Countries around the world have seen persistent drought-spells and dam reservoirs hitting their lowest points in decades, and in some cases, water-restrictions have become a common occurrence. In times like these, it’s crucial for everyone to re-evaluate their water priorities and reconsider ways of protecting their gardens as they are the ones taking the hardest hit.
Reducing water usage in gardens doesn’t necessarily mean letting your plants wither and die. It simply means being water-wise and resourceful which may require more work and preparation, but such an investment will pay off by helping both the environment and your pocket.
Here are several water-saving tips to help your garden and yard stay healthy.
PREPARE YOUR SOIL
The key to maintaining a water-efficient garden lies in understanding the soil, good planning and its preparation. Each type of soil is different and can be improved in many ways. Compost helps water retention by adding nutrients needed for plants to grow better and stronger.
Good-quality organic matter will improve the structure of your soil and with mulching, the flowerbeds and the area around your trees and shrubs will also prevent water evaporation during dry spells. You can also use water crystals for the same purpose and with the addition of water-retentive granules to your compost, even more moisture will stay locked in the soil.
When it comes to your lawn, there’s no reason to panic if you notice brown or yellow spots during dry periods. When the rain returns, it will quickly recover. However, it helps to be water-savvy with your irrigation, by mowing the lawn a bit higher and giving it deep watering just once a week to boost the root system.
PICK THE RIGHT PLANTS
For a wonderful green garden that requires no excess amount of watering, after proper soil treatment, your next step is selecting the right plants that are low on water needs. Choose native varieties that can withstand dry spells and lots of sun, and add trees and tall plants for cooling shade. There are lots of plants that have evolved in dryer climates and need very little water to survive, such as lavender, verbena, mimosa and palm trees.
WATER YOUR GARDEN AT THE RIGHT TIME
Many homeowners over-water their gardens which is not only wasteful but it also demands more work. You can easily prevent this by checking your soil at spade depth – if it’s moist, leave it be. It also depends on your soil type. If it’s clay, it may seem damp whether it’s been irrigated or not, and sandy soil can seem dry even if it has been watered. In these situations, inspect your plants for signs of water stress. If you notice leaves changing color or position, it may signify water shortage.
USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER
Using the right amount of water depends on your soil type. Heavy soils need less watering than light sandy ones whereas clay-based soils need lots of water but can be watered less often. The common rule for plants to stay healthy and keep growing is giving it up to 24 liters per square meter once a week.
CHOOSE THE BEST WATERING TECHNIQUES
The right watering technique will also help you maintain your garden well. You can opt for sprinklers for your lawn and unplanted areas as they have great coverage. To target specific sections of your garden, it’s best to use watering cans and hoses. They might be more labor-intensive, but they’re also very precise.
Seep hoses allow water to slowly seep through holes in the hose and being buried under soil and mulch, less water will evaporate. An automated irrigation system is the most expensive option, but it’s also one of the most effective and water-saving options as it limits the amount of water used by letting it drip slowly and only when you program it to do so.
COLLECT RAINWATER AND REUSE OLD WATER
Even in the dryer parts of the country, it’s possible to collect large amounts of rainwater from your house roof. It’s not easy to store large amounts, but if every home in the country managed to collect around 160 liters that would give 4 billion liters of free water that can be used for garden watering.
Another way to be water-savvy is to use greywater (from showers, washing up and washing machines). By way of diverters, this greywater can be used efficiently in your garden. Household soaps aren’t harmful to plants, but do avoid using water that contains bleach, dishwasher salt or any strong chemicals.
Maintaining a lush and healthy garden in hot climates can be challenging, but with these tips, it’s possible to grow a beautiful garden you can truly be proud of and enjoy year-round!
Even if only a portion of it burns down, it’s still painful to witness something you worked so hard to acquire or build go up in flames.
Then again, there isn’t much you can do while the fire is still ongoing. By the time firefighters declare the fire under control, your home will have already sustained fire damage.
What’s critical is what you do once the fire is out.
You will need to take steps toward fire damage restoration, among other things, and ensure that you and your family will recover from the disaster just fine.
Secure Your Family and Find A Place To Stay
Whether it’s a fire or some other disaster that strikes your home, your top priority is to ensure your loved ones’ safety. Make sure that everyone is safe, then find a place to stay not only for the night but for some time, depending on the degree of fire damage to your home.
Whether you decide to stay at a hotel or with relatives or friends, you will need to check your home insurance policy if you have one. A standard homeowners insurance policy has an ALE or additional living expenses provision, which will pay for your meals, hotel bills, and other expenses you incur while your home is under repair.
Call Your Insurance Provider
Another important thing you must do after—or even during—a fire in your home is to place a call to your insurer. Since fire is a covered peril in a standard home insurance policy, it’s best to give your provider a heads up that you will be filing a claim so the entire process can start as soon as possible.
With your home insurance coverage, you will have the money not only to pay for the cost of repairing the damaged parts of your home but also to replace the personal belongings you lost in the fire. Furniture, appliances, clothing, computers, and other possessions are usually covered by home insurance.
Wait Until It’s Safe To Enter Your Home
Naturally, you would want to enter your home as soon as possible, but you can’t do that right away, given that it’s still dangerous to do so. Aside from the heat, soot, and fumes, your home’s structural integrity may have been compromised by the blaze.
Wait until the proper authorities declare the area safe before entering your home to try to salvage some of your belongings or assess the extent of the fire damage.
Ask For Police Assistance In Securing Your Home
If your house was only partially burned, that means some of your belongings could still be intact.
With you staying elsewhere for the next few days at the very least, your home could become a very attractive target for burglars or looters.
You also run the risk of coming home to the sight of squatters in your living room, drawn by your conspicuous absence from the premises.
Contact the police, who can lend some assistance in securing your home for the days that you’re not there.
