Part One
WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT
YOUR HOME
Is your home a well-oiled machine or a money pit? When you know the tricks shady contractors try to pull, what turns a quick plumbing fix into a pricey project, and how movers will try to overcharge you, you’ll get the house you want minus the overspending and stress.
Beyond the remodelers, the plumbers, the exterminators, and the power companies, we didn’t rest until we got you the complete story. Real estate brokers, house cleaners, and sketchy locksmiths showed us their cards. But the info that’s worth its weight in gold? Convicted burglars told us what makes them pick your place over the neighbor’s.
To keep your home safe and saleable, and keep your stress level at an all-time low, check out—and heed—the top secrets we got hundreds of insiders to reveal.
WHAT BURGLARS WON’T TELL YOU
We got convicted thieves to reveal their sneakiest secrets. Here are the top 13 things to know to avoid being a victim.
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. And hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Sometimes I carry a clipboard. There are times when I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
4. The two things I hate most: Loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
5. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.
6. Your alarm only works if it’s on. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom—and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there, too.
8. Don’t let me see your security system. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.
9. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
10. Lock your windows. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.
11. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)
12. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
13. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe…. The one where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.
SOURCES: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
Great Advice
4 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HOME SAFE WHILE YOU’RE ON VACATION
1. Burglars really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. They might even leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it. Have a neighbor collect this stuff while you’re gone, and no one will know you aren’t home.
2. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.
3. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car tracks into the driveway and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway that you’ve taken a trip to warmer climes.
4. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)
7 TIPS FOR TOTAL HOTEL SAFETY
Burglars told us you’re a target in your home-away-from-home, too. These tips for keeping protected while you’re traveling will make sure you can relax to the max.
1. Ask for a room on the third floor or higher. Most thefts occur on the first two floors. Stay below the seventh floor, however; few fire engine ladders can reach above it.
2. Choose a hotel over a motel. Burglaries are easier when your room’s door is quickly accessible from the parking lot.
3. Make sure the front-desk person doesn’t say your room number aloud when you’re registering. They should write it down and hand it to you. If he does say it aloud, ask for another room and ask that he write down the number.
4. Ask who is at your door and verify before opening. If you didn’t order room service, or don’t know why the “employee” is there, call the front desk and verify that they sent someone.
5. Use the main entrance of the hotel when returning in the evening.
6. Use all locking devices for your door, and lock all windows and sliding glass doors.
7. Don’t leave the “Please Make Up Room” sign outside your door unless you want to tell the whole world you’re not there. Instead, put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. If you want your room made up while you’re out, call housekeeping and let them know.
WHAT YOUR CONTRACTOR WON’T TELL YOU
Here are some of the best ways to avoid home remodeling hassles and headaches.
1. Triple-check financing before you start. You don’t want to run out of money to pay me because your lender decides to lower or eliminate your home equity line of credit. (And it can, at any time.)
2. Avoid surprise fines by asking your municipal building department about permits that homeowners might need to get for construction-related services like Dumpsters. Also make sure you’re familiar with noise and nuisance ordinances so you’re not hit with a costly complaint from neighbors annoyed by the 6 a.m. symphony hammered out by the crew.
3. The National Association of Home Builders has a Green Building Program. Search its website for a green builder in your area: Go to nahbgreen.org and click on Certified Green Professional.
4. Look at work I’ve done in the past 12 months, on a budget similar to yours. (Older projects likely had bigger budgets and more expensive materials.)
5. Check me out: Any liens? Pending lawsuits? Do I have a valid state license? Do my subcontractors?
6. Test-drive me on a smaller project before you commit.
7. Do I have insurance? Check directly with my insurance company. Those papers I waved in front of you may have expired years ago.
8. Don’t overimprove, especially since home values are falling. If a contractor is trying to bolster his pitch with potential resale value, cross-check his claims with a real estate agent or appraiser.
9. Spell everything out. Otherwise, I may not prime the walls before I paint or I may not build that closet shelf and put up that rod. Expect nothing that’s not in writing.
10. Reduce the risk of upcharges. Some contractors may charge extra for upgrades required by municipal inspectors to cover extra costs—all the more reason to review your plans in advance with your municipal building staff. You can change the plans, and the project budget, to reflect the cost of complying with the code from the start.
11. Find out who will actually be doing the work on your project by requesting a list of the subcontractors. If there’s an apprentice, who will be supervising him to be sure the work is done correctly?
12. Get the details of the project schedule and how the contractor has prioritized your job compared to all his work. Ask for a job schedule broken down by phase—demolition, rough construction, plumbing, electrical, and finish work.
13. Ditto for the brand and precise quality of the materials, appliances, and fixtures you are ordering. Don’t let us sub in materials of “equal or better quality” that aren’t.
SOURCES: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies; Roger Peugeot, president of Roger the Plumber, Inc., Overland Park, Kansas; Collin Johnson, director of inspection services for the City of Glendale, Wisconsin; Bruce Case, president of Case Design/Remodeling, Inc., based in Bethesda, Maryland.
Great Advice
HOW TO AVOID HIRING A SHADY CONTRACTOR
1. Be cautious: Don’t do business with someone who comes to your door without an appointment. Be especially wary if the contractor drives a vehicle with no company name and phone number or with out-of-state license plates.
2. Do your research: Before working with a contractor, research the company. Check out its rating and complaint history with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org).
3. Ask around: Ask neighbors, friends, relatives, or local consumer advocates for recommendations of reliable contractors.
4. Explore your options: Get at least three written bids for the work you want done from three different contractors before choosing one.
5. Check the contractor’s background: When you’re ready to hire a contractor, ask for proof that the company is properly licensed and bonded (to protect you against theft and damage), that it carries liability insurance, and that it provides workers’ compensation insurance.
6. Get references: Ask the contractor for references from the company’s last three jobs—and check those references!
7. Get a contract: Demand a written contract that lists the specific work to be done, costs, materials to be used, start and completion dates, and warranty information on products and installation. Read the fine print carefully before signing it.
8. Be smart about payments: Do not pay more than 33 percent of the total job cost as a deposit. Hold off on your final payment until the job is finished and you are satisfied with the completed work.
WHAT YOUR EXTERMINATOR WON’T TELL YOU
You don’t always need to call in the experts for ants. Try these common ways to nix them first.
1. Create a “moat” around the object the ants are going for. Simply surround it with adhesive tape placed sticky side up.
2. Draw a line with chalk around home entry points. The ants will be repelled by the calcium carbonate in the chalk, which is actually made up of ground-up and compressed shells of marine animals. Scatter powdered chalk around garden plants to repel ants and slugs.
3. Some other household things ants hate are talcum powder, cream of tartar, borax, powered sulfur, and oil of cloves. You can put these items around your foundation and other points of entry to keep ants out.
4. A baster is the right tool for hard-to-reach spots. If you’ve sprinkled a powdered ant deterrent, like boric acid, along any cracks or crevices where you’ve spotted the intruders, use a baster to blow small amounts of the powder into hard-to-reach corners and any deep voids you come across.
Note: Keep in mind that boric acid can be toxic if ingested by young children or pets.
5. A flowerpot can help squelch fire ants. Place the flowerpot upside down over the anthill. Pour boiling water through the drain hole and you’ll be burning down their house.
