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Bath Room Remodel And You

 Well, most people don’t start to think about remodeling their baths until they have their taxes done.  The time of year to do your bath room is in the beginning of the year.  This is a slower time for most re-modelers and they are more likely to give you a better price.  The Jan-Feb slow down is a known and common problem for most people in the remodeling business, especially the smaller companies.  The large out fits just pump up their ads and keep getting the required work for the slower time.  Again, you will probably be able to get a better price for your  projects if you do them during this time.  When spring hits and everyone has their cash in hand,  this generates a higher volume of work and creates a supply and demand type situation.

The same is true for seasonal type work, like hydroseeding new lawns for instance, the sooner you book in spring the better rate you will get.  The hydroseeding market is a short growing season so first come first serve becomes a big issue for people.  A company like Badges Properties will book 1-2 full yards to be sprayed in a day, so you can see if your don’t book early you may have to wait some time to have your yard put  in.  Going back to remodeling, it is a better time if you have the money to do your remodeling early on.    I have heard of people getting full bath remodels right down to the studs for under $10k even lower a $5K-$8K when things are really slow.   Badges Properties LLC home of the “Fix-It Brothers” in Southeastern WI will be lining up their bath jobs for Jan-Feb.  this is the only time they can get their bath room jobs in as they will be booked until april and then they start installing the Gutter Care II system which is a foam insert which protects a homes gutter system.

The Fix-It Brothers  like to remodel baths adding custom tub surrounds in ceramic tile and flowing the water through a brushed satin nickel shower handle.  This combination makes a very striking surround.  Then adding a floor in ceramic tile balances the whole room.  The individual tastes of the home ower can shine.  The Fix-It Brothers also can take a bath from start to finish designing the whole bath for you.  The ceramic tile look is a rich look that will last for a very long time and stay looking good with very little work on the home owners part.  I think this is also why so many people want to remodel their baths with ceramic tile. 

You as the home owner need to sit down and decide how much or how little you want to do to your bath.   The time to decide is before you start having contractors in your house for free estimates.   Some have some really good sales people that will have you putting in marble and solid gold fixtures before your done.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Times are still hard for contractors and builders and they are hitting sales hard to just get by.  So you as the home owner need to have what you want in mind already.  There can be a few contractors that will actually give you some ideas on how to save money on your bath also.  You can do smaller things like take out a old vanity style sink and fixture,  replacing it with a updated sink and vanity.  Making the change quick and less expensive.  Many times people will paint the room, change the floor and put a new sink vanity in.  This will change the whole look of the room.

You can then change over the towel holders and soap holders to give a whole new fresh look to your bath.  You can do alot of remodeling on less.  Just don’t go over the top with the thought you will get everything done for $5 and a can of soda.  Many people have not done any remodeling fo so many years they are not current on what is reasonable price for what they want done.  I always say look at your job and what you get paid.  If  you are in a skilled job and expect to get paid for your services, so do trades people.  Just the tools alone that are needed to perform this kind of work carries a high cost in itself.  There are many good deals to be had on remodeling your home.  Watch out for the guy with the rusted out pick up truck and a hammer,  these traits don’t make him or her a contractor,  at least not one that you want to hire.  Many of these guys bait and switch on you.  The 10% guys,  they take this amount or any other amount off your lowest estimate.  This is a sales tactic to get the home owner to hire them.

I would never hire the guy that comes in last,  ohh yes,  these guys show up last so they will either tell you to get your other estimates or will just blow you off for a long time.  They want to be the last estimate this enables them to not really do any real work on the estimates.  Most contractors have a general idea of what it will cost or use programs now days that tells them what to charge.  They will tell you they will take 10% off and will have you sign a contract with them right away.  There is the cost mark up mid way through the job.  Have heard of this happening  to people.  A good contractor gives a fair price of  $7,000 for the entire bath and then the low baller comes along and tells the home owner they can do it for $5,500 sounds good.  NOT,  by the time the job is done the cost went up to the $7,000 and sometimes more.  You need to pick contractors that have done work for maybe family or friends and they were happy with them.

Sometimes you get lucky and see a ad on TV for a good company.  If you see a ad on TV, go and check out their website and check them out.  Watch out if they have a ton of advertising also.  Sometimes this can be a sign that they spend alot on advertising,  creating  higher costs for them to operate and then passing that cost on to you.    You see this happen with really large home builders or contractors.  Don’t get me wrong a business has to advertise some how or else no one would hear about them.   Also be very careful with those so called contractor finder services or lists.  The contractors have to pay to use those services,  it gives a appearance that they have got on a checked out service list,  when all they have done is pay money to get on the list,  just like any other advertising.  I don’t care for these as it gives the home owner the idea that this company checks out,  when really all they did was pay for a phone call to them.  Don’t fall for these contractor service lists.  I am not talking about user lists which are non-profit or consumer protection lists.   