Document All Fire Damage
When it’s safe to enter your home, document all the fire damage. Proper documentation is extremely important for insurance purposes, so take photos and videos of charred walls, collapsed ceilings, and any other evidence of the fire.
Call Your Utility Providers
In all likelihood, you never had the time or opportunity to switch your gas or electrical mains off at the onset of the fire that hit your home.
In any case, firefighters will be doing that as they put out the fire, you still need to call your utility providers and inform them of what happened.
Wait for word from the fire department if it’s safe to turn on the gas and electricity. Under no circumstances should you switch them on without their say-so.
Contact A Fire Damage Restoration Company
While you can always personally take on the gargantuan tasks of cleaning up the fire damage to your home and restoring it to the way it was before the fire hit, it would still be best to leave them all in the hands of professional fire damage restoration specialists.
A fire damage restoration company is staffed by well-trained, extensively-experienced, and well-equipped technicians who know every technique necessary to perform excellent fire damage cleanup and restoration. By the time they’re done, you can be sure that your home will look like a fire that never hit it at all.
If you already have a studio or if you rent one, we have some good news for you: these little units are the next big thing in real estate. Since people are downsizing globally and looking for ways to live more efficiently, studios are a perfect solution for all their needs. But why are these small studio apartments so attractive to investors and buyers? Here’s all you need to know.
Their location is usually top-notch
Location is one of the most important driving factors when it comes to investing in real estate, and what small studios lack in space, they make up for in location. Major city centers are often the best places to buy a property, but prices are usually astronomical. Finding an affordable property with a bold design can be hard in these areas, but studios have smaller square footage which lowers the price tag and allows even beginner investors to grab a property on a prime location.
They are affordable
If your budget doesn’t allow you to get a traditional investment property like a multi-family or single-family home, consider getting a studio apartment. This is the best way to invest as little money as possible and gain exposure to the real estate market. Also, they are easy to rent out or sell with some minor staging efforts, so if that’s your goal, you’re all set.
They are practical
Today, people are rapidly leaving the countryside and moving to cities, so urban areas need a practical and functional solution that will accommodate a large number of residents. According to some predictions, 68% of the global population will live in cities, so major urban environments are opting for the concept of compact living when it comes to residential architecture.
Many of the world’s metropolises like Hong Kong especially love this downsizing trend, and the concept of small studio apartments is blooming there. Everyone from digital nomads to young professionals and students is choosing apartments for rent in Hong Kong thanks to their convenience, price and low-maintenance costs. With all the necessary amenities at your disposal, it’s easy to see why studios are so practical.
They are green
More and more people today are choosing a more eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle that rangers from dietary changes and adopting better shopping habits to saving energy and water and downsizing to more eco-conscious housing solutions. Small, compact living spaces are always greener than big houses, no matter how well designed. Smaller square footage equals less energy consumption, less maintenance and less furniture, all of which can contribute to your smaller carbon footprint.
They are easy to maintain
Like stated above, studios are small and they naturally require less cleaning and decluttering. Small studios are also easy to organize and keep clean since there’s less room for decoration and other trinkets that do nothing but collect dust. This makes them perfect for minimalists or people who hate or simply don’t have time for cleaning. In general, one can clean and declutter an entire studio apartment in an hour while ensuring maximum living and sleeping comfort.
They bring a good return on investment
If you intend to break into the real estate market and make money on your first try, go with small studios. According to research, small studio apartments increase your ability to make money and yield an excellent return on investment. Even though the rent in studios is more than affordable to tenants, the price is still high when taking into consideration the square footage. Usually, small units outperform big apartments and family homes, they have high occupancy rates and sport pretty high rental-rate premiums. Since they are more or less a safe bet, small studios are perfect for beginner real estate investors, especially those who don’t like to gamble too much.
Studio apartment cons
Don’t think small studio apartments don’t come without a flaw. No matter if you’re investing or renting these small units, you need to know about the risks. In general, certain countries and states have minimum apartment size requirements, so super-small micro-apartments might create a problem. There are also various housing codes, zoning regulations, municipal ordinances, minimum parking standards, unit-mix rules, outdoor open-space and indoor common-space provisions to look into.
Additionally, even though small studios always have their place in the rental market, they are not suitable for everyone. Usually, they are reserved for single working professionals or students. This means your tenant group will get smaller and you will need to forget about families.
In real estate, bigger is not always better. While small studio apartments have their cons, they have a huge pile of benefits to offer to both investors and residents, so if you want something practical and cost-effective, go small with a studio.
About the author: Mike Johnston is an avid blogging enthusiast and experienced freelance writer with a focus in real estate, home improvement, interior design, and sustainable living.
In essence, a misting system refers to a range of outdoor cooling methods that uses a fine spray of water to cool you, your family, guests, workers, customers, and yes, even your pets! Other terms for misting systems include spray cooling and fogging systems.
Misting Systems: How Exactly Do They Work?
All misters work with the natural cooling effect that occurs when water evaporates in warm air. This is also called evaporative cooling. Most misters work beautifully in dry weather. Some also work superbly with humid weather, although not all. It is recommended that you do your homework before purchasing one for a damp area.
Misting systems offer several excellent benefits. They can minimize dust and odors in a specific area. They are also great at regulating the humidity, so they are fantastic for atriums, courtyards, greenhouses, and the like. What’s really amazing is misting systems can cool you down without getting you wet.
Water is forced through very minute nozzles to create a very fine fog or mist. As the droplets of water evaporate, it cools the air instantaneously—the finer the mist, the more thorough the evaporation.
The terms fogger and mister are used interchangeably, and many people often confuse one for the other. Some misters produce a spray made of large droplets that can get you wet. These systems often use larger spray nozzles and low or medium water pressures.
On the other hand, foggers use tiny spray nozzles (to create a fog-like mist) and high water pressure. The fog-like mist evaporates before it can get anything wet.