6. You don’t need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills and into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in. Then scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance.
7. Deter ants that are beating a path to your home by sprinkling salt across the doorframe or directly on their paths. Ants will be discouraged from crossing this barrier.
8. In a blender, make a smooth puree of a few orange peels in 1 cup of warm water. Slowly pour the solution over and into anthills in your garden, on your patio, and along the foundation of your home to send the little pests packing.
9. Cayenne pepper sprinkled in spots where the ants are looking for sugar, such as along the backs of your countertops or on your baseboards, will tell them that no sugar is ahead.
10. Keep cooking essentials, including sugar and paprika, safe from ant intruders by slipping a bay leaf inside your storage containers. If you’re concerned about the sugar picking up a bay leaf flavor, tape the leaf to the inside of the canister lid.
11. An anti-ant aromatherapy trick is to tape sachets of sage, bay, stick cinnamon, or whole cloves inside cabinets. This will smell pleasant while discouraging ants.
12. Ants hate the smell of vinegar. So pour equal parts water and white vinegar into a spray bottle. Then spray it on anthills and around areas where you see the insects. Also keep the spray bottle handy for outdoor trips or to keep ants away from picnics or children’s play areas.
13. If you have lots of anthills around your property, try pouring full-strength vinegar over them to hasten the bugs’ departure.
Great Advice
NATURAL REPELLENTS FOR OTHER COMMON PESTS
The Pest: Slugs
The Remedy: These slow-moving insects are very attracted to beer. Fill an empty tuna or cat-food can with beer, and bury it in your garden soil up to its rim. Overnight, slugs will move into the beer and drown. Throw out the entire can in the morning and replace it with a fresh batch.
The Pest: Snails
The Remedy: Put a board or two on the garden soil, and snails will take shelter in the damp shade beneath them. Pick up the boards and scrape the creatures into the trash. Always water your garden in the morning. If the soil is dry at night, critters like slugs and snails will be less active.
The Pest: Earwigs
The Remedy: In the evening, roll up sheets of wet newspaper and lay them around the garden. At sunrise, earwigs will crawl inside the wet pages to take shelter. Collect the papers before they dry out, bugs and all. Don’t throw the newspapers into your trash cans, or the earwigs will soon escape and make their way back to the garden. Either burn the papers and bugs, shake the earwigs into a toilet or sink and flush them down the drain, or tie up the papers and bugs tightly inside a plastic bag—with absolutely no openings—and put them in the garbage can.
The Pest: Aphids
The Remedy: Make your own citrus-rind spray by grating the rind of one lemon or orange and combining it with 1 pint (500 ml) boiling water. Let it steep overnight, then strain through a coffee filter to remove the bits of rind. Add the mixture to a spray bottle, and spray the aphids on the leaves of the plants. Make sure to spray underneath the leaves, too. Reapply every four to seven days as long as the problem persists.
WHAT YOUR HOUSECLEANER WON’T TELL YOU
Learn how a good relationship makes for a clean house—and other neat secrets—from the people who see (and sometimes put away) your dirty laundry.
1. Please say thank you, even if it’s just on a Post-it. Or if you really like me, leave something like a $5 gift card to McDonald’s. If I feel like someone appreciates me, I really go the extra mile.
2. Make sure you have all the cleaning products I will need. Sometimes I show up, and my clients have nothing for me to use. You know best what kind of cleaners you want used in your home; some people want only organic cleaners, some are picky about brands, and others have allergies.
3. Don’t forget that I need equipment! One of my bosses kept forgetting to get me a mop so I had to wash her floors on my hands and knees with a cloth. Not only is that inconsiderate, it’s harder for me to get the results you want.
4. Please do not ask me to sew on buttons… clean the wheels of your bike, scrub out your mailbox, or pull out the refrigerator in order to clean behind it.
5. Letting us work “by the job” sometimes means you get less for your money. It can be more cost effective to pay an hourly rate, especially if it’s a maintenance cleaning.
6. It’s helpful if you soak dirty pans so that I can clean them more easily when I get there.
7. I need reasonable notice if you are going to move or stop hiring me. Too many clients don’t think to tell me until the week they’re moving. A month’s notice would be nice. You give your landlord a month’s notice. Please do me the same courtesy.
8. Tiny kindnesses mean a lot. One time a client left me a gift from a trip abroad, which delighted me. Those small appreciations keep me working hard.
9. It’s a huge relief when clients allow me to take my child with me to work. Sometimes I just can’t find a sitter, but I still need the money.
10. Please write a list of the things you would like me to do, in addition to giving me verbal instructions, to ensure I don’t forget anything.
11. Be wary if I give you my price over the phone. Reputable cleaners come to your home and give you a free estimate.
12. If your house is a disorganized mess, it makes it harder for me to clean, and if you pay me by the hour, you’ll pay more. Please pick up toys, piles of papers, and clutter from surfaces so that I can actually get to them.
13. Think our insurance will cover you? Hmm, maybe not. Insurance companies expect us to be trained professionals, so if we use the wrong product on your expensive furnishings, the insurance company might deny the claim.
SOURCES: Tangela Ekhoff, a housecleaner in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Lynette Haugen, owner of True Blue Maids of Pasadena, California; Theresa Peterson, owner of Quality Cleaning “Maid to Order” in Fremont, California; Torrey Shannon, former maid service owner in Westcliffe, Colorado; and house cleaners in Louisiana, New York, Vermont, Washington, and London.
Become an Instant Expert
Squeaky-Clean Tips Your Housekeeper May Not Even Know
The best way to dust blinds? Close them, then wipe up and down with an old dryer sheet. It’ll create an antistatic barrier that helps prevent dust from building up again.
The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is your friend. It will cut your cleaning time in half for bathtubs, sinks, countertops, and dirty walls.
To clean glass and mirrors, use coffee filters, not paper towels. They leave no streaks or lint—and they’re cheap.
Vinegar and water is a great deodorizer for a musty bathroom. Spray your shower down as you’re getting out. It really absorbs the odors, and the smell of vinegar goes away in an hour.
A wet pumice stone will clean a dirty oven faster than any spray-on product. Trust us.
Vacuuming bathroom mats is a nightmare. Toss them in the wash every week or two instead.
To damp-mop wood floors, use plain water or a water-based floor cleaner like Bona. Don’t use vinegar. The acid in it will pit your polyurethane finish, can void your warranty, and may reduce shine over time.
Our biggest secret weapon? A powdered product called Bar Keepers Friend. We use it on everything. Its active ingredient is rhubarb powder, which really cuts through grit and grime. It cleans glass-top stoves, counters, toilets, porcelain, and more. Your sink will never be shinier.
To clean your microwave oven, microwave a cup of water with some baking soda in it until it’s boiling. This eliminates odors and makes it super easy to wipe away all that stuck-on stuff.
Clean cobwebs with a yardstick covered by a tube sock. This also works for cleaning under stoves and refrigerators.
Shine your bathroom tiles with lemon oil. It also helps prevent mold and mildew.
To eliminate that ring in your toilet, drop in a bubbling denture-cleaning tablet and leave it for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The stain will come off with just a few swishes of the brush.
WHAT YOUR LOCKSMITH WON’T TELL YOU
These secrets will keep you from getting gouged—or worse—when you lock yourself or other people out.