Good luck in finding a contractor for your bath project,  they are out there.  Call them and they will come.

Gutters And Foam Inserts

I know I am on a gutter kick here.  I normally would have moved on by now.  The weather here in Southeastern WI has been so mild it has extended outside home care this year.  I am not trying to harp on gutters and keeping them clean,  well ok I am.  People don’t realize how many problems actually come from plugged gutters.  Most of the water basement problems that home owners have is due to plugged or clogged gutters.  The plugged gutter issue is not a new one for the Fix-It Brothers either.  They have been helping people with gutter problems and more for years now.  When looking at gutters there is more then meets the eye.  Some people hire unqualified people or just do it themselves because they feel it is no big deal, there only gutters.  This is their first and last mistake when looking at the well being of a home.

Lets look at a short history here about water and rain run off.  As time has gone by more areas have had houses and business’ built in them, leaving for less natural run off to go.  So,  water or rain needs to be controlled as to where it can go.    We have less land or ground for the rain to be soaked into and used by mother nature.  When water has no place to go you have to make sure it stays away from your house.  Having a good working gutter system is very important.   Many people don’t think about this until they have huge ice dams on there house.  Don’t get me wrong here either ice damming is more than just clean gutters, but if your gutters are full of leaves and moisture they will freeze over first creating a plugged gutter.  Now the water from your roof has no where to go.  The problems then go on from there.

I am not going to cover all the different types of gutter protection in this article.   Please see or review some of my other articles which cover the different types and how they work or don’t work.  What I would like to do is talk about foam insert gutter protection systems.  I have come to the conclusion that the foam insert system like,  the Gutter Care II system w/extreme cap is by far the best system out there and it is affordable.  I have it on my house and soon to be on my parents new house also.  I fully endorse this product,  that is the Gutter Care II gutter protection system.   The system works and does not require you to get a home loan to put it in.  I do want to stress concern for look alike or imitators that are called foam inserts or gutter filters.  Many are sold by contractors and the big box hardware stores.  I would list them here,  but my critics and trademark people would not be happy about that,  so as long as you know there many look alike foam inserts out there,  you are armed with knowledge.

The foam insert system started years back and has been redefined many times over.  The first systems were to dense not allowing enoughwater to get through.  Some even held water in them causing them to freeze solid in cold climates.  Once these big issues were delt with it came down to the sun and mother nature.  The sun would break the foam insert down and therefore would fall apart.  Now,  there are a few foam insert system out there that do this.  These systems can be identified by the fact the warranty on them is only 5 years.  If you see a foam insert gutter protection system and is has only a 5 year warranty there’s a reason for that.  Please don’t get this confused with installers warranty on a local level.  Many local contractors will tell you they will give you much longer warranties and clean your gutters if they plug.  This does you no good if the system falls apart or causes damage before they get the gutters cleaned out.  I think you can see what I am talking about here.

Lets get to the real deal here.  Nobody likes to clean out gutters its dirty and can be highly dangerous.  The bottom line here is the Gutter Care II foam inserts work.  Until someone can prove to me that they don’t I will keep endorsing this product.  Again not all foam insert gutter protection systems are created equal.  If your looking for the system in Southeastern WI in the Greater Milwaukee area and beyond,  look up Badges Properties LLC home of the Fix-It Brothers who can be found online at their web site or doing guest appearances on a local live TV show on WTMJ 4 Morning Blend or their web site. 

I will have many critics as I do write alot of articles on home and home care.  I am a expert in that area, so hence that is what my passion is and what I write about.    I try to give a practical answer which is backed up by experience or education.  I will even go as far and ask people to please let me know if they know something more about what I have wrote about,  right or wrong.   People must be able to support what they are talking about.   People must always remember experts in theirarea are usually getting paid for that expertise.  The difference is being a sales person or a expert in there field, some times you can be both.  I will tell people what  I endorse and support in a effort to help them solve their homes problems,  not just sell them a product.   The Fix-It Brothers have a slogan “We don’t sell you products we sell you solutions”  used before by others yes.  When you  fully believe in this is what makes it count.