Your Key to Categorizing Misting Systems: Think Water Pressure
Let’s get something straight: all foggers are a kind of misting system. However, not all misting systems are foggers. To avoid confusion, it is crucial to think in terms of water pressure—low, medium, and high.
Since water pressure is the primary indicator of any misting system’s performance, it is used as an accurate way to categorize the systems. Water pressure is measured in PSI (pounds per square inch) or BAR. One BAR is equivalent to 14.7 PSI, while one PSI is equivalent to .0689 BAR.
Low Pressure
Low-pressure systems can be likened to being near a sprinkler. It can cool you down and might also get you a bit wet. This kind is also the simplest and the least expensive of the three options.
Low-pressure systems also won’t require electricity. They typically work with gravity-fed water pressures. While their spray can cool a small area, you need to be near the nozzles to cool. However, the closer you are to the nozzles, the wetter you will also get.
Medium Pressure
Medium pressure systems use motorized pumps to raise the water’s pressure to 100 – 250 psi / 7 – 17 bar. The spray water this system produces is fine enough to cool you in hot weather and is less likely to get you wet.
High Pressure
This is the system that will provide the maximum among the three options. High pressure misting systems are considered ideal for areas with very high humidity. It can cool you down effectively without getting anything wet.
High pressure and medium systems typically use pumps to boost the water pressure from any water source. The higher the resulting pressure, the cooler (and drier!) you’ll feel.
What Makes a Misting System Great?
A misting team has to be one thing to be considered great: it has to meet your needs. Even if you invest in the highest-powered and the best system but only have a small patio in a quiet neighborhood, the system might be too expensive, too noisy, and too much. In short, it’s not the right fit for you.
What about your kids’ sports team? In most cases, a lighter, smaller, and less expensive system that will not get them wet is ideal. However, it might not be the best option for an elegant wedding reception with 200 guests.
Conclusion
Finding the right mister that will best suit your needs is no walk in the park. However, once you gain a better understanding of how they work, you can easily make knowledgeable and educated comparisons. From there, you can effortlessly decide which system works best for you. Check out this Arizona mist systems for more details.
The warning signs of a clogged drain are clear — water pooling or refusing to go down the drain. Sometimes, removing that clog can be quite a hassle, and that’s why people often go straight to a plumber for help.
Depending on availability, it might take a few days for a plumber to clear your drain. When it comes to minor issues, why not try a few DIY hacks before resorting to the professionals? Read below to learn some suggested methods to unclog a stubborn drain.
Start With a Plunger
Plungers are the tried-and-true method. Unless there is a serious problem (e.g., a root growing through a buried drain line), this is probably the method with which a professional plumber will start. Depending on the type of drain you’re unclogging, there are various kinds of plungers that will work:
Sink plungers are the conventional type that usually come to mind when we imagine plungers — with a rubber cup that is designed to seal to the bottom of the sink.
Toilet plungers have more of a bell shape with a flange around the bottom that helps it seal in a toilet bowl.
Choose the right plunger, and give it a try to clear debris from your drain.
Try Homemade Drain Cleaners
Commercial drain cleaners are marketed as a quick and easy solution to clogged drains, but plumbers generally don’t recommend them. That’s because these solutions contain chemicals that can damage your plumbing — and harm your septic system, if you have one. What’s more, the harsh chemicals could damage porcelain toilet bowls, sinks, and other fixtures. Thus, while a commercial drain cleaner may have cleared your drain, it can also leave you with bigger problems to fix.
That said, there are homemade options that can clear small clogs without causing damage to plumbing and fixtures. Start with soda to clear a small clog. It’s bubbly and a little acidic, which will help clear debris. If you have a 2-liter bottle handy, pour the liquid down the drain and wait a few minutes before rinsing with warm water.
Baking soda and vinegar is an all-natural method that you probably have in your kitchen. First, bring a pot of water to a boil and pour that down the drain. Once you’ve done that, measure a ½ cup of baking soda and pour down the drain. When the baking soda and water had roughly a minute to reach the clog and start working, mix 1 cup of hot water with 1 cup of vinegar. Pour this down the drain, and wait for about five minutes before rinsing the drain with clear water.
Baking soda and salt can help break up a clog, too. Mix 1 cup of baking soda with a ½ cup of salt. Then, pour it down the drain. It can take a while to work, so let it sit for a few hours or overnight, then flush the drain with boiling water.
Take Apart the P-Trap
This is among the most common areas for a clog to occur because curving pipes are more likely to catch debris than straight spans. If you can access the drain’s P-trap, then you should be able to take it apart with channel-lock pliers or a wrench. Make sure to place a bucket beneath the trap before taking it out, since wastewater is likely to spill from it. Once you’ve removed the trap, clear any debris you find. Then you’re free to reassemble. Remember to run water through it once you’ve replaced it to check fittings for leaks.
Use a Drain Snake
This is the next tool that a professional is likely to try after a plunger. Snakes are long cables — often with an attachment on the end — that are designed to be run down a drain to break up a clog so that it flushes. You can find snakes at most hardware and home improvement stores — in different lengths, too — if you have a longer drain to clear.
Try a Coat Hanger If You Don’t Have a Snake
Maybe the hardware store is closed, but if you have a metal coat hanger on hand, you can turn it into a drain snake. Simply straighten it so that you have a long, sturdy piece of wire. Then run it down the drain until it reaches the clog. This will help you break up the clog so that you can pull it out or flush it with running water.
Chances are, at least one of these options will get your drain flowing once more. If none of these methods work, however, it might be time to contact a professional.
Author bio: Excited to share her love of home design and décor with readers, Jaclyn Crawford started with ImproveNet in 2016. As a staff writer, she enjoys chronicling the latest trends and ways you can make your home the loveliest it can be. You may also find her in ImproveNet videos, sharing tips and trends for your home.