1. Many locksmiths in the phone book or online are scam artists. They’ll quote you a great price, but when they get there, they’ll say you have a special lock they can’t pick, so they have to drill it open. Then they charge you $125 for a replacement lock you can buy at Home Depot for $25. You can find someone reputable at findalocksmith.com.
2. It’s easy to defeat the cheapo locks from big-box stores. Most are mass-produced by reputable manufacturers but to very low standards. Look for at least a grade 2.
3. The best lock is a dead bolt that’s properly installed. It should have at least a one-inch “throw,” and on the “strike side,” there should be a security plate with screws at least three inches long that go all the way into the door’s wood frame.
4. If you have a window on or near your door, a thumb-turn dead bolt won’t do much good. Burglers knock out the glass, stick a hand in, and turn. Get a double cylinder lock that needs a key on the inside.
5. Keys stamped “Do not duplicate” are duplicated all the time. Ask me about high-security locks with keys that can’t be replicated at the hardware store.
6. When you buy a new house, always have your locks rekeyed. Otherwise there’s probably a master key out there that can easily open your home.
7. Don’t believe a car dealer who says only he can duplicate keys. In most cases, a locksmith who specializes in automotive work can make you a key—usually cheaper.
8. Divorce lock-outs are a challenge. The soon-to-be-ex wife will call and say she’s locked out, so I get her in and change the locks. Then the husband calls with the same request. I refer him to a competitor.
9. Have a housekeeper who needs a key? Ask me to key your door so that your master key works on both the dead bolt and the doorknob, but hers works just on the knob. On the day she comes, lock only the knob.
10. A lot of us do undercover work for the cops. We make keys for them and get them into places at 3 a.m. so they can set up surveillance equipment or put the bugs in place. It’s part of the thrill of doing what we do.
11. I’ve seen my share of dead bodies. It’s always a bad sign when the landlord calls to get into an apartment, and nobody’s seen the tenant for ten days.
12. Try the door even if you don’t have your keys. I’ve gone to houses and found the door unlocked. (I’m still going to charge you for the service call.)
13. Don’t feel bad if you have to call me twice in a short span of time. I once had a guy lock himself out of his house three times in one day.
SOURCES: Tom Rubenoff, a hardware salesman and former locksmith in Brookline, Massachusetts; Charles Eastwood, who operates Locksmith Charley in Phoenix, Arizona; Bob DeWeese, a locksmith in Baltimore, Maryland; and Rick Bayuk, owner of Karpilow Safe & Lock in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Great Advice
5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR FRONT DOOR MORE SECURE
1. Add a heavy-duty dead bolt. A dead bolt is a low-cost, high-value addition to your security system. Varieties include double-cylinder dead bolts, which are keyed on both sides, and single-cylinder dead bolts, keyed on one side. Whichever type you choose, make sure it has a grade-2 security rating.
2. Add a strike box. A strike box is something you can add to your lock that toughens up your entry and deters intruders by replacing existing strike plates with a structure that includes a metal pocket, oversized plates, and a solid connection into the wall stud behind the doorjamb with three-inch screws. To accommodate this addition, you’ll need to enlarge both the hole in the jamb and the cover plate recess.
3. Add a reinforcement plate. Three-sided metal reinforcement plates add an extra layer of security by encasing a door around its handset or dead bolt. To select the correct size for your door, measure its thickness, the handset or dead bolt hole diameter, and the distance between its edge and the center of the handset or dead bolt (known as the setback).
4. Rekey the lock. If you’re not the first to live in your present abode, rekeying the entry locks is yet another way to enhance security. Rekeying kits matching most lock brands can be found at hardware stores and home improvement centers, and work on both entrance and dead-bolt locks. They also allow up to six locks to be rekeyed for the same key.
5. Install a wide-angle peephole. You’ll be able to do a larger scale screening of unexpected visitors with a wide-angle peephole viewer. This easy-to-install safety accessory is designed to fit any door up to two inches thick.
WHAT YOUR PLUMBER WON’T TELL YOU
Here are the smartest ways to avoid costly plumbing mistakes.
1. Monday is our busiest day. That’s the day wives call us to correct the “work” their husbands did over the weekend.
2. Know where the main turnoff source is. I can’t tell you how many calls I get from people screaming and crying that their house is flooding and they don’t know what to do.
3. Pay me by the job, not by the hour.
4. Don’t get wrapped up in how much I’m charging for the materials. Sure, my material cost is different than the guy who runs his business out of his garage. But it’s not the copper you’re paying for—it’s the experience. At the end of the day, my material cost is between 25 and 30 percent of the cost of the job.
5. A company that has a good reputation for quality service might charge a little more up front, but you’ll save in the long run by avoiding callbacks and extra charges. Look for a company that warrants its service for up to a year for major installations or repairs.
6. Be wary of price quotes that are strikingly lower or higher than competitors. Get a minimum of three bids. Estimates for an average-size job should be within a few hundred dollars. Be suspicious of anything that is substantially lower or double the price of the rest, and watch out for hidden fees, like charges for travel expenses. A good plumber will not nickel and dime you like this, and many of us will offer free estimates.
7. Yes, it’s against the rules to remove flow inhibitors from your showerheads, but some of us will do it if you ask.
8. Sure, we’ll be happy to check those supply valves under your sink free of charge after we finish the work you’re paying us for. Just ask. Same goes for checking your water pressure.
9. I’m not a babysitter, a mover, or an auto mechanic. Don’t ask.
10. You’re calling to say your garage-door opener doesn’t work ever since I fixed your faucet? Get a clue—and an electrician.
11. I see this all the time: Women want a new toilet seat and ask their husbands to make the switch. If the seat is old and has metal bolts, you probably need to cut it off with a hacksaw, not unscrew it. A wrench may slip, damaging the bowl and bloodying your knuckles.
12. Don’t hang clothes on those exposed pipes in your basement. I’ve seen them break and flood a basement.
13. I was working in one bathroom while my client was using the whirlpool in another one. And blow-drying her hair at the same time. Her husband had told her it was fine. I told her he was trying to get rid of her.
SOURCES: Bill Stevens, owner of Berkey’s Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Texas; plumbers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Great Advice
HOW TO FIND A PLUMBER WHO WON’T DRAIN YOUR WALLET
“Don’t go to the Yellow Pages to find a plumber,” says Berkey’s Bill Stevens. “It’s like guessing lottery numbers. Anyone can make an appealing ad, but that doesn’t mean they are legitimate. In this industry, it’s easy for a plumber who develops a poor reputation to advertise under a different name. They come and go.”
Don’t assume that every Mr. Fix-it advertising his services in the local Pennysaver or on craigslist is a licensed plumber. There is no national standard for issuing licenses. Some plumbers are licensed by the state, others by the counties they work in. Check with your local city hall or chamber of commerce. They should be able to direct you to the appropriate source for a list of licensed plumbers in your area.
Look for a plumber who is well established in your community. Check the Better Business Bureau and read customer reviews at sites such as ServiceMagic.com, AngiesList.com, or Citysearch.com.