Gutters Need To Be Cleaned

The fall has come and gone here in the Greater Milwaukee area of Wisconsin.  We have seen some record breaking high temperatures in the area.  This has really helped people to see the leaves in their gutters and everyone Else’s in their area.  People have been really getting a chance to get their gutters cleaned and install the Gutter Care II system offered by Badges Properties LLC home to “The Fix-It Bros.  The Fix-It Brothers are the only dealer in southeastern WI that can carry the Gutter Care II system in that area.  The warm weather has people calling still to protect their gutters from clogging and freezing this winter.  The damage that bad gutters do during the winters in the Greater Milwaukee area of Wisconsin has become more self evident as each of the past winters have proved it.

It is great that people are finding out that keeping the gutters clean on their house is a very important dirty task that must be done.  The way I look at is,  lets say your comparing costs on putting the Gutter Care II gutter protection system on your house or  hiring some guy out of a ad in a news paper to come clean your gutters,  probably never thought to even ask the guy if his company has insurance or not right?  Don’t feel bad most people don’t,  they just want a cheap cleaning for $75.00-$100.00 or more depending how many levels your house is.  Now,  you as the home owner do this in the spring and the fall,  maybe more if you have alot of trees plugging your gutters up faster.  S0, now your around $200.00 on the year for your gutter cleaning.  Gutter Care II system for a average ranch house is between $800.00 – $1,200.00 for the entire house.  Now, even for the bigger ranch the Gutter Care II system has payed for itself in just 6 years, free and clear.   That is great isn’t it?

The Gutter Care II system is under warranty to not allow your gutters to clog for 25 years.  It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out the cost savings is huge.   I think that its a great feeling to save  on gutter cleaning across 20 some years or more.  Well if you do it yourself you could save alot more when you consider how dangerous gutter cleaning can be.  There was even a retired Green Bay Packer foot ball player that died when trying to clean his gutters.  Gutter Care as you can see is very affordable to install.  Unlike some other gutter guard or leaf guard systems require some people to take out home loans just to get it put in.  It is no wonder that people always think they can not afford a fully functioning and working gutter protection system.  I just hate to see people let their homes get severely damaged because they think they cannot afford a good gutter protection system.  They can they just need to look around alittle more.

I still understand the frustration that home owners feel.  They go to big box hardware stores and see the cheap look alike systems and gimmick gutter protection.   I have seen piles of these systems stacked by a home owners garbage cans.  The lessons don’t come cheap as what people thought it would be.  Again I can see why people are fed up with trying to find and buy a good gutter protection system.  I think once people see they can afford the Gutter Care II system and it works also,  they will be very delighted.

How To Pick A Good Leaf Guard / Gutter Care Protection System

It is the fall time of year again.  Leaves and debris get into your gutters all year long.  People seem to think about leaves and debris in the the fall and spring when rain or ice damming occur the most.  We need to think about keeping our gutters clean all year round.  People have water in their basements many times because their gutters are clogged with leaves and debris.  If you are experiencing basement water  problems, look up first and then look down.     We need to always keep the house gutters free and clog  free to keep our houses safe from severe damage.

Just yesterday we were chatting with a gentleman who said his friends house next store to him had a very popular leaf guard system which make you tear off your old gutters in order to use it.   This is because the leaf guard top is a solid one piece type system which lets water in the front of the gutter were there is a slot.  I am still not sure how debris does not get into this system as it has a open hole in the front of the gutter.  Well sure enough as we were talking the gentleman said the company who put the system in has to come out in spring and fall and clean his friends gutters to get the leaves and debris out of them.  Well they honor the fact they will clean your gutters if debris gets in,  I thought  the point of a leaf guard was to keep the gutters unclogged and free from debris.  I have said many times myself that the lid or one piece leaf guard systems cannot stop debris from getting in.   What is the point to pay such a large amount of money for a gutter cover protection system to only have to have a company representative come out and clean it twice a year.

The gutter covers or lid gutter protection systems were thought to be the best you could get.  People also thought this was true because of  the high dollar amounts they had to pay to get them installed.   The old idea,  I paid alot of money for it,  so it must work.  Well people have found that they paid alot of money,  even some having to get loans in order to get some of these leaf guard systems put in,  and are still paying for systems that don’t keep their gutters free from debris.  Now paying a smaller amount and finding out the system don’t work is a learning process which cost you some but didn’t break the bank isn’t fun either.  It is a easier process to accept.  Just like buying a car and your making payments on it, but it is running poorly.  Yeah it gets you around,  but it is still very irritating.  