Cooler temperatures are rapidly approaching and if you, like me, have huddled down next to the heater in the evenings, simultaneously bemoaning and dreading the impending heat bills, you’re not alone. Here are 10 simple tips on how you can stay warm this winter, without spending a fortune.
Insulate your house. Perhaps your house is older and in the middle of the winter, you notice lots of icicles hanging off your gutters. Your house is leaking heat and therefore, you’re wasting money. Spend the time before the winter really starts by properly insulating your house and especially around your windows. This may be as simple as caulking around the windows, but it can make a lot of difference, and save you money in the long run.
Buy a heat pump. Not only will it work during the summer to keep you cool, but it will reverse during the winter to help you stay warm. They’re efficient and economizing, and use less energy than regular heaters.
Reverse fan direction. During the summer you want your fan to be pushing air down so the circulation is increased. But in the winter, you want the cold air pulled up and the warmer air pushed down. Consult your owners manual to make sure you have the fan settings right.
Hot water bottle. This is a favorite trick of mine. Hot water bottles are cheap, long lasting, and retain heat for hours. You could cozy up with one on the couch while another one is heating the foot of your bed. Buy good quality bottles and accessorize them with padded exteriors that help retain the warmth and prevent you from burning yourself if the water is extra hot.
Embrace the sunshine. Don’t keep your blinds pulled during the winter. Let the sun shine in and use the natural warmth to help heat your house. It can make such a difference and that combined with better insulation allows your house to warm up and stay warm through the day.
Drink hot beverages. During the warm summer months, you probably swap your coffee for an iced one, but as the temperatures cool, you probably will want to swap back to a hot cup. Coffee, tea, and cocoa all are warming drinks that aren’t very expensive, especially if you make them yourself, and can help you stay warm during the cool winter months.
Bundle up. Break out those woolen sweaters and socks because bundling up is one of the best ways to stay warm during the winter months. If you’re looking to invest in a warmer wardrobe, buy natural fabrics, such as wool or cotton, that last longer than man-made ones and will naturally biodegrade once they’re no longer wearable. Wool especially is fantastic in the winter because it helps regulate the body temperature. Furthermore, wool fibers last longer than cotton and can be bent hundreds of times more before they wear out. There is a reason our ancestors wore wool, and we should too.
Invest in a wood stove. Using a woodstove can be an investment, or it can be a much cheaper and more efficient way to heat your house, depending on your circumstances. If you live in an area where wood is cheap and you don’t mind the extra work, using a wood stove as supplemental heating can be a great way to save money on conventional modes of heating.
Open your oven. Are you a baker or do you use your oven often? If so, once you’re done cooking, crack it open so the excess heat leaks out and helps warm up your house. It will help keep your kitchen toasty warm and comfortable and help save money. With this in mind, bake away!
Turn up your heat in the morning. Keeping your house between 60*-67 at night is recommended anyhow for optimal sleep. If you keep your house cool but not chilly, you’ll be cool in the morning, so turn the heat on then and warm up your house during the day. At night, the temperature will cool down again but since your house will be set at a cooler temperature, it will cost you less overall. Essentially, you’re only using your heaters when you’re up and around there house needing it.
In conclusion, there are lots of ways you can save money this winter by preparing ahead of time to save money on your heating. Of course, this list does not take into account a heater that is maybe broken or not working properly. If that describes your heater, definitely have it fixed before the chill of winter sets in so you stay warm and comfortable all winter long.
Most people have been spending more time at home lately – you might be sick of those bright blue walls that were so trendy five years ago. Does a room in your home need a refreshment? A good place to start is with a fresh layer of paint. If you plan to sell your home, painting is a great remodeling strategy that provides a handsome ROI. But before you break out a bucket and roller, you’ll need to take some steps to get everything in order. Properly preparing a room before painting it will ensure the best results:
Move or cover all the furniture.Ideally, you should move all your furniture out of your room, but that’s not always possible if you’re short on space. In that case, use drop cloths to cover all your furniture from accidental paint splatters. Protect your floors by covering them with drop cloths, as well.
Clean the walls.Dust will interfere with a smooth paint application. Use a vacuum on baseboards and crown molding to clean those hard-to-reach places. Then, wash your walls with a cloth and warm soapy water. This will remove any stains and dirt. If you’re painting a room that’s been exposed to oil (like a kitchen), you may need to use a grease-removing product. Humid areas like the bathroom may have mildew growing in the corners, in which case you’ll need an abrasive sponge and a solution with bleach. Allow the walls to dry completely before applying any paint.
Assemble your tools.Unfortunately, paint doesn’t apply itself. You’ll need to arm yourself with the right supplies to do a good job. Make a list of the items that you have and what you’ll need to pick up from the hardware store. To name a few here, you’ll need paint, brushes, a roller, a tray, painter’s tape, cleaning rags, drop cloths, and clothes that you won’t mind getting covered in paint.
Wear protective equipment.Before you open up a paint bucket, wear a respirator mask! It’s important to wear one that can filter out harsh chemicals. Beware of harmful chemicals that can irritate your lungs and cause headaches. If you can’t wear a mask, be sure to open all doors and windows to allow a cross breeze through the room.
Repair any holes or damages in the walls. For this step, you’ll need putty, a knife, and sandpaper. Fill in any holes or imperfections on your wall using the putty and smooth the raised edges with the knife. Once it’s dry, file it down with sandpaper so that it’s level with the rest of the wall. If the existing paint is flaking in any areas, smooth it away using sandpaper to ensure a smooth application of paint.
Protect electrical elements and light switches.Remove thecovers from electrical outlets and switches, and cover them with painter’s tape. You don’t want the paint to get inside of your electrical outlets, so don’t neglect this step.
Use painter’s tape around baseboards and windows.You are painting your room, but you don’t want to paint everything in it. Seal the edges surrounding your doors, windows, baseboards, and crown molding. If you have painted before, then you’ll know the satisfaction of removing the painter’s tape once you’ve finished the job. Something to keep in mind is that you should never remove the tape before the paint has dried completely, or else you’ll wind up with jagged edges. Rather than ripping it off all at once, try to do it slowly.