Local contractors or plumbing fixture stores can also refer you to a quality plumber, according to Grady Daniel, who owns a plumbing company in Austin, Texas. “Most of these firms won’t work with bad plumbers.” Or simply ask your neighbors for a referral. A trusted plumber who consistently delivers quality service does not remain a secret for very long.
SIMPLE TIPS AND FIXES THAT WILL KEEP YOUR WALLET FLUSH
A burst washing machine hose is a top homeowner-insurance claim. I’d replace those flimsy rubber hoses with stainless steel ones.
No bricks in the toilet tank. They can keep your toilet from flushing correctly. No liquid drain cleaners either. They eat away at the pipes. Try a plunger or, better yet, a $30 auger.
If you’re going away for any length of time, like on vacation, turn off your water, and if on any of those days the temperature drops below freezing have someone check in on your house. I’ve been called to homes where the family returned from vacation and there was water flooding out from the front door.
Buy a drain strainer or hair snare if you’ve got a Rapunzel at home (or even a rapidly balding man). Or tell her to use a paper towel to clear the drain. (Soap can gum up the pipes, too, so use as little of that as you can.)
Small drips can waste over eight gallons of water a day, and a continuously running toilet can waste more than 200 gallons of water daily. If you ignore them, you’ll pay for it when your water bill arrives.
Those “flushable” baby wipes are one of the main culprits for clogging pipes. They don’t break down the way toilet paper does.
Always jiggling the toilet handle? You need to replace the flap valve. The part costs $4, and it’s an easy fix. I charge $100 just to walk in the door.
WHAT YOUR HARDWARE STORE WON’T TELL YOU
It’s easy to spend money at the hardware store. But we got home-repair experts to cough up their secrets about what you don’t need to buy—so you can spend more on what you want.
1. One way to condition tools and keep rust from invading is to rub them down with hair conditioner when you clean them.
2. You don’t have to have a fancy drawer system. Keep nuts and washers on metal shower curtain rings hung from a hook in your workshop. The ring’s pear shape and latching action ensure secure storage. Put nuts and washers of similar size on their own rings so that you can find the right size quickly.
3. An ice cube tray is a great assistant. You’re disassembling your latest swap-meet acquisition that has lots of small parts and worry that you’ll never be able to get them back together again in the correct sequence. Use an old plastic ice cube tray to help keep the small parts in the right order until you get around to reassembling it. If you really want to be organized, mark the sequence by putting a number on a piece of masking tape in each compartment. The bottom half of an egg carton will also work.
4. Next time you have something that needs painting, place an aluminum pie pan under the paint can as a ready-made drip catcher. You’ll save a lot of time cleaning up, and you can just toss the pan in the trash when you’re done. Even better, rinse it off and recycle it for future paint jobs.
5. To keep small items like screws, nuts, and nails handy without taking up workbench space, drill a hole near the top of empty coffee cans so you can hang them on nails in your workshop wall. Label the cans with masking tape so you will know what’s inside.
6. If you like to see everything you have at a glance, keep all your nails, screws, nuts, and bolts organized by screwing jar lids to the underside of a wooden or melamine shelf. (Make sure the screw won’t poke through the top of the shelf.) Then put each type of hardware in its own jar, and screw each jar onto its lid. You’ll keep everything off the counters, and by using clear jars, you can find what you need at a glance. Works great for storing seeds in the potting shed, too.
7. Since they’re highly resistant to corrosion, aluminum pie pans are especially well suited for storing hardware accessories in your workshop. Cut a pan in half and attach it (with staples or duct tape around the edges) open side up to a pegboard. Now get organized!
8. Hold small tools with an old leather or canvas belt. Tack it along the edge of a shelf, leaving small loops between nails. Slip tools into the loops.
9. Hinged handles like those found on metal garbage cans are great ways to hold large tools. Mount them so the handle hangs away from the wall. You can slip a hammer or wrench into the handle for safe storage.
10. Don’t confine perforated hardboard to workshop and garage walls. It’s also great for inside cabinet doors and on the sides of your workbench. Lightweight 
-inch perf board is fine for hand tools, but you’ll want to use ¼-inch perf board for heavier items. To keep perf-board hooks from coming loose, put a dab of hot glue on the end that hooks into the board. If you need to rearrange items and move the hook, a light tug will usually free it without much difficulty.
11. Round up rolls of tape by slipping them onto a toilet paper holder mounted on a wall or workbench.
12. Tires are great places for “snakes.” An old bicycle tire is just the right size to store metal snakes used to clean plumbing lines or “fish wires” used to run electrical cables inside walls. Just lay the snake or fish wire inside the tire, where it will expand to the shape of the tire and become encased within it. Then you can hang the tire conveniently on a hook in your workshop, garage, basement, or shed.
13. Repairing small items, such as broken china, with glue would be easy if you had three hands—one for each piece along with one to apply the glue. Since you only have two, try this: Stick the biggest part of the item in a small container of sand to hold it steady. Position the large piece so that when you set the broken piece in place, the piece will balance. Apply glue to both edges and stick on the broken piece. Leave the mended piece there, and the sand will hold it steady until the glue dries.
Who Knew?
AMAZING USES FOR WD-40
Protect a Bird Feeder
To keep squirrels from taking over a bird feeder, spray a generous amount of WD-40 on top of the feeder. The pesky squirrels will slide right off.
Separate Stuck Glassware
What can you do when you reach for a drinking glass and get two locked together, one stuck tightly inside the other? You don’t want to risk breaking one or both by trying to pull them apart. Stuck glasses will separate with ease if you squirt some WD-40 on them, wait a few seconds for it to work its way between the glasses, and then gently pull the glasses apart. Remember to wash the glasses thoroughly before you use them.
Get Off That Stuck Ring
When pulling and tugging can’t get that ring off your finger, reach for the WD-40. A short burst of WD-40 will get the ring to slide right off. Remember to wash your hands after spraying them with WD-40.
Remove Chewing Gum from Hair
It’s one of a parent’s worst nightmares: chewing gum tangled in a child’s hair. You don’t have to panic or run for the scissors. Simply spray the gummed-up hair with WD-40, and the gum will comb out with ease. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area when you spray and take care to avoid contact with the child’s eyes.
Remove Tough Scuff Marks
Those tough black scuff marks on your kitchen floor won’t be so tough anymore if you spray them with WD-40. In fact, you can use WD-40 to help remove tar and scuff marks on all your hard-surfaced floors. It won’t harm the surface, and you won’t have to scrub nearly as much. Remember to open the windows if you are cleaning a lot of marks.
Wipe Away Tea Stains
To remove tea stains from countertops, spray a little WD-40 on a sponge or damp cloth and wipe the stain away.
Clean Toilet Bowls
You don’t need a bald genie or a specialized product to clean your toilet bowl. Use WD-40 instead: Spray it into the bowl for a couple of seconds and swish with a nylon toilet brush. The solvents in the WD-40 will help dissolve the gunk and lime stains.
Winter-Proof Boots and Shoes
Waterproof your winter boots and shoes by giving them a coat of WD-40. It’ll act as a barrier so water can’t penetrate the material. Also use WD-40 to remove ugly salt stains from boots and shoes during the winter months. Just spray WD-40 onto the stains and wipe with a clean rag. Your boots and shoes will look almost as good as new.