The big box hardware stores have lots of  look alike copies of more expensive gutter protection systems and they still have just plain old junk that people just end up ripping off and throwing it away after a couple years of  having their gutters still clog and having to clean their gutters, only taking twice as long because they have to take the lids / covers off first to clean them.  Where they are not helping is by selling the look alike systems,  these systems still actually cost more in the long run then if  the home owner would have not got dupped by what appears to be a lower price for the same product.    There are gutter insert systems that the big box stores sell that really look like high end gutter care insert system,  the difference is it is only slightly cheaper and you have to install it yourself.    The big difference is try to get any warranty for no clog or free cleaning if it does clog.  The look alikes don’t last either.  The foam they make the gutter insert from breaks down in the weather after time.  That’s why their warranty if you want to call it that,  is only five years. 

The way to get a good gutter care II system is to find a dealer in your area to help you get the real gutter care II system in and done right.  I encourage people to let me know if they have found a system that works and is cost affective also.  There are so many gimick type gutter protection devices out there,  thats why we ask for people to let us know what they have seen and used.  It really comes down to if the gutter protection system works or not.

Gutter Protection System

We have been very busy this spring with our Gutter Care II System that we have endorsed and now sell in South Eastern Wisconsin area.  One of the reasons the Fix-It Brothers have been so busy is that we our the only authorized dealer for the Gutter Care II Protection System in the area.  The gutter insert is a foam product which does not freeze or plug.  The idea behind the gutter protection system is to always have clean gutters.  Your gutters stay clean and so do you.  No more ladders or crazy gadgits that don’t really work.  We also must give a word of caution this product works so well that others have tried to copy it.  They have placed it in big box hardware stores and made it look like it is cheaper then the real product.  It does not work as well and it falls apart in a hand full of years.

The Gutter Care II system is professionally installed and can have up to a 25 year warranty on it not to clog.  The other cheap copies will not give this warranty or even close.  The big box stores also sell a ton of covers and crazy looking brush looking inserts that are nothing but a wast of money and time.  I saw a pile of this junk down the street from my own house waiting for garbage pick up.  I was so tempted to show this to others as to display these cheap gadgits do not work and can lead to damage on your home.  The Gutter Care II gutter insert system is the most effective gutter product I have ever seen.  I have a degree in mechanical design and can not find any problems with this this gutter protection system except one,  that problem is the fact that I did not design it myself.  There is no down side to the Gutter Care II system.

When I first saw the product I thought like many others and said, I have seen that at the big box hardware store!  I was so wrong,  it looks so close,  but does not compare at all.  It will not freeze either,  everyone always say it will freeze.  It cannot freeze as no water ever sits in it at all.  We tell people run water over it and put it in the freezer.  It will not freeze.  We are so happy that we were able to become a dealer for the Gutter Care II system as it is the best.  We the Fix-It Brothers do not make a habit of endorsing products.  We even have a company solgan that states we don’t sell you products we sell you solutions to your homes problems.  If you have ever had a window sales person out at your house you know what we mean.  These guys tell you that their window is the one to get,  we install many different brands of windows, we just use the brand that best helps the home owner and their budget, not ours.  We don’t use just one type to help people and tell them that nothing else will work when it comes to windows.  There are many windows made by many companies which are all pretty much egual once you get to their high quality models.

The Gutter Care II product is one of those products that there are not others out there that do as good of a job, unlike windows or door brands.  The gutter system is the cheapest and most effective gutter protection system I have found ever.  I even ask people to let me know if they have found a gutter protection system that fully works and does not take a home loan to put it in.  I should say that there are a couple other systems that work, still let some debris in, because they still have a opening in the front of the gutter,  which can allow debris to fly into it.  It only can make sense that if there is a opening,  something can fall into it.  It may not be much at one time, but over time.  The cost is the really huge problem with this type gutter protection.  The cost is very high as they have to tear off your perfectly good gutters to make their system work.  You can see that these systems can break the bank.  During these tough times we need a product that works great and still does not require a home loan to get it.

If you have trees and leaves you need the Gutter Care II system.  Don’t be fooled by products that don’t work or cost you a alot of money but, advertise alot to get you to buy.  We advertise also, but the system sells itself, not slick sales people.

Gutter Care II Protection System

The hot topic this time of year is the gutters.  People want to get outside and start on their yards.  The out of sight out of mind,  does not work well with spring and summer rains.  People need to get their gutters free of debris and keep them that way.  This problem goes from the roof to the basement.  Many people don’t know that their water damaged basedments come from their gutters being plugged up.  Their are some many gutter protection systems out there, which one to use is like walking tight rope.  Most of the systems are cheap and don’t work.

