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Haunted Places: The Whaley House

October 30, 2018

Location: Old Town, San Diego, CaliforniaArchitectural Style: Greek RevivalBuilt: 1857 Sure, we’ll never be able to prove the existence of ghosts, but who doesn’t love a good spooky story? To celebrate Halloween, we’re spotlighting some of North America’s most famous allegedly haunted houses every day this week till Halloween. For Day 2, we present the Whaley House in Old Town, San Diego, California. From the outside, this Greek Revival (the first brick building in California, in fact), is plain and unassuming. You would never know by its appearance that it holds a rich and sinister history. The Whaley House was built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley, a successful businessman from New York City. The fact that he was knowingly building his home on the former site of the town’s gallows didn’t deter Whaley, who settled his wife, Anna, and their six children in the home and opened a general store on-site. Not long after the family had settled into the home, their 18-month-old son, Thomas, passed away of a bout of scarlet fever. A few months later, a fire broke out in the home, destroying the general store. The Whaleys moved to San Francisco for a time to escape their

Haunted Places: The Stanley Hotel

October 29, 2018

Location: Estes Park, ColoradoArchitectural Style: Colonial RevivalBuilt: 1908-1909 One of the most haunted places in America, the Stanley Hotel’s past is filled with interesting characters, remarkable coincidences and most importantly, all kinds of spooks. Read on as we delve into the fascinating history of this haunted hotel. BeginningsNestled in the Rocky Mountains 1.5 hours northwest of Denver, Colorado, The Stanley Hotel was built near the turn of the last century by Freelan Oscar Stanley, inventor of the Stanley steam-powered automobile. In 1903, Stanley moved to Denver from Massachusetts on the advice of his physician, to combat the effects of tuberculosis. In love with the clean mountain air of nearby Estes Park but put off by the overly rustic surroundings, Stanley decided to create a resort that combined the health benefits of mountain living with the modern amenities he was used to in the Northeast. Haunted RoomsFrom the beginning, odd events were frequent at the hotel. As the years wore on, ghostly sightings became common throughout the eleven buildings of the hotel complex. The ShiningMany people know about the Stanley Hotel by way of Stephen King’s landmark horror novel, The Shining. Stephen King spent the night at the Stanley on October

How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling

October 26, 2018

Popcorn ceilings are just one of those things. Some of us barely notice them, while others put them in the same category as fake wood paneling when it comes to outdatedness. If you’re of the latter opinion, the good news is that you don’t have to live with your popcorn ceilings forever. While it can be a pretty messy task, you can still remove all that texture with a little DIY know-how. When in doubt, check for asbestos!For any popcorn ceiling installed before 1980, you run the risk of dealing with asbestos, a common cause of lung cancer. You can purchase a testing kit for around $50 and send a small sample of scrapings to a lab for definitive results. Be sure to follow the directions in your kit carefully. Even a small scraping can introduce a good number of (potential) asbestos particles to the air. You can also hire a local professional asbestos testing service. This can be considerably more expensive, but quite a bit more comprehensive since they’ll test multiple areas, air quality and more. If your home was built long before 1980 and you’re not sure of its renovation history, a professional test is well worth it

5 Home Inspection Myths You Shouldn’t Fall For

October 19, 2018

Ordering a home inspection is the most critical part of the buying process. Because of the crucial role your inspector plays, there are lots of misconceptions out there about his or her exact part in the transaction. We’re here to clear up some common myths and help you learn what to expect from that all-important inspection report. Myth #1: Your inspector can advise you on whether or not to buy the house.Truth: Your inspector is considered an impartial observer and should never advise you on whether or not to move forward with the sales process. An inspector’s role is to tell you about the condition of the home so that you can make your own educated decision. And if you think they can be coaxed into disclosing their opinion, think again. Even if you come right out and ask, “Would you buy this house?” a good inspector will stand firm and reiterate that they can only tell you what’s working and what’s not. This is actually for the best! You’ll want a third party looking at the home with fresh eyes, one whose only job is to educate you, not sway your opinion. Myth #2: Your home inspector will tear

Make Your Refrigerator More Efficient with These 8 Hacks

October 18, 2018

When we think of ways to save energy, we don’t often turn to the fridge. It just does its thing, right? Well, not quite. Here are eight ways to make your refrigerator more efficient. First, it’s important to note that if your refrigerator is 15 or more years old, you may not be able to get the most out of it energy-wise, even if you do everything right. Older models are simply never going to be quite as efficient as newer models, and more sophisticated units are coming out all the time. When you decide to replace your older fridge, opt for an Energy-Star-certified model. Now, on to the hacks! 1. Get rid of frost if you have it. This is much more common in older units. If your refrigerator is accumulating frost, the first thing you’ll need to do is defrost it. Otherwise, you’re automatically setting yourself up for a far less efficient fridge. That’s because frost buildup can cause fridge coils to work overtime and make it more difficult for the unit to keep at a consistently cool temperature. It’s a bit of a process, but defrosting is totally worth it—plus, who couldn’t use extra room in the

Do You Really Need a Home Inspection?