Prevent Snow Buildup on Windows
Does the weather forecast predict a big winter snowstorm? You can’t stop the snow from falling, but you can prevent it from building up on your house’s windows. Just spray WD-40 over the outside of your windows before the snow starts and the snow won’t stick.
Keep Wasps from Building Nests
Don’t let yellow jackets and other wasps ruin your spring and summer fun. Their favorite place to build nests is under eaves. So next spring, mist some WD-40 under all the eaves of your house. It will block the wasps from building their nests there.
Remove Doggie-Doo
Uh-oh, now you’ve stepped in it! Few things in life are more unpleasant than cleaning doggie-doo from the bottom of a sneaker, but the task will be a lot easier if you have a can of WD-40 handy. Spray some on the affected sole and use an old toothbrush to clean the crevices. Rinse with cold water and the sneakers will be ready to hit the pavement again. Now, don’t forget to watch where you step!
WHAT YOUR GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY WON’T TELL YOU
These secrets will help you get a lower energy bill every single month.
1. Heat food in your toaster oven—it uses up to 50 percent less energy than a full-size oven. Your stovetop is more efficient than your conventional oven as well, so if you can start something there then transfer it to the oven to cut the cooking time, do so. And when you need to reheat leftovers, use your microwave.
2. Cut the amount of time you use your stove or cooktop by covering pots when you boil things. This brings the pot to a boil faster. If you’re boiling potatoes, dice them to roughly ½-inch in size so they cook faster, start them in the cold water, and bring to boil. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, turn off the heat. Leave the pot on the burner, cover, and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until fork tender. Do the same for pasta, except add the pasta after the water is boiling and boil it for two minutes before turning off the heat. Let it sit, covered, for the amount of time remaining according to the directions on the box.
3. Your refrigerator and freezer run most efficiently when it’s full. A near-empty fridge will run more frequently, sucking up more energy and costing you more money. The same is true for your freezer. You don’t have to buy more food. Just fill more ice-cube trays for your freezer and pitchers with water, iced tea, or whatever you like to drink for your fridge. If you’re a white wine drinker, keep a few unopened bottles in the fridge. Still empty? You can always load up the spaces with those blue ice packs.
4. Store refrigerated food and beverages in closed containers. If left uncovered, they release moisture and overburden the appliance’s compressor.
5. Your programmable thermostat only saves money if you program it right. Many people mistakenly believe that these devices will automatically set themselves to operate in the most energy-efficient way. But they don’t. You have to program them so that they stop your ducted air-conditioning coming on when it isn’t really needed—at night or when you’re at work or on holiday. Learn how to set your thermostat to suit your particular needs—lowering it by just 1° can reduce your bill by up to 15 percent.
6. Place lamps and TVs far away from thermostats so the heat given off doesn’t cause air-conditioning systems to run longer than they need to.
7. Keep the heat out by opting for white window shades during warmer weather. Keep them closed during the day to reflect the sun’s heat away from your house.
8. Weatherproofing saves. You could weatherproof your home yourself, of course, but even if you delegate the job, you can still come out ahead financially in the long run. Merely sealing leaks in windows and doors and insulating ducts could save you at least $100 a year and reduce CO2 emissions by at least 1,000 pounds per year—and possibly much more. Adding insulation to your home could double the savings.
9. Water temperature matters. You can easily save money, and hundreds of pounds of CO2 per year, by lowering the temperature of your water heater to 120° and washing clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot. You can save even more by replacing a water heater that’s more than 10 or 15 years old.
10. Run your dishwasher, but only when it’s full. Otherwise you are wasting water, energy, and money. And if it’s full, it uses less than a third of the water you’d use by doing the job by hand. Next, if you have a six-hour delay button on your model, use it. Start it at 6 p.m. (you can always go back in and add more dishes after dinner). This way it will run at midnight, during off-peak energy hours.
11. Choose an Energy Star–compliant computer, which uses 70 percent less electricity than a non-designated model. Choose other appliances with the Energy Star designation, as well.
12. Don’t believe the screensaver myth. All a screensaver does is prolong the life of your monitor by displaying a moving image while you are not using your computer, as any fixed image left on would eventually “burn” itself into the screen, ruining it. Screensavers do nothing whatsoever to save electricity—in fact, they burn up quite a lot. If you want to save energy without turning your computer off, check if it has a special energy-saving mode: Go to your operating system’s control panel or preferences and explore the power-management options.
13. Stand-by mode doesn’t cost less than turning it on and off. Leaving a machine constantly in stand-by mode consumes a surprisingly large amount of electricity. If you want to save energy—and money—you should always turn your computer off at night or when you will be away from it for a long period of time. Remember also to switch off other computer hardware, such as scanners, printers, external hard drives, and speakers at the mains. If they are powered via a plugged-in transformer, that will remain on even when the power button on the appliance has been switched off.
Who Knew?
ANSWERS TO YOUR TOP 3 ENERGY QUESTIONS
Q. Should I turn off the lights every time I leave the room?
A. Turn off incandescents if you’re leaving the room for more than five seconds; compact fluorescent lights, if you’ll be gone at least 15 minutes.
Q. I know cold-water washes are greener, but will they get my clothes clean?
A. The good news is, washing your clothes in warm or even cold water will get rid of almost any grime, except for the worst dirt or oily stains.
Q. In public restrooms, paper towel or electric hand dryer?
A. Go for the hot air. Far less energy is needed to heat and blow air at your hands than to make paper towels and haul them around. One study found that nine trees are cut down to supply an average fast-food restaurant with paper towels for a year; the tossed towels then create 1,000 pounds of landfill waste.
WHAT YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT WON’T TELL YOU
What you don’t know can cost you. Here’s how to be smart when buying and selling.
1. My number one selling tip: Clear off countertops in the bathrooms and kitchen. Americans love that wide-open counter space.
2. Your open house helps me more than it helps you. The majority of visitors aren’t buyers—they’re nosy neighbors—and that gives me the opportunity to hand out my card.
3. Plug-in air fresheners are a turnoff to a lot of people. If you want your house to smell good, bake cookies.
4. Yes, staging your home by getting rid of clutter and bringing in furniture or accessories can help it sell. But music, champagne glasses next to the bed, and fake pies on the countertop? That’s going overboard, and it will turn off some buyers.
5. If you get a call saying that some buyers want to see your house in 15 minutes, let them in even if it’s a bit messy. Those last-minute types typically make impulsive decisions, and they might just decide to buy a house that day.
6. In this kind of market, don’t be offended by a lowball offer. You have a better chance of getting that person to pay than finding someone new.
7. If I’m hugely successful, you may not get the benefit of my experience. A well-known agent may pass you off to a junior agent after you sign the contract. Ask me exactly who you will be dealing with.
8. The commission is always negotiable upfront, before you sign a contract. You can even make it part of the transaction. If you and your buyer are $4,000 apart, for example, ask the agents if they are willing to reduce their commissions by $2,000.
9. Make sure you read my listing or buyer’s contract carefully before signing it. There may be an extra “administrative fee” ranging from $250 to $1,500 on top of my standard commission, intended to cover my brokerage’s administrative costs. Similar to my commission, this fee is negotiable.
10. Don’t skip the final walk-through. Make sure that repairs were done properly, the owner’s personal items have been removed, and the items you agreed should stay are still there. I’ve seen stoves, washers, and dryers walk right out the door.