You as a home owner need to need to find a system which will work and not break the bank at the same time.  The snap on types that cost anywhere from .99 cents up to $12 per foot for professional systems just do not work.  Infact the snap on screens and cheap covers can help create ice dams and cause damage to your home.  Now on the opposite end of the deal is the high priced gutter protection systems that cost from $12-$19 per foot installed.  You can see how this can really add up for a home owner in a big hurry.  The systems that are a all in one gutter protection system require the home owner to rip off their prefectly good gutters.   Some people don’t beleive during these hard times that a system would require you to tear off perfectly good gutter system.  The all in one system also is one of the most expensive types going all the way up to $17 per foot intalled costing the home owner a arm and a leg.

There is a insert system which only costs $7.99 per foot professionally install and then forget about it.  The Gutter Care II gutter protection system is the least expensive professionally installed system that is available.  It is a foam product that does not hold water, but holds out debris form the gutter system.  The system will not freeze in cold climates,  infact it is black in color which acts as a natural solar device.  The Gutter Care II system can be found by calling the Fix-It Brothers in South Eastern Wisconsin.    The Fix-It Brothers help people with their home problems and did not even carry any products at all until the found out about the Gutter Care II system.    What more can you ask for them a system like the Gutter Care II system that won’t break the bank and works very well.

You can even see the systems on the Fix-It Brothers Tv spot on the Morning Blend which airs on Station 4 out of Milwaukee Wisconsin.  They have a great website which allows the viewer to see past shows.  The  Fix-It Brothers are regular guests on the show so they have alot of spots on the website.  Check it out and see this Gutter Care II system for yourself,  you can even order it if need be to your house if your not in the Fix-It Brothers area.        

Gutter Care II Protection System

Gutter care protection systems are hitting the markets very heavily because of the last two years of severe weather across the country.  And this time with hard economic crisis you need to protect your biggest investment and that is your house.  Sitting back and pretending that leaves, twigs and more will not damage your house is not a good idea at all.  The “Gutter Care II” protection system is one of the best gutter protection systems that money can buy.  The problem is nowadays there are so many different gutter protection systems out there that no one seems to know which one is going to do the job the best.

So let’s just take a look at some of the different types and styles that are now available and their costs.  The first type will look at is just good old-fashioned chicken wire, wire grids or snap on styles.  These can all be found at your local home improvement stores or hardware stores in your area.  People gravitate towards these the quickest, as most like to do this themselves, and it is the cheapest form available.  The problem is, these systems don’t work.  In fact some of these actually cause more problems for you.  The wire can retain the cold and cause a ice over the top of the gutter.  Once the ice pack forms it can actually lead to a ice dam situation.  You don’t want this to happen to you.  So just stay away from these types of gutter protection systems as they may be cheap, but will always cost you more in the long run.

The “Gutter Care II” protection system is a foam type product which fills the gutter from front to back.  The profile of the protection system does not fill the entire gutter inside.  This always allows for the free flow of high volumes of water to flow freely, out of the gutter system.  The Gutter Care II protection system is black in color and therefore acts as a natural solar device when used in the Midwest or areas of cold climates or temperatures.  It may be a foam product but please do not get it confused with a sponge.  A sponge retains and holds water, the Gutter Care II protection system allows water to flow through it freely.  Water is never held inside the Gutter Care II protection system at any time, therefore, never allowing it to freeze, or to create a ice dam situation.  This is a very important feature especially in the Midwest areas.

Another style of gutter protection system is a entire pre-molded gutter which has a gutter cover molded right into the gutter in itself.  I think you can see the problem with this type of gutter protection system right off the bat.  If you currently have  good gutters on your house, they will have to be completely removed and the destroyed in order to put this type of system onto your house.  These types of systems are very costly obviously.  They are made of aluminum and therefore have no type of friction surface on them at all.  You may say to yourself this sounds like a good idea to me, but, if you have a steep roof condition and a heavy rain how is it that the water does not just sheet straight across the gutter cover itself.  There has been a lot of time and effort, with extreme amounts of advertising that has promoted this type of system.  If you wish to change the color or have to change your gutter system, it would be well worth your time to install new gutters and then install the Gutter Care II protection system instead.  The cost savings alone is staggering.