Choose your wall color. The final step is choosing which color will work best for your space. If your room is small, select paint colors to make a room look bigger. But if size isn’t a concern, then you have free reign. Those who want to sell their homes in the future should keep in mind that most buyers like neutral colors. There’s also the option of going bright and bold – it is your home, after all. Once you’ve chosen your color, determine how many gallons of paint you’ll need by measuring the square feet. When covering a darker color with a lighter one (like black to white), you will need a few extra coats. Factor in that you might want a little extra to use for touch-ups in the future.
Apply a primer. A base coat will help your paint job last for years to come. It can also help you transition from a darker color to a lighter one. The primer you need will depend on the type of paint you’re using. Oil and water don’t mix, so if you’re using an oil-based paint, you’ll need an oil-based primer (and vice versa for latex-based paint).
The painting process will go much more smoothly if you take the above steps first. After all this preparation, rolling layers of paint on your walls will seem like a breeze. It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do to transform a familiar space and make it feel brand new.
Gardening is one of the very few activities which engages all the senses and which can give a decent amount of exercise, the level of which can be varied to suit your physical condition. These days, very few people have large gardens at home, but those who have a craving to tend them can often join volunteer groups which manage communal gardens. These can be anything from designated areas in city parks to grounds in stately homes.
These days, however, many people focus on gardening in smaller space. These can be anything from a tiny outdoor space with proper soil, to a balcony or terrace or even a window box or hanging baskets. If you can find a space for a container of soil and you can access the container for watering, then you can have a garden for beauty, for food or to help out the local wildlife (especially the bees).
Even if you can’t, you can still have a garden, just bring it into your home. At the very least you can grow some of your favourite herbs for the kitchen.
Gardening for Physical Health
While a lot of the conversation around gardening revolves around its (many) benefits for mental health, there’s a lot to be said for its benefits for physical health. It’s also worth remembering that although good physical health does not guarantee good mental health, poor physical health can have a serious impact on your mental health. With that in mind, here are some ways gardening can help your physical health.
PROVIDES GENTLE CARDIO
Many times gardening can be as intensive or gentle as you want it to be. If you want it to be intensive, go for manual tools. If you want it to be gentle, use power tools, get help and/or design your garden so that it requires minimal effort to maintain.
KEEPS YOU (FAIRLY) FLEXIBLE
Gardening encourages you to keep using a wide range of movement, e.g. bending, stretching and turning, but lets you do so at your own pace, instead of having to keep up with a class.
GETS YOU OUTDOORS
If you can do your gardening outdoors, then you can benefit from being out in the fresh air and daylight. The latter is a useful source of vitamin D, which scientists have recognized as providing a number of health benefits, including helping to maintain calcium levels. This becomes increasingly important as we age and our bones become more brittle.
CAN HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER
After you’ve spent some time working in the garden, you’ll have burned off quite a bit of energy and also destressed. This combination is about as good as it gets when it comes to getting some decent sleep and scientists agree.
CAN IMPROVE YOUR DIET
If you can grow your own food not only do you not have to worry about needing to buy it but you know exactly what it is and under what conditions it was grown. You also get the ultimate in freshness, you can literally pick what you need, prepare it as you wish and eat it.
Gardening for mental health
Gardening is recognized as offering a wide range of mental-health benefits. Here are just a few of them.
HELPS TO REDUCE STRESS
Gardeners themselves have long reported that gardening helps relieve their stress, but up until recently, there was nothing in the way of scientific evidence to back that up. A recent study in the Netherlands, however, has finally provided experimental evidence to support the belief.
HELPS TO COMBAT LONELINESS
There’s a strong link between loneliness and poor health and so anything which reduces feelings of loneliness, isolation and exclusion generally has a health benefit. While communal gardening brings obvious socialization opportunities, even those who do their gardening by themselves increase their opportunities to chat with others, whether that’s over the fence or just going online to chat with other gardeners. It may not be as good as real-world interaction, but it can be a whole lot better than nothing.
HELPS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF DEMENTIA
Dementia is a very complicated disorder, but lifestyle is known to be a factor in it. Any form of exercise appears to be beneficial and according to a study in Australia, gardening is particularly beneficial.
The three fundamentals of gardening
There are three big differences between gardening and many other activities. The first is that it is super-important to familiarize yourself with the exact conditions in your garden before you make any changes to it. The second is that you may have very little control over the key factors which influence how your garden grows and the third is that gardening is a slow process. Let’s have a look at what this means in practice.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR GARDEN
There are many factors which will influence what you can do with your garden, the most important ones include: soil type (pH and level of drainage), local climate, orientation and nature of landscape, local rules and safety considerations and size. Note how size is last on the list.
It’s important to go through this process even if you hate something about a garden (for example, you’ve taken it over from someone who had very different taste). This will help reduce the likelihood of you going through a lot of work to make a change only to discover that there was actually a reason why the previous homeowner did what they did and you will have to come to an alternative solution.
WORKING WITHIN YOUR GARDEN’S LIMITATIONS
With regular outdoor gardening, there’s a distinct limit as to how much control you will have over the key variables listed above. If you’ve set your heart on growing a plant which really isn’t intended for your local area, then it’s very likely that your only option would be to put it in a container and you might even have to create a special environment for it, such as a cold frame or greenhouse.
You could make a very strong case for arguing that, in some ways at least, indoor gardeners have more freedom of choice as they have a greater degree of control over the environment in which their plants grow.
LEARNING THE VALUE OF PATIENCE
A lot of gardening activities proceed at a slow pace. While the likes of mustard and cress grow at the sort of rate which can be easily seen and understood by children, plants grown from seed generally often take the better part of a year to show any meaningful results and some plants can take several years to reach their full glory.