11. Beware of sellers’ agents who overestimate your house’s selling price. They’re hoping you’ll choose them over other agents who will price it more realistically. We call that “buying your listing,” and it guarantees your house will sit on the market for a very long time.
12. If I’m new in the business, my references are likely to be relatives or friends. Always ask how they found me.
13. Even if I’ve had my license a few years, I may be a soccer coach moonlighting as a real estate agent, and yours may be the first home I’ve tried to sell in years. Ask how many transactions I completed last year, and Google my name to see if it comes up on real estate forums and websites.
SOURCES: Licensed real estate agents Nicole Tucker in Dallas and Eric Bramlett in Austin, Texas; broker Karyn Anjali Glubis in Tampa, Florida; Rob Foley, a former real estate lawyer who now owns Vermont’s Flat Fee Real Estate; and a realtor in Los Angeles, California.
Great Advice
10 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR HOME’S VALUE WITH EXTERIOR PAINT
1. Color can ratchet up the price. An effective use of color on the exterior of your home can add thousands of dollars to its value, says James Martin, who has been hired by landlords and real estate developers to increase the market value of their properties or improve occupancy rates in their buildings with eye-catching color schemes.
2. Perception of color is relative. If you put a mid-value color, such as tan, next to pure white, it will look beige. But if you put it next to dark green, it will look off-white. Keep this in mind when choosing colors. And when you are choosing a color from a fan deck at the paint store, you should mask off the colors next to it with a white sheet of paper.
3. Begin with the value. Design your color scheme first according to value. That is, decide whether you want a dark, medium, or light main color.
4. Highlight detail carefully. Create a balanced effect between the top and bottom of your home. For instance, if there is a lot of detail on the top of your home, you will need to create detail and interest on the bottom.
5. Don’t be top-heavy. Put darker colors toward the bottom of the house to avoid creating an “uncomfortable, top-heavy feel,” says Martin.
6. Choose colors in the right light. Pick colors outside in natural light on a cloudy day or in open shade. Bright light creates glare and can distort your perception of the color.
7. Be material-minded. Make sure the paint colors you choose complement the colors of the other materials of your home, such as the roof, brick, stone, or stucco.
8. Brighten things up. Paint window sashes and overhead surfaces, such as porch ceilings and soffits, a lighter color to reflect light and lift the spirit of your home.
9. Go warm, not cool. Use warm colors as opposed to cool. For instance, use a warm yellow-white as opposed to a cool blue-white.
10. Play up the size. Use light colors to make a small house look bigger, and dark colors to make a large house that is squeezed onto a small lot look smaller.
4 SMART WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HOME’S VALUE ON THE UP AND UP
1. Find problems early. Every two or three years, have your house examined by a certified home inspector (see ashi.org or nahi.org), says Steve Berges, a builder and author of 101 Cost-Effective Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home. This person inspects the roof and basement for leaks and structural damage; checks the foundation for termites and moisture; and tests heating, air-conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems. An inspection costs about $400 but could save you thousands later.
2. Upgrade regularly. Replace your roof about every 15 years (depending on type), paint the exterior every five years, and review the gutter system every six months. “Tighten the screws connecting the gutters to the fascia board against the house and examine the boards for cracks and rot,” Berges recommends.
3. Watch for water. Moisture usually enters a home through cracks in the roof and foundation. “During a heavy rain, go in your attic with a flashlight to check for leaks,” Berges says.
4. Change the scenery. Cut back shrubs that touch the house. They trap moisture and let bugs inside. Consider hiring a certified arborist for tree pruning. Doing it yourself could weaken trees, increasing the risk that limbs will fall on your roof during a storm.
WHAT YOUR MOVER WON’T TELL YOU
Here’s what you need to know before you make your big move—including who’s legit and how long it really takes.
1. Make sure your mover is legit. If you’re moving interstate, search for companies that are registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) at protectyourmove.gov. For an in-state mover, visit the American Moving & Storage Association’s (AMSA) consumer website at moving.org to find screened and approved companies.
2. Beware of rogue movers. Movers should answer the telephone with the company’s name, rather than a generic term like “moving company.” Once you’ve chosen a company, stop by its office to make sure it exists and is in good condition. On moving day, make sure a company-owned and marked fleet truck—not a rental truck—arrives.
3. Movers covered by federal law must view your belongings in person before giving you an estimate if they have an office within 50 miles of your home.
4. Beware those that try to give you a phone estimate; they can later say you have more stuff than you told them about.
5. Get in-person estimates from at least three companies, and don’t hire one that quotes a price much higher or lower than competitors.
6. We can charge extra fees. Consider a binding agreement, which means you’ll pay what the movers estimated regardless of what your shipment ends up weighing. Caveat: The movers can still charge extra for moving into a home on a steep hill, with many steps, or in a crowded city. Ask about fees ahead of time.
7. We can charge up to 110 percent of the original estimate. But under federal law, movers cannot charge you more than that (not including fees and extras), even under a non-binding agreement. They also cannot require full payment before final delivery.
8. Movers are responsible for items that are damaged or lost if you purchase insurance with full liability. Be sure to list china, antiques, and anything with a value of more than $100 per pound on shipping documents.
9. Take jewelry, important papers, and other valuable small items with you rather than packing them.
10. Pack only one room at a time. Don’t start the next room until you’re finished. It’ll keep you organized and allow you to tackle the move in smaller steps.
11. Don’t try to move without a permanent marker. Label, label, label. Write down the contents and the destination room on every box. This may seem obvious, but it can fall by the wayside during a busy move.
12. If you move between October and May, it’s considered off-peak, and you’ll likely receive better service. If you must move during peak season, try to move mid-month and mid-week.
13. Believe us when we say we can move your car cheaper than you can. Moving your car across the country can cost you at least $1,000, but that’s less than the roughly $1,500 in mileage and gas at current prices (plus food and lodging along the way) it’ll cost you to drive.
SOURCES: Associated Press; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; American Moving & Storage Association.
Great Advice
DON’T TOSS IT! HERE’S HOW YOU CAN RECYCLE HAZARDOUS STUFF
In your rush to whittle down your belongings, make sure you do the right thing with the environmentally unfriendly finds you’re likely to encounter. Here are the recommended methods for recycling from the EPA, Earth911.com, and call2recycle.org.
The Hazard: CFL Bulbs
What to do: Because compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) contain toxic mercury, which can be released into the environment when they break, CFLs shouldn’t be disposed of with household trash or recycled with glass. Visit Earth911.com to find out whether your bulbs can be collected by or dropped off at a local waste removal agency. Several hardware and home store chains also have CFL recycling programs, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, and Ikea.
The Hazard: Dry-Cell Batteries
What to do: Dry-cell batteries are what’s used to power most of our cord-free toys and home appliances. Button, AAA, AA, C, D, and 9-volt are all varieties of dry-cell batteries, which fall into two categories:
Single use: Single use batteries come in several varieties, including alkaline, carbon-zinc, lithium, nickel-cadmium (NiCad), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), and button cell (lithium manganese). All contain elements or heavy metals that can become environmental hazards when they end up in dumps and waste treatment facilities. Not all states require recycling of single use batteries, but there are local battery recycling agencies in most cities and towns. Do a quick Internet search to find one near you.