The different types of systems can be debated at great lengths.  When it comes right down to it look at how well the system works and what it’s end cost is to you.  Another very important feature is the warranty that comes with the gutter protection system that you select.  Except for the Gutter Care II protection system come with little to no warranty at all.  The Gutter Care II protection product comes with a 25 year no- clog manufacturer’s warranty.  As was stated above, many companies spend tremendous amounts of advertising dollars on their products to promote them as better than what they are.

Don’t get caught up in all the advertising that these companies are doing.  Of course each company must advertise somewhat so that you can even find out about the product itself.  What you actually need to look at is, does the product actually keep your gutters unplugged and free-flowing.  Even the high costing premolded gutter protection systems have an opening at the front of them.  That must at least allow dirt and and small amounts of debris to get in to the area when it comes right down to it, the true turnoff with this system is the very high costs of purchasing it.  The snap on covers and gutter covers just are not effective in keeping your gutters clean and free-flowing.  More people will spend more time maintaining the snap on protection systems on their gutters than what it is ever worth.  The snap on type systems have more clogging on the surface and never let the water even get inside the gutter system itself.  So, I think you can see the downside of these types of systems.

The gutter care II protection system, is a system that will remain clog free and not require any maintenance.  It will not freeze or cause an ice dam.  It will remain free of debris.  If a leaf falls on it or a twig, it will not get stuck in it, the debris will be removed just like if it had fallen on top of your roof.  The best of all is that the system will not break the bank.  In today’s economic struggle to survive, it is very important that we remain very conscientious about our budgets.  There are so many high-priced systems out there, again which is self evident by the companies that are spending millions of dollars on advertising their systems.  You really need to take this into consideration as who you think is paying for all that advertising.

Use very simple logic and common sense when picking out a gutter care protection system.  If a system has a 25 year no-clog warranty and you don’t have to take out a small loan in order to install it, I don’t see how you could go wrong by purchasing at system.

So, in the end the gutter care II protection system lives up to all of its expectations.  If you are fortunate enough to live in the southeastern Wisconsin area, there is one authorized dealer in that area by the name of, Fix-It Brothers, also known as Badges Properties LLC.  This company is a state licensed dwelling contractor, who also has proof of financial responsibility certificate.  They can also be found on a local TV station, giving tips on how to update or repair your home.  They also have all their contact info

How To Install Grass Seed

When asking, How to install grass seed? you need to consider what process will be used to install the grass seed.  The correct grass seed install will make the difference of a nice thick green lawn or just weeds.  The time is now to look into hydroseeding and all of its cost effective benefits for your new seeded lawn. You see, if you live in the Midwest, especially in Wisconsin, you probably have never heard of hydroseed and hydro-seeded lawns and erosion barriers. The hydroseeding process is the process of blending high quality grass seed, mulch, fertilizer and water along with bonding agents. There is a company in the greater Milwaukee area that even adds a water retention agent at no additional cost the builder or home owner. (Badges Properties LLC has a special lawn and erosion control division, which all they do is lawns and erosion control, they are known for using the high quality blend) This is then all mixed well into a green slurry, which creates a very appealing green blanket, in most cases of high quality hydroseeding companies. Stick with hydroseeders listed with the associations of hydroseeding professionals.  Just like any trade there are good hydroseeders and then there are better ones.  If you can find a hydroseeding professional that all they do is hydroseeded lawns and erosion barriers, this would be the one to go with.  This company knows your lawn and is not trying to sell you on shrubs, trees, bushes, lawn cutting services, fertilizing services, you can see how some of these could even be a conflict of interest.  So, knowing how to install grass seed is a important thing to know. 

The market for contractors in the hydroseeding field in Wisconsin, especially in the greater Milwaukee area is small, but they are there. Again look at the association lists and use the members as it will be worth it, just do a search under hydroseed contractor or hydroseeding lawn professionals, if you are in the Wisconsin or greater Milwaukee area, just add it to the search. Make sure they are members not just listed because of where they bought their grass seed installation machine.  Even again look for companies that specialize in new lawns and erosion control via hydroseeding. There are alot of landscape companies who do everything, but very few that actually specialize in hydroseeded lawns. Badges Properties LLC is a company that even has a division that specializes in new lawns and erosion barriers for builders and home owners. There are some builders and commercial developers that don’t know they can now get hydroseeding and hydroseeded erosion barriers installed for much less than even the cost of straw/grass seed applications. They use these expensive straw roll our blankets and straw, which cost much more than if they would have hydroseeded. Now, if the builders don’t know about how much money they could save, what about home owners? Hydroseeding being used to install grass seed is the greatest kept secret in Wisconsin.  If the people of that great state and the greater Milwaukee area only knew the true benefits and money saving benefits of a hydroseeded lawn. The money savings is really the best to be had and builders can even get volume discounts depending on how many new lawns they need or erosion barriers installed. The cost going as low as 6-6.5 cents per sq. ft for your new seeded lawn, the straw blankets/grass seed process cost twice as much or more.

