy with anticipation! Anything that came my way from the apartment complex was immediately completed and returned, all the T's crossed and I's dotted – including the lease. It didn't dawn on me until after I had sent it back that I probably should have read it more thoroughly. Luckily, my lease outlined understandable guidelines and didn't have any weird rules or vague statements releasing the complex from responsibility. Before signing a lease, make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Your lease is more than just a piece of paper with boring writing on it – it's a legally binding contract! Most leases are pretty straightforward, but once you sign it, you're locked in for the near future. Here are nine important questions to ask your landlord or leasing office before signing the rental agreement.
Source: https://www.foremost.com/learning-center/questions-you-shoud-ask-before-signing-a-lease.asp
Are you a snowbird? If you flock to a warmer climate during winter, you know that preparing your home before you leave is a tedious, sometimes difficult task. However, creating a thorough winter checklist can help protect your house against theft, water damage and other unwanted surprises. To help ensure everything goes smoothly, here are some important things to remember as you pack up and secure your home for the winter!
Forward your mail. This is something you can do without leaving your house! Try logging on to www.USPS.com and clicking the "Track & Manage" tab. The United States Postal Service (USPS) can forward your mail for up to one year. For flyers or anything else that comes to your door, ask a neighbor or a family member to occasionally check your home for anything that accumulates on your doorstep or in your mailbox. Do not turn off the heat! Set your thermostat between 55 and 60 degrees. If the house temperature is too low, your water pipes could freeze. Shut off the water. Doing this minimizes the risk of a flood. Be sure to turn off any valves inside, including automatic irrigation systems. To avoid any type of water leaks, it's always an option to have your pipes drained by a professional. Prep your appliances. Depending on how long you'll be gone, consider unplugging your refrigerator to cut down on energy costs. Be sure to clean it, throw out all of the food and leave the fridge doors open to prevent mildew. Other appliances you can unplug are your washer and dryer, microwaves and televisions. Perform exterior maintenance. If you live in a snowy area, arrange for someone to plow your driveway and sidewalks to avoid any liability issues. Make sure to also clean out your gutters so water drains easily. And of course, don't leave out any outdoor furniture or flowerpots that could blow away in the wind – put these items in storage! Perform indoor maintenance. Check your smoke alarm and make sure it has brand new batteries. If you have a chimney, close the flue to keep out any unwanted visitors such as birds, bats or squirrels. Putting a guard on top of the chimney is also something to consider. To put your mind at ease, go around and do last minute checks on all of your doors and windows. This is your last opportunity to make sure all of the locks work properly. Consider setting up light timers throughout the home. This will make it look like someone is home and ward off intruders. It's also not a bad idea to close all of the drapes at every window so no one can see that you're gone. Inform neighbors that you’re leaving. It's beneficial to have someone nearby on close watch in case they see anything suspicious around your home while you're gone. Be sure to give them all of your contact information in case of an emergency, and let them know when you'll be returning. Remember, give yourself enough time to prepare and finish your checklist. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re forgetting something, so I hope these tips help you make your move with peace of mind. Enjoy the sun, and be safe!
I can only imagine a few things worse than waking up in the morning and discovering the unexpected – you've been robbed! You may feel violated, and then angry…and then confused. You might think, "Who would do this, and how did it slip right under my nose?" If this has ever happened to you, don't feel bad; it can happen to anyone – at any time. According to the FBI's most recent property crime report, nearly 8 million homes reported property crime offenses in the U.S. in 2016 alone, and that includes neighborhoods where the crime rate is very low. I've rented since college and haven't had an issue with my safety, or experienced a burglary in any of my apartments. I am always careful to lock the front and patio door before going to bed. But, I did slip up recently. I was so exhausted I fell asleep on the couch and forgot to lock the door! Luckily, I woke up in the middle of the night to get water and noticed the door was unlocked. Since I've never lived alone before now, I felt scared and anxious - and immediately locked the door. I couldn't believe I had put myself at risk like that, especially because I consider myself very cautious and aware of my surroundings. After my personal safety lapse, I began to wonder what additional security measures I am allowed to take at my apartment complex. I don't technically own the place, so what can I do besides lock my door? I found out there are security measures I can implement in and outside of my apartment to help ensure my safety – and I wanted to share them with all the fellow renters!
Source: https://www.foremost.com/learning-center/protect-your-apartment-from-breakins.asp
Cruising down the strip in my mini-van, windows down, friends in tow, listening to some sort of 90's hair band without a care in the world… now that was the life. I remember how fun it was to finally turn 16, drive around the town feeling 100 feet tall because I was an adult (in my eyes). I don't remember seeing my parents act nervous or scared… although I'm sure after I pulled out of the driveway they were a nervous wreck. Driving as a teenager carries a hefty amount of responsibility and when your child smiles big for that first license picture, your stomach may drop. Chances are you have heard the stories, seen the statistics or maybe firsthand witnessed teenage driving accidents. That's because traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In fact, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. The NHTSA reports that each year more than 5,000 teens (ages 16-20) are killed in passenger vehicle crashes and during 2006 a teen died in a traffic crash an average of every hour on weekends and once every two hours during the week. Don't let these statistics keep your teen in the house forever, but set some rules that reiterate the importance of responsible driving. I think I did a pretty good job as a teen. I credit it to the fact that our grandparents lived with us and I drove them back and forth to McDonalds every night. Besides anticipating the delicious hamburgers, I remember thinking that I had to drive carefully because I didn't want anything to happen to them. Whether your teen has a grandparent or younger sibling they are responsible for or are on their own, these tips should help point them in the right direction.
Your safety is number one to us. Stay safe wherever you choose to go on the road. Source: https://www.foremost.com/learning-center/teen-driving-equals-big-responsibility.asp
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