Getting the most from your garden
With all that said, most gardeners will be able to create a garden they love, even if it’s only a small one, as long as they’re prepared to work at it (and be patient). Here are some tips.
GET ORGANIZED WITH A GARDEN PLANNER
Garden planners are far more than gimmicks. They are a great way to keep on top of everything to do with your garden. You could argue that they’re essential for managing larger gardens, and/or gardens which are meant for productivity, and they can be very handy for indoor gardeners. If nothing else, they can provide an easy reference for anyone who needs to take care of your plants if you go away for a while. You can buy them in paper and digital versions. The latter can be very handy as they can integrate with useful data sources, like weather sites, or you could just make your own.
DECIDE WHAT YOU PERSONALLY WANT FROM YOUR GARDEN
If you want an outdoor “living space”, then you’ll want to prioritize an open space, like a lawn, and you’ll probably want some garden furniture even if it’s only a (storage) bench and perhaps a table. If you add a bit of shelter, such as a canopy, plus a garden heater, you could potentially enjoy your living space at least from early spring to late autumn and possibly even in winter as well.
If you want a kitchen garden, then prioritize foods which are expensive and/or hard-to-find and learn how to preserve them effectively and healthily so you can avoid having to buy out-of-season foods, which are imported from overseas. This can help your wealth as much as your health. It’s good for the environment too.
If you want a garden purely for beauty and relaxation, then try prioritizing plants which are native to the UK and, ideally, found in your local area. These will not only have the best chance of success in your garden, but will also be non-invasive and are more likely to be appreciated by the local wildlife.
Whatever kind of garden you want, you can create it with the environment in mind. This can mean anything from choosing your plants with care to adding extra shelters for creatures in need, such as bee houses.
Think about your lifestyle now and in the future
Deciding what kind of garden you want is part one. Part two is being honest about your lifestyle, or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say, how much time and effort you can and will put into maintaining it. Here are some questions to ask.
Are you really going to mow a lawn or would astroturf be a better option? It’s not as good for the environment but you could take other steps to compensate for that.
How do you feel about bending? Would raised beds help to make your life easier? You don’t have to use them for everything, but it might help to use them for some parts of your garden.
Do you really have plenty of time for weeding? If not, you might want to use plenty of ground-cover plants to stifle weeds.
KEEP SAFETY IN MIND
This isn’t exactly the world’s most exciting tip, but it is important. Make sure people and animals can get around your garden safely. Even if you don’t have children or pets, your neighbours will and there will be local wildlife. You could say that none of the above should be in your garden, but, even so, it’s good to be a good neighbour (and also makes life easier).
Think about walkways and lighting in the key areas. Be very careful to ensure that water features are either raised well off the ground (e.g. fountains) or that there is an easy way to get out of them if a child or animal falls in. Sloped edges and netting is the usual approach for “natural looking” ponds. Steep edges are to be avoided at all costs, unless they are really high so they can’t be climbed. In the unlikely event you have a swimming pool, keep it covered out of use.
THINK ABOUT YOUR GARDEN’S SECURITY
As a minimum, you want to ensure that any tools are kept away from thieves and ideally you want to think about how your garden can actively contribute to your security. For example, motion-sensitive lighting can make intruders visible (as well as guide visitors) and gravel can make an audible crunch when someone is approaching.
Create a garden for all seasons
Gardens don’t have to look bare and sad in winter. You can use foliage plants and decorations to brighten them up. You can even get some winter-flowering plants. Being nice to nature can help too. Stick out a bird table (and maybe a squirrel feeder) and you can not just bring life to your garden (literally) but get all kinds of entertainment too and maybe get the chance to teach children about the importance of protecting wildlife.
MAKE THE MOST OF THE VERTICAL SPACE
This is particularly true of smaller gardens. In fact, in some cases, vertical space may be all you have. Remember to keep weight in mind, you absolutely must avoid overloading support structures, especially walls! Sometimes you can add strength by means of extra structures such as trellises, but again, be reasonable about this.
You can also use vertical space to create more visual interest, for example, by placing plants at different levels to force the eye to move around and hence create the impression of more space. This can be useful even in larger gardens, for example if you have a long wall and want to make it look more interesting.
THINK ABOUT HOW PLANTS WILL GROW
Check the expected size of your grown plant and work to that so everything stays in proportion over the long term. Over the short term, you might want to use visual tricks to compensate for your plant’s small size, for example you could buy a garden ornament to fill in the space while it grows.
Keep trees and bushes well away from any buildings, especially ones you value (like your home). Their roots can do horrendous damage to a property’s foundations and can lead to subsidence. Additionally, falling leaves can lead to drainage issues which can also lead to subsidence.
Last but by no means least, some spreading plants are only really safe to grow in containers. Put straight into soil they can quickly overpower every other plant in the garden and become a real nightmare to control. You can avoid this by doing thorough research before you do your planting.
REMEMBER A LOT OF INTERIOR-DESIGN TRICKS CAN WORK OUTDOORS TOO
There are lots of “interior design” tricks, which work perfectly well outdoors, especially in small gardens. For example, you can add mirrors to make the space look bigger and turn necessities (such as containers) into decor. You can also look for opportunities to “blend in” attractive features from outside your garden. For example, if your garden has a view of a landmark, try to use your planting to “frame” it.
APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SCENT
Gardens used to be renowned for their scents, but for a while seed banks largely abandoned it in favour of showier blooms. Possibly this was connected with the development of mail-order sales and the need to produce gardening catalogues which were visually appealing. Rather ironically, the internet seems to have encouraged gardeners to move away from this.
Even though the internet can’t (yet) capture scent, it doesn’t suffer from the same space restrictions as paper catalogues and so it’s easier to describe scents and easier to promote the importance of incorporating them into your garden. There’s also been a move away from imported flowers and back to native ones, which, again, may have been helped by the internet promoting them (and their environmental significance).
