Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
Since you’re getting your ladder out anyway for holiday decorations, let’s take a look at the reminder list for general home maintenance for the winter months.
Some easy tasks to help save you from major damage and expenses!
- Clean your gutters!
- Check downspouts to make sure none are clogged and all are extended away from your foundation. Flexible extensions are 20% off today for Cyber Monday!
- Winterize your hose bibs: Turn them OFF from the inside of your home — meaning turn the water off (if you have a flat handle, it should be a 90* angle to the off position, or a quick youtube video search can help you with this). Turn them ON from the outside — it’ll drain the line of any existing water. You can also buy hose bib covers.
- Clean your fireplace (or get the whole thing inspected) if you’re planning on burning wood this winter. Depending on how frequently you use it will determine how often it needs to be cleaned.
- Check all of your batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (if you have gas in your home).
- Now might be a good time to check out any trees hanging over your property. Remember limbs get heavy when they’re covered with snow and ice and can break and fall and damage your home. They can also be used by animals to crawl into your attic or chimney if you don’t have a chimney cap.
- Get your HVAC serviced. You should be doing this twice a year for regular maintenance. If you use a whole house humidifier, make sure you’re changing the filters to avoid mold growth.
As always, if you need a recommendation for a vendor, download my free vendor guide anytime.
Recent Stories
Good Tuesday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier…
Great Clips is now open in Fairfax City. The Minneapolis-based hair salon company celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 3989 Pickett Road in the Turnpike Shopping Center…
Wag N’ Wash has set a grand opening date for its Vienna store, more than a year after it took over 144 Maple Avenue West from Loyal Companion. The pet…
Reston-area residents will no longer have to trek to the Fairfax County Courthouse to access some basic court services. The Fairfax Circuit Court, which serves both the county and Fairfax…
Finding a gift for moms can be difficult. Google “Mother’s Day gifts,” and you’ll scroll through endless lists of beauty products, candles and fuzzy robes. Sure, those are sweet, but sometimes it’s fun to surprise loved ones with something a little more, well, practical!
Here’s one idea: Give her a gift certificate for a home cleaning from Well-Paid Maids. It’s the perfect “thank you,” “I love you” or “you’ve got this” for any mom. She can schedule the home cleaning at her convenience and breathe easy knowing she has one less thing to do.
Our cleaners will take care of everything, including vacuuming and mopping as well as cleaning and dusting countertops, tables, mirrors, appliances and more. Sinks, toilets, showers and appliance exteriors also get a good scrub.
Plus, when you buy a gift certificate from Well-Paid Maids, you’re supporting a living-wage cleaning company. That means cleaners get paid a starting wage of $24 an hour and get access to benefits, like 24 days of PTO and health insurance.
Owners of six Woofie’s franchises in Northern Virginia are hosting “Paws in the Park,” a pet adoption event on May 18 at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain date May 19) at Wolf Trap National Park, Wolf Trap Farm Park, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. They hope to bring awareness for local animal shelters and the need for “furever” families for animals.
Woofie’s will have about 20 mobile spa vans on site, offering free nail trims and Wash ‘n Go baths for rescued dogs and pups up for adoption, and special event pricing for families who bring their own pets for grooming (as time permits/allows).
Participating Woofie’s include Reston/Herndon, Ashburn-Leesburg, McLean, Western Loudoun, South Riding-Aldie and Fairfax. Food trucks, a DJ, local vendors, and more will be available. Ridgeside K9 and Keller Williams Realty are sponsoring the event.
Air Layering: Propagating Difficult to Root Plants
Air Layering Workshop: Propagating Difficult-to-Root Plants
Sunday, May 19, 2024
1:00-3:00pm
Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride
Join us on Saturday, May 11th and ride into spring during our Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride. Back for its second year, Pedal with Petals is going to be bigger than ever. This year’s event will include both an
