Homefit Issue 1 - Riana Keve

A Bit About
Mold
There are a number of little things
to look for when purchasing a new
home. Normally things to consider
include location, wiring, the
condition of the house, and several
other factors.
One of these factors is mold. There
are different types of mold that can
occur in a home and lead not only
to structural damage, but some
health concerns too. Mold can
be difficult to find in homes as it
grows exclusively in dark and moist
areas that are hidden somewhere
in structural areas, like attics and
basements. By the time mold
shows up in actual living areas,
chances are that it is throughout
the home.
Another concern is if a home has
ever flooded and was not properly
cleaned. Leaky plumbing and
basement crawlspaces are other
likely candidates. Mold can be a
difficult thing to get rid of as the
only thing it needs to continue
growing is organic material such as
wood and moisture. Both of these
items are abundant in most homes.
Usually moisture finds its way into
a home through leaky roofs and
foundations. Both areas should be
checked by an experienced mold
inspector on a regular basis if there
is any worry of mold beginning to
grow, or if there has been mold in
the past.
Mold can be an expensive problem.
Be proactive about searching for it
so you save money in the long run.
Best House Color to Sell
When you go to social events, do
you make an effort to snazzy up?
Of course. Attraction is a key factor
in forming relationships and the
same applies to your house.
When you put the house on the
market, you need to make it look
good for the dates with potential
buyers. The color of your house
can make all the difference.
First, there is no absolutely correct
answer to the best color! Instead,
the decision depends on the
makeup of your home and the
surrounding landscape.
Let’s take a closer look:
1. Whatever color you choose,
make sure it doesn’t clash with the
other homes in the neighborhood.
An otherwise appropriate color
could end up making your house
an eye-sore.
2. The Roof. What color is the roof
on your home? If it is a red tile
roof, off-whites are probably going
to be the better choice than dark
green. Unless you are going to
invest money in a new roof, make
sure the paint color doesn’t clash
with it.
3. Highlights. If there is a particular
part of your house that should be
emphasized, used light colored
paint around it to draw attention.
4. Hide It! Conversely, if there
are parts of the house that are
mundane, use darker colors to
draw attention away from them.
5. On large flat surfaces, such as
the side of a garage, keep in mind
the color you choose will have a
washed out appearance.
Now we get to the fun part. After
considering the above issues, make
a preliminary list of colors and
buy small cans of each color. In
a private area of the house, start
applying samples strokes a couple
feet long and a foot or so wide.
Try to paint examples in shaded
areas and those exposed to the
sun.
Do not immediately judge the
results of your experiments.
Instead, wait a few hours for
the paint to dry and then start
comparing.
Dry paint takes on a very different
appearance than when it is wet.
Once the paint is dry, take a long
look at each sample. You will
typically find the colors look much
different. You may find one color is
perfect or you may find something
a little different would be best.
Either way, you’ll have come up
with the best house color to sell
your home.
15