IN SHORT – “A GARDEN IS A THING OF BEAUTY AND A JOB FOREVER.” RICHARD BRIERS
A gardener’s job is never done, even after they die, they’ll be “pushing up daisies” and that’s probably just how most gardeners would like it. If you really want to maximize both your garden’s productivity and the pleasure you get from it, then try keeping accurate records of how your garden grows. These can be anything from practical statistics (so you can see how your techniques worked in practice) to sentimental recollections, such as by keeping a journal or taking photographs to preserve your fondest memories of it.
Katie is the Editor here at Poshh Living and is a well-respected voice in the world of design and home improvement. Katie has a first-class Hons degree in Journalism and is proud to say that she has written many leading entries in the biggest media outlets including Ideal Home, and Good House Keeping. Lover of the great outdoors and mother of two, Katie is ‘down to earth’, knowledgable and a great asset to the team
Are you getting hit with bad smells as soon as you walk through your door? Whether you’re a landlord getting your unit ready for new tenants or a renter looking to freshen up your space, learn how to deodorize a room naturally to stop unpleasant odors in their tracks. If your former renters were messy, smoked, or had pets, there’s a chance they’ve left behind some unappealing smells.
Natural deodorizers are perfect for freshening up your space, plus they’re a perfect eco-friendly apartment hack. Ensure that future tenants won’t turn up their nose at your listing and try out these natural remedies.
Essential oils are biodegradable and all-natural. Many also can contain antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral properties that can help freshen your rentals. Plus, various scents can help boost your mood.
Several studies have indicated that smells can have a positive effect on humans and can even encourage certain emotions — this is where essential oils come into play. Here are some of our favorite essential oils with both cleaning and mood-boosting properties:
Lavender: Lavender essential oils can help fight bacteria, viruses, and fungus. The scent can also help promote relaxation and sleep, which makes it the perfect deodorizer for bedding or clothing.
Peppermint: Essential oils containing peppermint have antiseptic properties which makes it a great cleaning agent. Plus, peppermint is known to revitalize and stimulate your mood — perfect motivation when preparing and cleaning an apartment for new tenants.
Orange: Orange essential oil has both antiseptic and antibacterial properties and is also a great degreaser for any stains previous tenants might have left behind on stubborn surfaces like countertops and stoves. Orange also has a very uplifting and refreshing scent — great for relaxing.
Tea tree: Tea tree essential oil is an all-around great cleaner and contains a number of antibiotic compounds, including terpinen-4-ol, that have been shown to kill certain bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Its herbaceous scent is also said to curb depressed thoughts and boost mental clarity.
Essential oils are great to have in your home and are a non-toxic alternative to traditional chemical cleaners. They also work well to deodorize your home when combined with other ingredients, like baking soda. As a landlord, you’re responsible for making sure your rental is safe and welcoming for future tenants. Using all-natural essential oil cleaners can help send the message that you care about your property.
11 NATURAL RECIPES TO DEODORIZE A ROOM
We all deal with home odors from time to time, and luckily there are simple and easy recipes you can make with ingredients that are probably already in your pantry. As a landlord, freshening up a unit space is equally important in attracting potential renters. Use the following recipes, tips, and tricks below to ensure your unit is ready for new tenants.
1. DIY BASIC ROOM SPRAY
Instead of purchasing an air freshener, create your own DIY room spray using your favorite essential oils. With this recipe, you’ll have an easy way to quickly freshen up any room:
Room spray recipe:
2 to 3 drops essential oils: for a seasonal twist, choose cinnamon or peppermint
1 tablespoon baking soda
Distilled water
Mix the essential oils, water, and baking soda. Add mixture to a spray bottle and shake well to create the perfect freshening spray for your space. You can even get into the holiday spirit by using cinnamon or peppermint essential oils.
To help the smell linger, feel free to add some witch hazel — this ingredient helps the oil and water combine better! This remedy is also great for cleaning units before a new tenant moves in.
2. EASY CARPET REFRESHER
Is the carpet in your rental smelling a little less than fresh? If you’re in the process of deep cleaning and getting your unit ready to rent out, reach for that baking soda in your pantry. Baking soda is a great non-toxic cleaner that does the job when it comes to busting bad odors. Here’s a simple and cheap recipe for an easy carpet refresher:
Carpet refresher recipe:
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup baking soda
1 shaker container
Mix these ingredients and throw in a shaker container — a clean parmesan cheese container is ideal. Sprinkle into the carpet and let sit for about an hour or so. Then, vacuum it up. To make the space smell as if you just baked a batch of snickerdoodles, add some ground cinnamon to your mixture — with the holidays right around the corner, this is the perfect scent to welcome guests to an open house!
3. PET ODOR BUSTER
If a past tenant’s pet left behind stinky odors in your rental, make this recipe to spray on surfaces:
Fresh pet recipe:
3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol
12 drops of lavender or spearmint essential oil
2 cups of water
1 spray bottle
Mix these ingredients and spritz liberally on areas of your house that need some freshening up! Consider choosing essential oils from lavender or spearmint — these are safe for pets, however, it’s always a good idea to check with your veterinarian before using.
Additionally, if your pet’s bedding requires some TLC, sprinkle it with some baking soda. Let this sit for a while and then vacuum.
4. FRIDGE SMELL ELIMINATOR
Did past tenants leave behind some odors in the fridge? If you get a funky whiff when you open the fridge, say goodbye with this natural remedy:
Fridge deodorizer recipe:
1 cup baking soda
12 drops of essential oils
1 jar
Place a cup of baking soda in a jar. Mix in 12 drops of your favorite essential oil fragrance — for the fridge we recommend using a citrus like lemon. Set the open jar of baking soda on a shelf and let the magic happen — baking soda is great for absorbing those bad fridge smells. Be careful not to add too much essential oil, though, you don’t want it to affect the taste of your fresh food.