I still cannot believe the amount of people who are not aware of hydro-seeding. The process is just the best way possible to get a great new seeded lawn. I have seen people spend vast amounts of money on houses and then allows someone lets a person throw straw and grass seed all over the yard and then call that a new lawn. This is just so hard to think, someone would spend that kind of money on a house and new seeded lawn, only to allow someone to throw unsightly straw and grass seeds every where. The benefits of a lush green hydroseeded lawn is enough reason alone to go with a hydroseeded new lawn, let alone spending far less for your new lawn increasing your cost savings.  

This lawn installation season of 08 will show how many people have heard of hydroseeding before its to late. Once you have installed a poor quality lawn it will take years to correct it, even worse, have to plow under and start over! There is more benefits to the environment also. The straw blankets have a plastic netting in the middle of it that never will dissolve, some might be biodegradable, but the large added cost of green friendly straw blankets keeps most from using it. This just does not sound like a good idea to cover our ground surface with plastics that will never dissolve.  Hydroseeding a new lawn or erosion barrier is a ground, animal and family friendly.  The best way to go green is to hydroseed your new lawn. 

People need to find out about hydroseeding and all of its benefits. Find a hydroseeding professional in your area. Even if the above company Badges Properties LLC is not in your area, give them a call they are so friendly and will probably still help you, they are in the online yellow pages under Oak Creek, Milwaukee area business. Ask your builder if they have heard about hydroseeding, if they tell you it is too expensive, just means they have not looked into it lately or found the right hydroseeding company. Remember to use a professional hydroseeder members. 

Best of luck with your new seeded lawn and may you find a professional hydroseed contractor in your area.

House Selling Trends

The housing market is riding a roller coaster and its going crazy.  The ride is slowing down, but with the foreclosure market being on the same ride it seems to be just as crazy.  The houses in certain parts of the country are dropping in price and values are just not there anymore.  The problem is what happens when the house is at a retail value which is less then what a person owes on it?  The banking industry across the country is asking itself the same question this year more and more.  They have become a home sales industry instead of a bank.  The banks are finally at the point that they need to just get rid of the house surplus that they have.  Even just 3 years ago the banks had foreclosures but they didn’t really care how long they had them.

The banking agents that were in charge at that time were not a priority position.  The idea was these people can not hurt anything anyway so just let them handle it.  The agents would take forever to respond to any type of offers, many times letting the potential buyers get frustrated and just walk away.  They just didn’t care what really happened.  Now, they have such large amounts of houses they don’t even know which way to turn.  They are now paying more attention to the people who deal with the foreclosures more closely and now trying to guide them and educate them in working with buyers and help to sell houses, instead of the uneducated, don’t care, type of person from just 3 years ago.

Now, the houses on the foreclosure lists have prices that are reflecting that they need to be sold.  There are so many houses and not enough buyers any more.  They need to sell off these houses and they are getting houses into foreclosure inventory twice as fast as they can get rid of them.  The investors of today can find some real buys already, by mid summer the houses will be at even better prices if things keep going the way the are now.   The houses will be at all time lows as far as these types of houses go.  The person with a certain amount of cash in hand will be able to reinvest into discounted properties.  The old saying timing is everything is going to come into play.

This trend is going to affect the whole housing market this year.  The buyers for traditional house buys are expecting a house to be in perfect shape.  The house which is not in perfect shape will have buyers with approved loans walking away from it.  Even if the home owner is giving money back for updates and repairs, it is to little, to late.  The buyers don’t want to take the time and effort to fix up there new house, unlike the buyers of just 3 years ago.  The person who really wants to sell their house needs to understand this.  The home owner who does not get this will be left with staying in their current house,  hopefully not already having purchased or built a new house.

Watch the house selling trends.

Sell Your House II

This is a series of articles which looks at selling your house.  Each article will build from the other to give a start to finish self help series to aid people to sell your house.  The spring 2008 home sales market is starting to open in the sense you must start the process now to have your house ready for the spring market.  This is a very important factor in selling your house this year, is to be prepared for the market.

