Get Your Mind In The Gutter!

Autumn is here, and temperatures are about to drop to weather that is a little bit nicer and cooler. As the seasons start to change here in Virginia, specifically in the Central Virginia and Richmond areas, we will see the leaves colors change. It is truly a beautiful sight to see, however with each season there are somethings that we should all look for when we are a home owner or renter. 

Check the Gutters
We've talked about it in the past, but this is reminder that all those pretty leaves that will cover the ground this autumn will also be clogging your gutters. This can cause a number of problems including but not limited to: 

-Creating puddles of water in your roof, which can lead to leakage and both internal and external damage to your home
-A concentration of dry leaves is prone to fires, this can be of catastrophic proportions
-Creating nests for animals, pests are never a good thing
-It just doesn't look good. No further explanation needed on that one. 

Structural Damage
Before you know it, it will be winter. Checking and fixing structural damage when it is raining or snowing is a pain in the butt and in some cases impossible. Take care of that stuff now, it is just proper home maintenance and it can help you prevent some other serious issues in the future. This includes: wall cracks, faulty roofs, damaged floors. 

Fireplace and HVAC
Not everyone has these but anyone who does knows how expensive it can be to repair a chimney flute or their HVAC system, so instead of having to pay an expensive repair have someone come and check these out so they can be properly maintained and so that you can have a care free winter and fall. 

For more tips and tricks for all your home needs visit:
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This Neighborhood, Good or Bad?

(image courtesy of AreaVibes.com)

As a contractor and a Class-A builder, New Earth comes across different kinds of neighborhoods, if you're new to the area it may be a little bit overwhelming to figure out where is a good place to live. Even as a current resident of RVA, it may be difficult to keep up with all the neighborhoods that are up and coming and the ones that have deteriorated. For the most part, Richmond is growing, at an alarmingly exponential rate. This is great for anyone living here or considering moving to Richmond. The value of property is rising. This is especially important for a homeowner to know because home care and maintenance are more crucial than ever.

So what's the best way of knowing if your neighborhood or a neighborhood that you're interested in is worth living in? Thankfully the internet has a lot of different websites that offer all kinds of information including statistical facts about any particular neighborhood. One of our personal favorites is AreaVibes.com. They offer useful knowledge like: crime rate, average household income, property value and the amenities available in any specific area. The only problem that we find with Area Vibes is that you need to do preliminary research on an area that you're interested in since they want you to plug in the name of the subdivision, zip code or address.

Richmond.com breaks the different neighborhoods down for you, they tell you stories of what's happening in some of them so it offers a more personable perspective to give you a sense of what that place is like. They talk about upcoming areas and complexes, specifically what places are being built out. This is important because if different stores and shops see the value of building in a neighborhood, that means that others will follow and see the value in it too. This means more and better housing.

They also include Real Estate listings so you can check out what is available on the market, this allows you to make easy comparisons between properties and see what your competitors are doing if you are in the market to sell.

Even though we are partial to downtown Richmond and the Churchill area, we like knowing what is going around in the Richmond Tri-Cities area, so we find these two resources incredibly useful. You will probably find them useful too.

Are you working on home improvements? Check out what your neighbors are doing by reading about it online, see what works and what doesn't. Some properties will have better value than others and this could be a good way to find out why.

For more tips and tricks for all your home needs visit:
NewEarthVA.com

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After a big storm...

Wow, what a week we've had here in Central Virginia. With so many unexpected rain storms that made some of our homes shatter to the very core. We've also had a very significant amount of hail in some areas, not to mention some of the trees that have fallen down in some of our neighbors yards.

Some of us might have experienced a little light leakage here and there in our windows. Most of us might not really see any signs of damage after a big storm so we might think everything is all and well. This can be true for the most part but it is always a smart idea to check out for leaks throughout the house especially in your roofs.

Roof repairs can be extremely costly and with every storm and season our roofs begin to wither and deteriorate. Over time you want to do periodic checks on your roof to ensure there are no major issues with it. Here are some of the things to check for:

• Overall appearance. Are there cracks or any general signs of wear and tear?

• Debris. Is your roof covered in branches and leaves? If so this needs to be cleared out to get a better picture on the state of your roof

• Drainage. Your drains and gutters need to be clear of any accumulations of leaves because blocking of these channel could cause water collection and eventual leaks

• Roof joints can be especially prone to damage so make sure these are inspected as well

If you do discover that your roof needs services, check to see if you have warranty with the manufacturer or with your contractor because this can keep repair and replacement costs down. However if you don't have a warranty you need to call a contractor or roof specialist to come and check out the roof as soon as possible. Leaks and punctures can cause thousands of dollars in damage to the interior of your home ruining: electrical equipment, furnitures, appliances and can cause flooding.

For all your home improvement needs, renovations and restorations - Call New Earth for your consultation (804) 955-0257

To read more on roof maintenance click here to visit Facilities.net

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