Rechargeable: Rechargeable batteries last longer than their single-use predecessors, but they still contain environmental toxins. Visit call2recycle.org to find a drop-off location in your neighborhood.
The Hazard: Cell Phones
What to do: In most cases, recycling a cell phone means donating it to a worthy cause. Next time you upgrade, free up some storage space and bring that drawer full of older models to your local wireless retailer (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, LG, Sony, Best Buy) or big box office supply store (Staples, Office Depot). Many charities and local government offices also accept cell phone donations.
The Hazard: Household Cleaners and Containers
What to do: Unless they’re labeled nontoxic, many household cleaners contain potentially hazardous chemicals. If the label doesn’t contain disposal instructions, determine whether the cleaner is water-soluble (mixes with water). If so, pour it down the drain under running water. Sponges, wipes, and mop-heads can be thrown in the trash. For products that contain harsher chemicals, such as oven cleaners and drain openers, contact the manufacturer for disposal instructions if none are provided. In many areas, household cleaner containers can be recycled curbside, but it’s a good idea to check your local recycling guidelines.
WHAT YARD SALE FANATICS WON’T TELL YOU
Here’s the inside scoop on what really draws buyers and how to get the best price for your stuff.
1. Get your neighbors involved. A group sale will draw more lookers than a one-family sale.
2. There’s more than one pricing strategy. Decide whether you’re selling things to make money or to get rid of them. Price items accordingly.
3. Ask for 25 to 33 percent of the item’s original cost.
4. Be less flexible about price at the beginning of the sale and more flexible at the end.
5. We can’t come to your sale if we don’t know it’s there. Go to yardsalequeen.com for ideas about lettering, sign placement, and free ways to advertise your sale.
6. A great way to create a sign is with a brown paper bag. Write on it using big, fat, thick lettering—definitely no wispy ballpoint pen—then fill it with rocks, and tape it shut.
7. Non-holiday weekends after local paydays are the best time to schedule a sale.
8. Put the nice stuff closer to the road. Place tools and gadgets out front, too, to draw men who might otherwise try to overrule their wives about stopping at your sale.
9. Do your own math. Say no to helpful calculations from customers, thanks just the same.
10. Your house isn’t a dressing room. Don’t let strangers into your house to try on clothes or use the restroom.
11. Wear a fanny pack; don’t keep money in a shoebox. Keep all the money in it, along with a cell phone just in case.
12. Check the bills people give you. It’s not that uncommon for people to tell you they gave you a $20 when they gave you a $10.
13. Watch out for sneaks. People will take things out of boxes, put them under their clothes, and leave the empty boxes behind.
SOURCES: J. D. Roth, writer for Time’s Moneyland blog; and the experts at yardsalequeen.com and blog.movebuilder.com.
Great Advice
6 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER BUY USED
1. Bike or Motorcycle Helmets
Helmets are meant to protect you from one accident. Sometimes damage isn’t visible, so you need to buy a new helmet to make sure you’re getting all the protection you need.
2. Child Car Seats
A car seat that has been in an accident may not protect your child in another. Damaged car seats are common; about one in ten have been in an accident, found one survey conducted in England. Brand-new car seats can cost as little as $50, and safety technology improves each year. Don’t risk your child’s life.
3. Tires
If they’ve been in an accident, tires are likely to be unstable and unreliable.
4. Mattresses
With bedbugs infesting homes in record numbers, chances are the critters could lurk in any used mattress. You might also end up sleeping with other people’s mold, mites, bacteria, and bodily fluids (yuck!).
5. Cribs
Scores of crib recalls, as well as changing safety standards, make it hard to verify the safety of a used crib.
6. Laptops
Laptops are more likely to be dropped, knocked around, and spilled on simply because they’re out in the world, while a desktop computer sits (mostly) safe at home.
WHAT PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZERS WON’T TELL YOU
It’s not that hard to get and stay organized. You just have to know how to go about it—here are some tips.
1. Clients tell me the same thing: When they go to clean their closets, they tend to pull everything out and then they run out of time and they push it all back in, which makes it worse than it was to begin with. So my suggestion is to divide and conquer. On a Saturday morning do your shoes, then at other times do your slacks. People have told me that breaking it up into small projects has changed their life.
2. I always recommend grouping “like with like.” It enables people to find items quickly. All tank tops together, all capri pants together in one area. Some people like to group items by sleeve length—and there are a few in the spring and summer seasons.
3. I’ve even seen people use color-coded hangers, but I don’t recommend it—too time consuming!
4. Purses on shelves tend to get messy. For those who have wall space in their closets, a great solution would be to purchase belt racks and hang them vertically instead of horizontally. That way, the bottoms of the purses don’t bunch up in the same place. This also works great for ties!
5. Look around your home for things that are going unused, that might be empty—like file drawers—and store things away in there. I have had a lot of clients who collect old suitcases and use them for storage—those don’t take up much room.
6. Use clear shoeboxes for hair accessories and lightweight scarves. You can even use a clear bin for small tank tops, shorts, etc. Take a Polaroid or cut out a magazine photo and tape it so you know what’s in the box. Those are fun and it will make getting to things so easy.
7. I grew up in an apartment, and we had to get creative with our winter clothing storage. One solution is to purchase plastic bags that you can suck the air out of. The clothes then take up much less space and can be placed under a bed, a couch, or on a high shelf.
8. Also, some local dry cleaners will store winter clothes for people (as long as they’re dry cleaning them for you, too).
9. Get together a group of friends and host a clothing swap. Have them bring clothes they are not using and certainly don’t want to discard—someone’s going to want it! Have a little cocktail party, and everyone gets new clothes without spending money…it’s a win-win situation for everyone.
10. Return anything you bought more than four months ago and never used. Many stores won’t let you return for cash clothing you loved in the shop but never got around to wearing. However, they are likely to offer you store credit if you insist. So instead of letting unwanted clothes pile up in your closets, a better idea is to return them for store credit.
11. Sometimes, you can sell store credit for cash on eBay. There’s a very vibrant market for store credit receipts and gift cards, which trade for very close to face value. I’ve seen $200 gift receipts from stores like Macy’s, Tiffany, and Bloomingdale’s fetch $180, so you get most of your value back without having to find a buyer for your specific item or dealing with packing and shipping it.
12. Keep winter clothes dry when you’re storing them in the basement by putting pieces of chalk into a small cloth bag that you can pack with the clothes you’re storing. The chalk will absorb all the moisture, keeping your clothes protected.
13. Literally clean your closet. Before you put the upcoming season’s clothes back into the closet, take the opportunity of having empty shelves to replace your shelf paper, vacuum the closet floor, and make the closet fresh and clean.
SOURCES: Ann Bingley Gallops, professional organizer from The Organized Life; Beth Levin, professional organizer of Closet Queen; Stacey Agin Murray, professional organizer of Organized Artistry; Dan Nissanoff, author of FutureShop; Mary Pankiewicz, professional organizer and author of You Can Be Clutter-Free & Organized.
Become an Instant Expert
Incredibly Clever—and Cheap!—Ways to Clean and Store Clutter
Tennis Rackets, Baseball Bats Keep a decorated empty wine or liquor carton—with partitions and the top cut off—in your child’s room and use it for easy storage of tennis rackets, baseball bats, fishing poles, and such.
