Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA and D.C. 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.
It’s been a rough summer with the weather and the toll it’s taking on some houses.
Before it gets cold, now’s a good reminder to take care of some things around your house to prevent damage later. Service provider referrals are my favorite ways to help homeowners, so please feel free to reach out if you need someone specific:
- Clean your gutters (Gutterman Services, Maple Leaf)
- Change the batteries in your smoke detector (yes, even if it’s hard wired)
- Take care of your lawn — Fall is the time to aerate and fertilize if you want better grass next spring!
- Check your down spouts to make sure they’re extended away from your home
- Clean your chimney before you use it!
- Fall service on your HVAC (this should be done twice a year, but if you have a whole house humidifier which is used in the winter, make sure it’s clean and not moldy before you turn it on)
- Check your trees. I’ve seen lots of trees fall in the recent storms. I can’t stress this one enough — even if you think it’s leaning away from your home, get it checked.
- Check your windows and garage door for wood rot. Rain/snow will make it worse.
- Check your attic for any daylight — if you have even the smallest entry point, critters will find a way inside as the weather gets colder. You can look around for droppings or disrupted insulation for hints of unwanted tenants.
- Seal your deck. Stain or paint — your choice.
Take care of your home and it’ll take care of you!
Recent Stories
Good Wednesday 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…
A 24-year-old man from Alexandria is facing multiple criminal charges for allegedly shooting a man he was trying to rob in Bailey’s Crossroads. Alexandria City police arrested Abner Neftali Selen…
Sushi Umi has arrived in Tysons. The Japanese restaurant began accepting pick-up orders at 7615 Colshire Road in the Scotts Run neighborhood on April 19 and quietly opened to dine-in…
In the future, Herndon hopes to see a vast swath of land near its Metro station transformed from aging, auto-centric commercial lots into a mixed-use, interconnected neighborhood. That vision solidified…
Good news, D.C. area. You can save money on your next home cleaning with Well-Paid Maids. It’s easy!
We offer a discount when you set up recurring cleans — and the discounts just increased this week!
For weekly cleans, get $30 off each cleaning.
Potomac Harmony is Back! Following a gap year of competing, then virtual rehearsals during the pandemic, followed by the well-earned retirement of our long-term director, a year of a director search, Potomac Harmony hit the regional contest stage in Concord, North Carolina in March for the first time since 2018! It was exhilarating, reaffirming, and rewarding!
The chorus hit all of its goals, the biggest of which was to have fun and sing our best on contest stage — we did both! Because we earned a score over 400 points, our new Director, Allison Lynskey, was awarded the Novice Director award, photo above. Additionally, one of our charter members, Jackie Bottash, was nominated for and honored with the Leadership Excellence award. It was a celebratory weekend!
What’s next? So much! We now look forward to upcoming performances, growing our membership, and expanding our musical product with new arrangements and an education component each week. It’s an exciting time to be part of this ever-growing ensemble!
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
Encore Creativity for Older Adults at Capital One Hall
Encore Creativity for Older Adults is pleased to raise the curtain and welcome community members to its spring concert at Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA on May 4, 2024. The concert, which starts at 3 PM, will bring hundreds
