Guest Post - 6 Inexpensive Ways to Secure Your Home from Termites

‘The invisible enemy’ is quite the appropriate nickname for a pest which, often easily left unnoticed, can completely devour your home and leave a huge gap in your wallet while chasing them away – termites. Termite infestation is a pest infestation where the white ant, or more commonly known termite colony makes a home out of the wood in your home. Although once infested, the professional’s intervention is the best solution, there are a few things you could do to not be ‘attractive’ to these insects.

1: Check your home frequently 

The first sign of termites is the mud tubes formed on the walls close to the house foundation. This is unless you’ve had pest control recently, a clear sign that you should check further. Soft to the touch and crumbly, that wooden piece is a perfect candidate for infestation. Any type of prevention cannot replace control, since a vintage armchair you’ve bought on the garage sale could be a source of infestation. Additionally, if your neighboring houses are near your walls, that is a reason more to check yourself. 

2: Declutter is a must

Termites are attracted to cellulose and therefore everything containing it has to be used and therefore frequently controlled. The objects prone to termite infestation would be made of or containing – paper, cardboard, and wood. That does not mean you should throw out everything made of these materials, but instead take good care of anything containing termite food. Once the infested pile of old magazines or Amazon boxes that were never disposed of will be a ‘death sentence’ for all furniture in that room since you will not be sure for some time whether it has been infested. 

3: Get rid of the moisture

When checking your house, pay attention to possible humid areas in your basement or attic. When inspecting this issue, checking for possible leakage in plumbing pipes, faulty gutters or condensation lines from air conditioning and lengthy baths is a must. Addressing any problem which may be found is a great way of preserving your home from many living creatures, all of which depend on water for survival. Damp areas are a big sign you should further inspect and be sure to fix since termites won’t be the only nightmare you could live.

4: Keep your back yard neat, clean and spacious 

To further prevent infestation and ease the inspection keep distance between the wood and the soil. Cement or stones are a great decoration that termites will not be crossing to get to your home. Additionally, sun exposure will raise the temperature of these materials further preventing infestation, but even more, the heat from the sun will kill the existing termites, if you happen to doubt an old sofa or a book table. Keep the wood piles, the trees, and the wooden materials away from the house and try to treat them to repel insects.

5: DIY solutions for prevention

Mentioning heat from the sun, it is not bad to consider other prevention methods that you can do on your own. Vinegar wash or borate spray could help as a disinfectant before priming and colouring wooden surfaces, while termite swarms can be easily removed with a vacuum cleaner or an organic natural pesticide in the form of essential oil of a choice: cinnamon, neem, clove, orange, etc.

6: Seek a professional’s advice

If everything still seems too uncertain and you want the guaranteed protection, the best option is to consult pest control. There are different pest treatments available and each offers a longer period of prolonged protection. Treatments for termites are called termite barriers, and they differ from every DIY with scientifically proven efficiency and professional expertise. Timber inspection done by a professional is more than a sufficient method for house and on-site inspection. Not just for the possible discovery of infestation, but additionally it is a great time and place to ask questions and get a piece of advice for safety measures and possible future critical spots for your specific home environment. 

The termite problem is so big in Australia that there is a building regulation for it in Victoria. It is important to take into account that every house is a special case. The possibility of infestation differs in accordance to the surrounding living area and even your specific neighbourhood, but even more from the species of wood, type of build, windows, furniture, and the mentioned exterior design of the house itself and the yard surrounding it. Taking all of the mentioned pieces of advice into account, maybe the best solution remains the professional one, with the help of the owner’s inspections and decluttered interior design. 

Author Bio

Maggie Holmes is a passionate blog writer who is extremely keen on writing about fashion, lifestyle, home improvement and technology. Her exclusive hobby is to surf the net to find amazing articles that can inspire her with some fresh ideas for article writing. She loathes being a common person who wastes her time. Follow her on Twitter.

What is a construction lawyer and how does it help us

When we’re building anything, we are going to need the help of a construction lawyer if we wish for everything to go as legally as possible. Construction lawyers are very important, and you are going to find it difficult to build something without them. We are here to tell you what do construction lawyers do, why do we need them and how do they help us? You are going to feel a little bit more appreciation for them after you read this. Here are the biggest benefits of having this type of lawyer.