The first part covered in article 1 “Sell Your House” was to find a agent that you are comfortable with.  I don’t mean a agent which just tells you everything you want hear either.  This type of agent will only hurt your efforts to sell your house.  The time it takes to find a good agent will be well worth it.  Some people just use the word of mouth on finding a agent.  This can be helpful, but what was the market like when these people used that agent.  During the home market bubble days a child with a cardboard sign and pop up table could of sold a house, from their lemonade stand.  So, ask when the person used their agent to buy or sell their house.  This will be a important factor. Once you look around now days you find that only agents that are better at their jobs are the ones who are left in the sales market of today, that is if they are a seasoned agent with more then 10 years experience.

The other thing you must be very careful of is the hybrid/discount home sellers.  These are are like comparing the big well known car dealers to the corner lot with the sales/owner wearing his plaid suits and telling you what deal he has for you.  The thing is these guys are using high tech ways of selling you their services.  These people hide behind TV and computer screens as they sell their services as a faceless animated service.  These services assist you in selling your home and that’s it.  They became very popular in the bubble era also as they did not charge very much for what they were doing and still got a house sold.  Remember, as I stated above a kid with a cardboard sign could have sold a house during this time period.  This is becoming self evident as these discount places have had to resort to lots of TV ads to keep their business going, lucky for them they still have money left over from the good time market and some people believe anything they hear in a TV Ad.

Once you have found a agent who is well rounded, you can sit down and start to talk about your house with them.  The agent should be one who knows about houses and what needs to be done to a house long before the sign hits the front yard.  The agents now days who know what they are doing, are joining up with people who know how to fix and stage a home for sale.  When you want to sell your house you need a well rounded person now days more then anything.  Ask the agent what their game plan is on selling your house.  Theres so much more then just placing signs and ads for open house now days.  The comparable houses that have sold in your area was a large part of selling your house also.   These are things that any agent should know along with setting the correct price for your house.  We will cover these areas more in articles to come.

The agent if he or she is well rounded should be looking at the whole house and if they don’t have the experience to see your house as whole package and what needs to be done you need to ask them to find someone to help.  The whole house needs to be looked at in great detail.  The whole house just so you know is the total yard and house, not just the inside of the house like some house staging people would lead you believe.  The house staging professionals of yesterday started off in the home interior design market and have the feeling that a interior designer is what a house needs to sell.  The inside is just a small part of what needs to be looked at.  To sell your house it needs to be looked at starting right from the front curb. 

A good agent is going to know this and start by taking you out to the curb and asking you what you see, or if they don’t a good sales consultant will.  The front curb,  is the starting point.  You may say, who cares about the outside?  You need the inside to be nice right?  The process for a buyer starts at the curb where they stop their car.  The buyer sees your house from the outside first and if they never even slow down, do you really think they will make it inside. You need to get the buyers to slow down and stop to take a look.  Take a pen and paper and write down what you see.  Does your house have any curb appeal?  Would you stop and look at your house the way it looks right now?  What can you do to help improve the look of your house?  Remember, a good agent is looking to do what needs to get done to sell your house.  You need a person who does this kind sprucing up work and knows what is the best for return on investment.  Still, watch out for someone trying to sell you on high end repairs or excess work,  you could just be spending money for no reason.

I have been providing consulting services for years now and believe that this year is going to be one of the years where a house is not going to sell unless it has been prepared to hit the market.  The market requires you to find a person who can prepare your house for you along with the consulting part.  The old house stagers give you a report and tell the names of friends who can do the work you need done. Find a full service company who can come in and give the house a full report and be able to do the work or has the network to get the work done.  You see, giving you a report for 2-4 hundred dollars and then leaving, still leaves you with having to call the needed contractors and get the work all scheduled and done,  you really could have done that on your own,  with maybe a little self help materials.   I have found that because I have been doing many home consulting, repairs and improvements for years I see things different than home owners.  I do forget that I have conditioned myself to look for the details required to sell a home, not live there.  When you see something everyday and walk right by it, you don’t think about it.  For example, a bath room door which does not close correctly or swings open by itself.  You have lived with it for years and years, you don’t think about it, you live with it.  New prospective owners will not feel the same way. 

I have found that many things I think of with regards to fixing houses are not always how, owners look at things. This is why, when you look at your house you will view it as just fine.   It may be just fine for you and was fine for you, now your trying to sell it to someone else, not you.   We will take a look at what you need to do to the exterior of your house in order for you to sell your house.   Many times with the right help and some money well spent you can increase the chances of your house selling and selling much faster.  We will be looking at the front of your has and curb appeal coming up in the next article.