Home For the Holidays: Thanksgiving Safety Tips

According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), Thanksgiving Day receives the most reports for home-cooking fires, which is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. I compiled a list of reminders to make sure your family has a safe and fun holiday.



Picture from bhg.com



• Watch the stove. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Turn off appliances when no one is in the kitchen and set loud timers.

• Stay alert! Medicine, sleep depravation and alcohol consumption can all make you drowsy and less able to concentrate on safety.

• Remain tidy. Keep oven mitts, potholders, utensils, food packaging, bags, towels, etc. away from your stovetop and ovens.

• Keep a lid on it. Use a lid to smother small grease fires. Never use water.

• Shovel and de-ice the driveway and walkways to make sure your guests don’t slip on their way into your house.

• Shovel out additional areas for parking so your guests aren’t blocking roads.

• Don’t overload circuits! With crock pots, blenders and all the small appliances needed to make the feast you can easily overload the breaker. Only plug in 2 appliances at a time into a standard duplex outlet. Using an extension cord to multiple usage will increase the risk of overload.

• Know where your fire extinguisher is located.

From our home to yours…Happy Holidays!

Winterization Tips for Your Home

1. Clean gutters.
Clear debris from your home's gutters before the winter sets in. Clogged drains can bend gutters, promote ice dams and cause water buildup- all resulting in possible moisture infiltration through your roof and/or walls. Make sure the downspouts are carrying water away from the home's foundation. Clogged downspouts won’t help you either. After a big wind storm sometimes downspouts will fall off the drain pipes, so make sure they are firmly attached.

2. Winterize underground irrigation systems.
You may want to call a professional service to winterize your underground irrigation system. Turn your system off, then bleed the line (release pressure) and drain the water. Confirm that the settings are adjusted or that the system is completely turned off before the first freeze.

3. Clean the furnace and baseboards vents.
Due to seasonal dust buildup, you’ll probably notice a weird smell when you turn them on for the first time. Using “duster” computer keyboard cleaner works great for cleaning the vents on your furnace and baseboards but you can also use a dust broom or vacuum attachment. Throughout the winter you should change the furnace filters regularly. A dirty filter reduces air flow and efficiency and is a potential fire hazard.

4. Chimney sweep.
Inspect your chimney for creosote (baked soot) buildup which is highly flammable. Inspect the chimney for any obstructions: limbs, leaves, baseballs, etc. Wood stoves should be swept routinely throughout the winter. Make sure the spark arrester is properly screened to avoid debris buildup.

5. Wrap pipes.
Dealing with a busted pipe is never a good thing especially in the winter. Wrap exposed pipes in crawlspaces, basements or garages with pre-molded foam rubber sleeves or fiberglass insulation. Heating tape is an added measure that is commonly used in our area.

6. Store water hoses.
Turn off the water to your hose bibs. You should find a valve turnoff inside your home. Drain the lines and hoses. Then store the hoses away from the elements.

7. Check alarms.
Fire departments have tried to educate us that when you change your clocks for Daylight Savings, it’s also a prefect time to change your smoke detector batteries. Detectors should be replaced every 10 years. Additionally, testing them with a small bit of smoke is always a good idea. Check your carbon monoxide detector or buy one if you don’t already have one. Refer to the installation manual regarding correct placement for the detector.

Seller Costs: What the bottom line looks like.

There’s that old saying, “you have to spend money to make money.” When selling a house it’s important to remember the associated costs. Your realtor is very well educated on the subject and can elaborate more, but here is a short list of considerations for sellers. (1) Get Ready To List. Fix all those little repairs before the home is listed because the buyer will order a home inspection. No matter how small the issue is the buyer will use this as ammunition later. (2) Commission. While real estate commissions are negotiable the typical rate is 5 to 7% . (3) State Excise Tax. The seller pays this tax consisting of local and state. Most of Chelan County is 0.50% making a combined total of 1.78%. (4) Closing. When you sign on the dotted line there will be some closing costs summed up from: escrow fees, title fee, document fee and buyer’s closing fees. These can total up to 1 to 4%. (5) Loan Balance. All loans on the home must be paid off before transferring the title. (6) Federal Income Taxes. It is important to check with your accountant and prepare for the possibility of federal income taxes especially if the home is an investment property or used for business.