Drafting Contracts

The most important thing a construction lawyer can do is draft contracts. This is something heavily important and we can’t build anything without it. Without a contract, everyone is going to be able to do whatever they want. You wouldn’t have to pay for your workers if you don’t want to, and they wouldn’t need to come to work if they didn’t want to. Contracts are the legal agreements between the person who is paying for builders and the construction company. Our world wouldn’t function as it does today if it wasn’t for these contracts. That’s why it’s heavily important that we have a construction lawyer when we’re trying to build a house for example. You will want to have a building contract where everything is thoroughly specified from start to finish. Everyone is going to be secure if something like this is written up, and that’s the whole point of having a contract. This type of thing would be possible without the help of a construction lawyer.

Payments are protected and controlled

Another great thing that a construction lawyer does is the fact that he protects and controls payments. Now, you are probably wondering what this means. Well, we will explain it to you. This means that the construction lawyer is going to make sure that all of the workers and contractors are going to get paid for their work. This also means that the person paying for the building isn’t going to pay for anything more than it is specified in the contract. This basically means that the construction lawyer is a mediator when it comes to payments, and someone like that is absolutely needed when we’re talking about construction. Everyone should be able to get paid what they deserve, and nobody should be paying for more than they have signed for. This is a really huge role that a construction lawyer plays, and we are going to respect it. You will most definitely want to have a lawyer like this when you’re trying to build something, so you can avoid paying for unnecessary things. 

Submitting Claims

This is another thing that good construction lawyers can assist you with. He will be able to accept all additional claims and they are going to be discussed with every member of the contract. Submitting additional claims can mean a lot of things. Whether we are going to be adding more time to the contract or if we’re going to increase the payment due to various reasons is something you can do only through additional claims. Your construction lawyer is going to make this claim and talk about them with other members of the contract. Based on everyone’s opinion, he is going to be able to present you with the chance to change the contract, if that’s something that you wish. This is very important, as a lot can happen during the building process. There might be a lot of delays because of the bad weather conditions or an injury. Many things can happen, and being able to switch things in your contract potentially is a very good thing which you should value.

Contract interpretations

This might sound simple, but you wouldn’t believe how contract interpretations can be needed from time to time. People who have never practiced law or if they are simply inexperienced in this area are going to need to help of a construction lawyer. He is going to be able to tell them everything that they need to know regarding their contract, which is really important. He will be able to explain everything to you. If you have a problem understanding some parts of your contract, you are going to be able to ask your construction lawyer to explain it to you. He will do it with ease and you are going to be aware of everything that resides in your contract.

In conclusion, having these types of lawyers present is mandatory and very important. The world would be a wild west if we didn’t have them. They are a great mediator, as we’ve already mentioned, and we need them so everyone ends up satisfied with their part of the work and payment. Construction lawyers have been around for many years now, and they won’t go anywhere. They are useful, helpful, and of great assistance. Remember that if you have any questions regarding your building contract, you are going to be able to ask your construction lawyer about it. He will explain everything that you need to know.

4 Home Hazards You Can Prevent With Preparation

In any home, there's always a risk of damage or accidents. The chances of these crises occurring, however, can be reduced with planning and preparation. Here are four home hazards you can prevent with a bit of preparation and some forward-thinking.

Roof Leaks

A leaky roof practically guarantees that you'll have water damage to deal with. To prevent this problem, it's a good idea to engage in some basic roof maintenance. Have your roof inspected regularly, and repair any weather-related damage as soon as it comes up. You should also trim back any tree limbs close to your roof so that they won't blow up against it in a storm and loosen the shingles.

Electrical Accidents

Older homes often have wiring that isn't compatible with modern appliances. This can result in short circuits, electrical damage, or even electrical fires. To prevent this, have a qualified electrician come in and inspect your home's wiring. Update or replace the parts that aren't up to par, and you'll have less to worry about as your home ages.

Fires

The biggest fear for any homeowner is a fire. Whether started by wiring, a gas leak, or a lightning strike, fires can instantly destroy your home, belonging, and financial stability. While fires will always do some damage, you can mitigate the effects by having your home coated with flame-resistant sprays or installing non-flammable insulation. Materials from companies like Sun Fire Defense can help your home suffer less damage in the event of a fire, making the recovery process faster and simpler.