Coins Instead of emptying the coins from your pockets into a jar for later sorting, cut off a four-section piece of an egg carton and leave it on your dresser. Sort your quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies as you pull them out of your pockets.
Junk Drawer Items If your junk drawer is an unsightly mess, insert a plastic ice cube tray for easy, low-cost organization. One “cube” can hold paper clips, the next, rubber bands, another, stamps. It’s another small way to bring order to your life.
Utility Closet Clutter A hanging shoe bag is a great organizer in the utility closet. Use its pockets to store sponges, scrub brushes, and other cleaning utensils—and even some bottles of cleaning products.
Big Advice
HOW TO AVOID LOSING MONEY ON REPAIRS YOU DON’T NEED
Each spring and summer, professional home improvement scammers roam the United States in search of victims. They often target people who live in areas recently damaged by weather events—such as the tornado-ravaged Midwest—and older adults, offering “deals” on home repairs. So how can you avoid being fooled by one? Use these tips.
1. Leaky Roof Wrangling
Water is coming through your roof. Or is it? A con artist will say water is seeping through the shingles and you need to tear off all the old layers and build a new roof, a job that typically costs $5,000 or more.
The Reality: Most of the time, roof leaks occur because the sealing around vent pipes has failed, the metal flashing on the chimney has deteriorated, or the connections between roof sections have eroded. Replacing the sealing or flashing, simply and cheaply, will often solve the problem.
Normally, an asphalt shingle roof lasts 15 to 20 years. You need to replace the roof if you see curling or missing shingles or a large amount of granular material from the shingles collecting in gutters. Don’t get talked into having the bad roof torn off, at a potential 50 percent increase in costs, unless your building code demands it. Many towns will allow a second or even third asphalt roof to be installed if the home’s framing can support the extra weight. And beware a roofer who says you need an entirely new deck, the wood base beneath the shingles. A completely new deck is needed only one in 1,000 times.
2. Basement Boondoggle
If your basement is chronically wet, unscrupulous contractors might tell you they need to dig out your entire foundation and waterproof it, for anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. More often, though, the solution is simple and costs very little.
The Reality: Many basement leaks are caused by overflow from clogged gutters, misrouted downspouts, unsloped land around the house, or even improperly aimed lawn sprinklers.
“Think of your masonry foundation as a rigid sponge,” explains waterproofing expert Richard Barako. If the water volume is above normal, water will wick through the cinder blocks. So before calling in professional help, try to reduce the moisture along the foundation by cleaning gutters, rerouting downspouts, repositioning sprinklers, or packing fresh soil six inches high against the foundation and sloping it back to level within about three feet.
Damp walls may be caused by high humidity. To test, attach a piece of aluminum foil to the foundation wall; if moisture shows up on the patch in a day or two, it’s just condensation. Start shopping for a dehumidifier.
If water is still seeping in, repair any cracks with hydraulic cement, available at home stores, and apply a quality waterproof paint such as Latex Base Drylok Masonry Waterproofer. As a last resort, consider hiring a professional engineer, whose impartial advice would be worth the expense. Home inspectors are less expensive, but be sure they’re certified by the American Society of Home Inspectors.
3. Termite Treatments
Myths about termites abound. In a recent survey by the University of Kentucky, 60 percent of people thought termites could take a house down in six months or less. Nothing could be further from the truth, yet con artists use this fear to pressure homeowners into quickly signing on the dotted line for unnecessary or shoddy work that could cost up to $3,000.
The Reality: By arming yourself with a few facts, you’ll be able to ask informed questions and avoid a scam. The most common termite in the United States is the subterranean, of which there are two main kinds: workers and swarmers (or winged) termites. The workers hollow out the wood, while swarmers mate and create new colonies. Termites live underground and burrow through soil until they find wood, or woodlike products, and water. To get into your house, they’ll often build moist, earthen tunnels across foundations to your home’s lower frames, a clear sign of infestation.
Wood that’s been damaged by termites is hollowed out along the grain, with bits of dried mud or soil lining the feeding galleries. Be wary of exterminators showing you termites on woodpiles or fences unconnected to your house: This may be a scam. You have a problem only if there’s evidence of termites inside the house or close to the foundation.
Bugs flying in the home during the spring are another sign of infestation. These may be flying ants, however. Termites have a full waist, straight antennae, and wings of equal length; ants have elbowed antennae, pinched waists, and forewings longer than hindwings.
There are more than 17,000 pest control companies in the United States, but bigger doesn’t always mean better. You want a firm with good recommendations, lots of experience, and a fair price. Michael Potter, a professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky, recommends questioning the company carefully about its history and asking that it send an experienced technician. If an exterminator claims you have termites, he should show you the evidence.
Some companies charge thousands for a typical job that could be done for less than $1,000, so take notes on the exact kind of treatment and compare apples to apples when getting estimates.
4. Chimney Sweep Swindle
In a classic bait-and-switch scam, a chimney sweep calls from a “boiler room” or comes to your door telling you he’s just fixed a neighbor’s chimney and is offering an inspection for the low price of $39.95. Once inside the chimney, he may claim to find problems, saying you need a new liner, for instance. Suddenly that $39.95 price tag rises thousands of dollars.
The Reality: There’s no question that fireplace chimneys can be hazardous. An oily, blackish substance called creosote accumulates inside the chimney and may catch fire if it’s more than a quarter-inch thick. Occasionally, but not as often as chimney sweeps would have you believe, a blocked chimney can route carbon monoxide into your house.
Experts recommend an annual inspection to check for creosote buildup and the structural soundness of the chimney. This usually costs $100 to $250 (not that ridiculous $39.95), and if cleaning is required, an additional $100 to $150. Hire only certified chimney sweeps who’ve been taught and tested by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Also, watch the technician as he makes his inspection. Lately, sweeps are using video cameras fed down the flue, so ask to see the video and have the technician explain it as you watch. If he balks, he’s scamming you.
Chimneys for oil and gas burners are far less a concern. “An oil-heat system that’s serviced every year before winter hardly ever causes problems,” says Kevin Rooney, CEO of the Oil Heat Institute of Long Island. But before you look for a professional chimney sweep, call your local fire department; some conduct inspections for free.
5. Mold Mayhem
Mold is making a comeback—not in your home, necessarily, but with con artists, especially since Hurricane Katrina. Playing up fears about disease from mold, particularly over the Internet, they try to convince you to run tests costing anywhere from $300 to $600 to identify your mold. Then they recommend a remediation company for removing the mold—a firm they’re in cahoots with.
The Reality: Healthy people usually have nothing to worry about. “If you’re immunosuppressed or have allergies or asthma, it can be problematic,” says David B. Callahan, MD, medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Other than that, mold isn’t dangerous.”
The CDC doesn’t even recommend testing mold, because if it’s a problem to the occupants, it should be removed no matter what kind it is. And you don’t need a remediation company for small areas. Just clean nonporous surfaces with soap and water, followed by a solution of one cup of bleach mixed with one gallon of water. To control future growth, eliminate excess moisture by keeping humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent. Promptly fix leaky roofs, windows, and pipes, and ventilate shower, laundry, and cooking areas.