October 11, 2018

As a home inspector, there is no question that I am going to be biased toward people using the services of a competent home inspector, whenever they are in the process of buying or selling a property. However, people don’t have to take the word of a home inspector; all they need to do is ask a REALTOR®, a mortgage broker, a lawyer or even Mike Holmes. All of these professionals will come back with the same clear recommendation: You should always have your home inspected by a qualified home inspector. If you do a quick search on the Internet for “common mistakes by first-time home buyers,” you will find that not having a home inspection is always near the top of this list. Sadly, it’s not unusual to see first-time home buyers become overwhelmed with all of the various costs associated with purchasing their first home. Some will even look for creative ways to stretch their limited home-purchasing budget and choose not to hire a home inspector to try to save money. But that old saying, “penny wise, pound foolish,” certainly comes to mind. Another important point to consider as to why home buyers should hire the services of

6 Essential Fall Lawn Care Tasks

October 5, 2018

The air is crisp and the trees are changing colors. That must mean fall is here! Even if your yard isn’t fully blanketed in crunchy leaves just yet, you can still start on these essential fall lawn care tasks. 1. Rake the leaves. It turns out that the quintessential fall chore really is the most important one. If you love the look of a blanket of fall leaves, you’ll want to listen up. They may be pretty and fun for kids to play in, but a covering of damp autumn leaves is awful for your grass. Not only do leaves block sunlight, they also trap moisture, leading to a soggy, decaying mess come spring. There’s no need to cut into your fall fun too much, though. You can always rake leaves as you see them, dividing a couple afternoons’ worth of work into more manageable 10- or 15-minute tasks. 2. Don’t winterize the sprinkler just yet. It’s a myth that cooler weather means your lawn needs less water—it might even need more! It’s true that there’s less evaporation in cooler weather, but dew and rainfall isn’t always sufficient for keeping grass healthy. Just like in summer, you’ll need to pay

How to Use a Candle: 6 Common Mistakes to Avoid

October 3, 2018

No matter what you think of them, you have to admit scented candles are kind of amazing. Nothing’s better at creating ambience and a relaxing atmosphere in your home than a few well-placed candles, but you should know how to use them to get the best effect. It also helps to be aware of the hazards that come with having an open flame in the house. Believe it or not, it’s more than just knowing how to wield a lighter. 1. Lighting and Forgetting About It We’ll start with one of the worst things you can do—lighting a candle and just walking away. Directions for use on most candles advise only burning under direct supervision, for a number of really good reasons. If you have curious toddlers or pets, for example, a candle can lead to burned fingers or singed whiskers. Candles can also become dangerously hot if they’re left burning for too long, which is why you should only keep them lit for two hours at a time. 2. Not Leaving It Lit Long Enough Have you ever had to throw a candle out because the wax around the outside didn’t melt? It could be a poorly designed candle,

Home Maintenance Myths You Shouldn’t Bet On

September 26, 2018

Sometimes, those home maintenance “shortcuts” you learned from your parents are anything but. Some myths about home maintenance were born out of good intentions, and some of them may have even been true at one time or another, but following them today can waste money or even cause damage to your home. Here’s a rundown of the worst offenders that can end up costing you in the long run. 1. Turn off your AC when you leave the house to save energy. This one seems to make sense—why pay to cool an empty house, right? Well, turning off your AC isn’t the way to save money. The problem here is that when you come back home and turn your system back on, your AC unit will have to work overtime to cool your house back down, negating any energy savings you’ve accrued. To really save energy, just adjust your thermostat 5 or 10 degrees when you leave the house. 2. More insulation is always better. Lots of attic insulation is the key to regulating your home’s temperature in summer and winter, isn’t it? Not quite. While you want enough insulation to prevent heat escaping into the attic, going overboard can

A Pajama Lounge? What It Is and Why the Trend is Taking Over

September 21, 2018

Have you heard of a pajama lounge? If you haven’t yet, you’ll probably be seeing the concept everywhere soon! We’ll give you a quick rundown of what a pajama lounge is and the different ways you can adapt it to your taste and living space. What is a Pajama Lounge? Short answer: just about anything you want it to be. But a pajama lounge does have one particular feature that makes it a pajama lounge, and that is its location. Pajama lounges are always located on an upper floor of the home, typically the second or third. They’re basically a common space, similar to a home’s living room or family room, located close to its bedrooms so that residents have the novelty of padding right down to it instead of going all the way downstairs. But that’s where the similarities end from home to home. You can do just about anything you’d like with an upper story common area, aka a pajama lounge. Check out the list below for some of our favorite ideas. Create the Themed Common Room of Your Dreams Since the living room is often one of the first spaces visible when you enter a home, many