Basement Flooding

During large storms, it's far from uncommon for basements to flood. The solution, of course, is to install a sump pump to drain the water from your basement before it becomes an issue. To fully prevent basement flooding, you should also have a home generator running as an automatic power backup in case of a power outage. This way, the sump pump will continue to operate, even if the power goes out. A generator will also prevent you from having to go hours without power if a line goes down or a transformer blows, both of which can happen at any time due to high winds or falling trees.

As you can see, even the worst kinds of home damage can be prevented with some sensible preparation. Take these preventative measures in your home today to keep it safe from damage for years to come.

How Can Retirees Make The Most Of Home Equity

Retirement is an exciting and rewarding time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor after decades of hard work. If you’re retired or you’re about to retire, you may be wondering what’s next. If you’re thinking about how you can make the most of your assets, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at how retirees can make the most of home equity. 

What is Home Equity?

Home equity is the difference between the current appraised value of your home and the outstanding balance of your mortgage. To put it simply, home equity is the amount of ownership you actually have in your home. For example, if you owe $200,000 to your lending institution for your mortgage loan and your home is worth $250,000, you have $50,000 equity in your home. 

Can equity increase or decrease? Yes, your home equity can both increase and decrease, depending on different circumstances. With each mortgage payment, you make your equity rise. Mortgage payments increase equity by decreasing the amount owed on your mortgage and increasing the true amount of homeownership. 

Equity can decrease if your home value drops at a faster rate than you’re making your mortgage principal payments. Home value can decrease for the following reasons:

• Natural disasters

• Consistent foreclosures in your neighborhood

• Lack of community maintenance and upkeep

• Lack of amenities, etc.

Now that we’ve taken a look at what home equity is and how it works, let’s take a look at how you can make the most of home equity. 

Cash-Out Refinancing

Cash-out refinancing is replacing your existing mortgage with a new one that reflects the current appraised value of your home. With this method, you’re able to cash-out with your equity difference. The exact amount you’re able to get depends on your specific agreement with your lending institution. With the cash you receive you can pay off credit card debts, improve your home, or meet other financial needs that you may have.

Sell Your Home

Retirement is a perfect time to sell your home. More often than not, your need for a daily commute will be eliminated, as well as, your need for living close to business establishments. Get away from the hustle and bustle and consider selling your home. 

When you sell your home, you can downsize with cash on hand from the sale. With the additional cash from your sale, you can invest in rental properties or other businesses that will guarantee a sure monthly income with minimal effort. You may also want to consider moving to a cheaper retirement-friendly neighborhood. Neighborhoods like these are perfect for hosting intimate birthday parties and gifting sentimental gifts to your loved ones.

Selling the home you’ve lived in for many years may seem scary. But remember, making a house a home is simple. All you need is love and a few personal touches. Make your new retirement home extra cozy with furniture for your grandkids or framed birthday cards. Items like these will ensure that your new home feels just right.

Home Equity Borrowing

A home equity loan is a second mortgage that gives you access to a lump sum payment. With your lump sum payment you can:

• Remodel your home to make it retirement-friendly. This is a perfect option if selling your current home is non-negotiable for you

• Finally have the kitchen, bathroom, or living space of your dreams

• Make your backyard an ideal hang out spot for yourself, your grandkids, or friends to enjoy time outdoors

• Make your home a loving oasis of beautiful memories of the people closest to your heart

Reverse Mortgage

Typically, homeowners age 62 and above and are eligible to take out a reverse mortgage. When you take out a reverse mortgage, you’re borrowing against the value of your home. Depending on your agreement with your lending institution, you will receive one lump sum payment or monthly payments over an extended period of time. Reverse mortgages tend to be more complex and are not the right fit for everyone. However, they are still an option nonetheless. 

Conclusion

After spending a long time contributing to the workforce, your retirement period should be as stress-free as possible. Before deciding which method of home equity cashing out you’d like to pursue, you should always:

• Research extensively - Make sure you fully understand all of the pros and cons of a potential agreement before signing off on it. Alongside doing your own research, you should also speak to a loan specialist from at least one or two lending institutions. Each institution will have different rates and agreements.

• Be responsible - It’s easy to get carried away when you are granted access to large amounts of money. However, it’s important to remember that with most of these agreements you are putting your home up for collateral. Before making a final decision, ensure that you can effortlessly keep up with your loan payments.

Congrats on your retirement! Enjoy it, you deserve it.