Hinsdale-Homes

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The Best Way To Remove Wallpaper

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Wallpaper can look great in the right setting but when you are selling your house it can be detrimental to the sale. The potential buyer may want a blank canvas that they can see themselves easily customizing. If they see wallpaper all around your home, they may see it as too much work and pass on your house. To open up the potential buyer pool we recommend removing the wallpaper in your home before selling.

To start, if budget isn’t an issue then we recommend hiring professional wallpaper removers. They will have all of the necessary tools and work fast. This will ensure that you have the wallpaper off of your walls in a quick and efficient manner.

Doing It Yourself.

Peelable Wallpaper

Most wallpaper is able to be peeled. If you are able to peel it off then you should peel each strip off of the wall until it is gone. Then, you should get a Scotch-Brite pad and with soapy water and wash off all of the paste that is left behind. After you have the wall cleaned you will need to patch any defects that are in the wall. Finally, prime it and paint it a neutral color.

Vinyl Coated Paper

If the wallpaper doesn’t come off in strips then it is probably vinyl coated paper. This is a little more difficult to remove but not impossible. The first step you should take is getting yourself a paper tiger and using it to perforate the entire wall. After you have completed that, then you need to get a Hudson sprayer (or a spray bottle filled with warm water). Spray the entire wall down and let it soak in for a while.

Once you have given the water time to soak in, the wallpaper should peel right off. When you have gotten all of the wallpaper off, get a Scotch-Brite pad with soapy water and wash off all of the paste that is left behind. Then wash it once more with a soapy sponge. Once it has dried, pole sand the wall and patch any defects. After that, prime and paint with a neutral color.

We hope this months maintenance tip helps you remove the wallpaper in your home and in turn also helps you sell your house!

Thank you for reading this month’s maintenance tip! Check out Chuck’s Maintenance Tips for more helpful tips!

Checking Your Sump Pump

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Springtime is here which means the weather is finally getting warmer… but it also means rain, rain, and more rain. Rain can be a good thing, but it can also cause damage if you aren’t prepared for it. Here are a few ways to make sure that your sump pump is prepared for this rainy season.

Main Sump Pump

The main sump pump is used to send any unwanted water away from your house to a place where it won’t cause any problems. This place is usually a dry well or a municipal storm drain. The main sump pump is essential to any home with a basement to prevent any flooding.

Backup Sump Pump

The backup sump pump is used for the exact same reason as the regular sump pump but as you may have guessed it’s the back up for when the first sump pump fails. The reasons for failure can be the age of the main sump pump or if the water coming in is too much for the main to handle.

Battery Backup

The battery backup is another essential to have during the rainy season, the battery backup for your sump pumps will help to ensure that even if you lose power your sump pumps will still drain excess water away from your home.

The issue that you may run into with a battery backup is that the batteries only have a certain number of hours on each charge. The particular one we have is a two-battery backup with a total of 12 hours on the batteries.

Home Generator

Our final recommendation would be to invest in a whole house generator. The whole house generators are foolproof, meaning that even if you lose power, within about 15 seconds your house will have power again. This will lower the risk of any flooding in your house significantly.

Be sure to take a good look at your sump pump and backups. We also recommend testing to make sure everything is in working order before it comes time to use it!

Thank you for reading this month’s maintenance tip! Check out Chuck’s Maintenance Tips for more helpful tips!

DIANA AND CHUCK IVAS AWARDED BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES’ CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE – GOLD

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – March 11, 2019 – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group today announced that Diana and Chuck Ivas have been named to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ esteemed Chairman’s Circle-Gold Level for 2018.

Diana and Chuck were recognized for their exemplary performance at the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ annual Sales Convention, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 10-12. Real estate professionals from across North America attended the annual business and educational event.

“We congratulate Diana and Chuck. Winning the Gold Level of the Chairman’s Circle Award is an impressive achievement and attests to Diana and Chuck’s commitment to their profession. They are knowledgeable, have a strong work ethic and are sales leaders. Diana and Chuck strive to provide the best real estate experience for all of their clients,” said Nancy Nagy, CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices continues as America’s fastest-growing real estate brokerage network, with more than 48,000 agents and 1,400 offices named to the brand since its launch in September 2013. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group became a member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network in 2014. KoenigRubloff consistently ranks among the top companies in the Midwest and global network.

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group is a full-service real estate firm with nearly 1,500 real estate professionals and staff in 23 offices serving customers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the North Shore, Western Suburban communities and Harbor Country, Michigan. Deep local roots are complemented by the extensive global reach of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the top real estate brand in the nation. Affiliated and ancillary services in the form of HomeServices Lending, Fort Dearborn Title, and HomeServices Insurance complete the comprehensive services offered to clients. Visit KoenigRubloff.com.

Refrigerator Maintenance

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Your refrigerator doesn’t need a large amount of maintenance to continue to run effectively. Similar to your air conditioner outside, keeping the condenser coils clean in your refrigerator is essential. Cleaning them helps to keep it running smoothly.

Refrigerator

On most refrigerators, the condenser coils are located either on the top, on the back, or across the bottom of your fridge. These coils cool and condense the refrigerant, and when they are compromised with dust, dirt or debris they can’t function correctly.

Keeping the coils clean is a simple task as long as you periodically check back on the coils. We recommend cleaning the coils on your refrigerator every 6 months. One effective way to clean the coils is by using the vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment. This will ensure you are able to get in deep without worrying about cutting your hands on any of the metal. If you keep the coils clean, it will help keep your refrigerator clean and ensure the items inside stay cold.

Ice Maker

Another common household item that is found in your kitchen is the ice maker, these also have condenser coils that can get covered in dust. We recommend cleaning these coils every 6 months as well.

It should only take about 15 minutes to do both of these tasks. In the long run, it will save you the headache of having to worry about your food not staying cold in your refrigerator or not having ice in your ice maker.

Check out Chuck’s Maintenance Tips for more helpful tips!