The government influences home construction standards with regulations that must be met when selling a home. Today the US government is focusing on energy efficient products and materials for new construction and existing homes. Enforcement of new standards happens in many ways. For example, there is a process for a town’s building inspector to check that all codes have been followed during construction or remodeling, before issuing a “Certificate of Occupancy” which is required before anyone can occupy a new home.

In past years, the government has stepped in to make homes more safe by requiring that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors be installed before a home can be sold. In this way, existing homes without these features are upgraded before the sale is completed. Similar rules exist for private septic systems to protect the environment, and each state or town may add requirements unique to their location. READ MORE

My experience for this article comes from being a frequent home buyer and not a Realtor. As the owner of a handyman business, I participate in a wonderful online real estate community called Active Rain where I get insight into the real estate market which is incredibly valuable during these challenging economic times.

There have been several articles on teamwork that made me realize that almost every successful home sale isn’t because of one person, but rather a team of people working towards a common goal. When you buy or sell a home, you are building a team and ideally everyone looks at the relationship as a partnership, much the way you must partner with your doctor, accountant or attorney. READ MORE

Bathrooms and specifically showers and bathtubs are prone to leaks. Do you have a shower door that leaks or do the corners of the glass enclosure leak every time you take a shower?  If you answered yes, you may have noticed water damage on the sheet rock or baseboards outside the shower.  The problem and solution to shower door leaks may be less complicated than you think.

Dealing with water leaks is a common problem addressed by my handyman business, and often after the homeowner has tried to solve the problem unsuccessfully. Fortunately homeowners use their bathrooms regularly so they spot these problems quickly but have trouble figuring out what part of the shower or tub is leaking. READ MORE

Window features continue to evolve like the tilting window shown here from Harvey Building Products. The most common window style in the US and other countries colonized by the UK are called double-hung sash windows. They have 2 parts (the sashes) which slide up and down inside their frame, overlapping to form a seal. A single-hung sash window looks the same but only one part, usually the lower half, of the window moves.

Today’s windows use spring balances to support the sashes in place of the traditional counterweights that sit on either side of the window. The weights are attached to the sashes using pulleys with a braided cord to support opening and closing the windows.

New windows are available hinges that can be used to tilt the sashes for both exiting a room and more common, cleaning both sides of the window from inside.  READ MORE