Requesting a professional house cleaning prior to closing?
tvq1
2 years ago
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Should I have the air ducts cleaned prior to moving in?
Comments (12)You got a good price! My single floor, 2000 sqft costs $450. And IMO it is worth every penny! The price actually is not computed by sqft, but by the number of vents. Ask those subs just who does a full duct cleaning for a couple hundred? *IF* they can name someone, check 'em out, but I think the subs were just blowing hot air. You can DIY -- and it won't be nearly as good as professional, but 1000% better than nothing. Seal the duct entry at the furnace, and all vents other than the one you are working from. Wear a dust-mask and goggles. Use the rods for a chimney brush and attach a slightly-smaller-than-duct-sized bundle of soft rags. Start with the vent farthest from the furnace. Run rag-bundle through the duct as far as you can reach, swirling and brushing the dust towards you as you pull the rod back. Vacuum the accumulated debris. Do not swear at the amount of splfft. Repeat the brush-swipe until there are no more wood chips, screws, nails, metal filings, plasterdust or sawdust. Repeat the process at each vent opening. The last vent should be the one at the furnace. Vacuum that vent and duct. Remove the seals from all vents. Done. The first time I DIY'd mine Without skill or practice, (and not the proper tools) it took me ten hours . It takes a pro about 2 hours AND he does a vacuum of all duct surfaces -- much better than brush alone. Please consider not only the health aspects [who really wants to breathe dust-laden air??] but remember that not cleaning the ducts will just about guarantee your furnace is going to get dust-filled, which is not good for the electronic controlss and worse for the burners and mechanical parts. Cleaning the furnace --assuming it won't need repairs-- will cost almost the same as the preventive duct-cleaning. In fact, read the HVAC warranty carefully, because sawdust and plaster-dust deliberately left in the ducts just might void it....See MoreProfessional Painters...Cleaning Utensils, Where?
Comments (7)At least he asked "where" first! At least that's somethin'. :-D Oh gosh, I've had painters fill the bath tub, wash rollers & brushes, drain the water and leave it. I've had them commandeer kitchen sinks, entire bathroom vanties to be used as "staging areas". Loose rule of thumb for me is if it's warm enough to paint outside, then it's warm enough to clean up outside -- or take your tools with you and deal with them off site. I'm pretty much all for nippin' things in the bud. The sooner the better. It's not so much "when" you address it, it's "how". If you approach it the right way, you should have no worries about getting the quality job you expect. Just be honest and matter of fact and keep on with genuinely wanting to help where and how you can -- if all you have as a solution is outside, then that's simply all there is and they need to rely on other means to clean up their tools if they don't want to use what you have available. Kind of in line with the topic: It is nice to provide a space for a painter to work. Having them use their truck and keep running back and forth is not productive. If you have a utility sink, it's really nice to offer it as a place for them to set up and work. They are working in your house and need some accommodations. It's funny because some painters are intuitive and strive to have good manners as part of their pride of service, other guys just don't get it and it never crosses their mind that everyone isn't as interested in taking good care of their brushes as they are -- as in what makes you think your kitchen sink is good enough for their brushes? :D If you have special requirements it's a good idea to simply write it in the contract so everyone knows where everyone else stands -- get it all out on the table. Like if the job will run several days and really can't let them leave stuff behind -- from large stuff to the smaller stuff. I had one client who expected that even the paint would go with the painter every night. It was January and the garage really wasn't the best option - for a couple reasons. Basement was two flights down and I really thought that was unnecessary as well. Protected floors and an out of the way corner was what they needed to get okay with -- and they did. Bathroom accommodations are another issue. I personally think it's ridiculous when homeowners state they don't want painters using their bathrooms. Actually, it makes me mad and I have to breathe really deeply to help them rethink that *requirement*. I had one woman tell me and the painters that there was a McDonald's right at the end of the street and that's where they need to go on breaks and to use the facilities. She didn't even want them sitting in their trucks in her drive way to grab a drink, eat lunch or smoke. Josh, the painter, just picked up all of his paperwork, looked at me and said, "talk to you later, Lori" and quietly left. I told the woman I thought she might be better off DIYing, good luck with everything, and it was nice to meet her. Oh lord, I could go on and on... People are funny....See MorePlease- advice on A/C repairs prior to home purchase
Comments (17)"'isolated guards to fan and condenser with cork-rubber. Placed isolators under unit. " When I read this, it sounds like somebody stuck cork in the guard above the fan and put cork under the feet of the condenser to eliminate the vibration noise. The fix addresses the symptom and not the problem. It is not a repair, just something done cheaply to make the condenser acceptable for the sale. Something is off balance and is causing excessive vibration. That is what needs to be replaced or repaired. Replacing the fan blade is not that expensive, replacing the fan motor is a few hundred, replacing the compressor becomes costly. If you get a written estimate for repair by the closing, you may be able to negotiate with the seller to cover the cost. If you are offered a home warranty ask for the money instead. Home warranties, especially for HVAC repairs, are very close to worthless in my opinion....See MoreWho is responsible for damaged caused by buyer prior to closing?
Comments (32)@bichonbabe said, "I would argue that any possible insurance claim would require a police report. And filing a police report is free, while engaging an attorney will be expensive." I submit, this demonstrates why the OP needs to see an attorney. Almost all homeowners policies will have a vacancy exclusion. Thirty days is the most common with sixty being the second most common and more than that being rare. Any personal property that is damaged or destroyed once the property has been vacant for longer than that period will not be covered. So I would not advise the OP file a claim and get an item on their CLUE, which will increase their rates, without being sure they are covered. There are a thousand different nuances to this situation. Certainly, if the seller entered the property more than they were permitted to do in the agreement, then they trespassed. However, that doesn't mean the OP is going to get awarded damages... Suppose the buyer argues that the seller had a duty to prepare the home for the improvement and the seller breached the contract by not doing so. When the buyer arrived and found the home was not ready for carpet, they took action to limit the seller's breach which could be greater than the entire purchase agreement. In their rush to "protect the seller" some items were disposed of and some were damaged but that damage was the result of the seller's breach and should be ignored as it was a consequence of an attempt to limit damages. An attorney is likely going to attempt to remove that defense before it can be made by getting the seller to directly or indirectly agree to certain facts....See Moretvq1
2 years agotvq1
2 years agoBergen Furniture & Design
2 years agoKate
2 years agoartemis_ma
2 years agoElmer J Fudd
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2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoJames Sack
8 months agotete_a_tete
2 months ago
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