5. DE-MILDEW THE WASHING MACHINE
If previous renters have let gunk build-up in the washing machine, you might be looking for a solution to get rid of that mildew smell. Washers are a humid environment prone to a build-up of dirt, hair, and soap. To get rid of this problem, a simple mixture of common household products and essential oils should do the trick:
Washing machine cleaner recipe:
3 to 4 cups of white vinegar
½ cup of baking soda
20 drops of essential oils
First, using vinegar, wipe down any debris that may be present, like in the rubber liner or gasket. Then, pour this mixture into the detergent tray and run a cycle on the hottest setting — without clothes! When the cycle is done, wipe down any remaining moisture with a cloth to prevent new mildew growth. To further prevent any funky smells, encourage the next tenant to leave the washer door open when they’re done to avoid trapping any moisture in the machine.
6. MICROWAVE OVEN DEODORIZER
Bad smells from old soup stains, burnt popcorn, and other greasy foods aren’t ideal in the microwave. However, you can deodorize it just as fast as you can heat up today’s lunch:
Microwave cleaner recipe:
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 cup of water
1 microwave-safe bowl
All you need to do is fill a microwave-safe bowl with baking soda and mix with a cup of water. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for three minutes. The hot baking soda steam will loosen up any grime stuck to the side or ceiling of the microwave. Carefully remove the hot bowl from the microwave and wipe down the steamy oven with a paper towel. To leave a fresh scent, wipe the microwave down with a drop or two of lemon-scented essential oil.
7. SEASONAL SIMMER POT AIR FRESHENER
As the holidays get closer and the weather gets colder, try a seasonal simmer pot air freshener. This long-lasting aroma will instantly create a homey and warm ambiance that you and any touring potential tenants will love. Try out this easy recipe, but feel free to mix and match your favorite seasonal ingredients for a unique scent:
Simmer pot recipe:
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 bay leaf
Add all these items to a medium pot or a small slow cooker. Add water to fill about halfway. Turn the burner on to low and let this simmer all day. If you’re using a slow cooker, set on low and let it freshen the air. Periodically check the water level and add more as needed.
8. KEEP YOUR CLOSET CRISP
Closets are common culprits of stale smells as they’re often stuffed with piles of clothes, dirty laundry, and shoes. If you need to air out a closet from a previous tenant or you just want to keep the small space smelling fresh, use this simple scented sachets hack:
Scented sachet recipe:
Dried herbs or flowers of your choice
Small fabric sachets
Ribbon
Optional: essential oils
To make these DIY sachets, first, pick out your choice of dried herbs or flowers. For a more floral scent, choose lavender or rose petals. If you prefer something more earthy, go for rosemary. Fill up your fabric sachets with your dried herbs or flowers and tie off the bag with ribbon. To intensify the smell, add a few drops of essential oils of your choice. Also, feel free to stick these sachets in your dresser drawers to keep those socks smelling fresh.
9. FRESHEN UP YOUR BATHROOM
A small bowl of baking soda on an upper shelf will absorb odors without adding any chemical smell. You can also put a few drops of essential oil on cotton balls and place inside a roll of toilet paper which will release the scent every time the roll is turned. Fresh eucalyptus leaves are also very effective at deodorizing — place these in a vase above the toilet or in your shower for some added aromatherapy.
10. GARBAGE DISPOSAL DEBRIS CLEANER
Are there bad smells creeping out of the sink? The source may be the garbage disposal. Little bits of food that got washed off past tenants’ dishes can get caught in the garbage disposal, creating a smelly odor that lingers long after they’ve moved out. Here’s a get hack to get rid of this problem:
To clean the blades: Put a large cup of ice cubes down into your disposal, turn it on, and then add about half a cup of salt. The ice and salt will combine to scrub the built-up off the inside of your disposal.
To freshen up the disposal: To get rid of any odors, turn on the faucet and drop sliced citrus peels down into the disposal. As you run the disposal, the citrus peels will leave a refreshing scent behind as they get ground up.
11. CIGARETTE SMOKE REMOVAL
Removing cigarette odors from an apartment can cause a headache for landlords or new tenants. Cigarette smells seem to cling on to any surface they come in contact with, like carpet, your new drapes, or a precious armchair. Instead of masking the smell with commercial air fresheners, try a DIY method to absorb or neutralize it:
To absorb: Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces that smell like cigarette smoke, or fill several small bowls with baking soda and place around your space to absorb the smoke particles. If you have it on hand, activated charcoal is also very effective at absorbing these stubborn odors.
To neutralize: White vinegar is a common nontoxic household staple that works to neutralize odors. Its low pH content targets the high pH content of smoke particles and alters them slightly to reduce the smell. For a quick fix, boil a pot of vinegar on the stove — the steam will waft through the air and work to remove the smell. You can also use vinegar as a wash: simply wash clothes with it or scrub it on upholstery and walls.
If the methods above don’t work, try washing your windows, window coverings, and carpets. To get your unit ready for new tenants, consider also repainting your walls with odor-blocking primers or replacing fixtures such as cabinets. Also, to help prevent this in the future, encourage renters to keep things fresh by implementing a no smoking policy.
BENEFITS OF USING NATURAL REMEDIES
In addition to these natural remedies being super easy to make, as well as effective, they’re also much less harmful than using chemical deodorizers. Over 20 percent of the general U.S. population has reported having adverse health effects from air fresheners.
Common household products like air fresheners can contribute significantly to indoor air pollution and can also stick to and be absorbed by furniture, walls and surfaces, carpets, and more. They can then be released and re-enter indoor air, even long after you’ve used the air freshener.
Although they may smell nice, cutting out chemical air fresheners from your cleaning routine will leave your home not only more pleasant for friends and family, but also safer for your health. As a landlord, using these natural remedies are great in case a future tenant may be sensitive to these chemical cleaners and can attract those that are eco-conscious.
HOW TENANTS CAN PREVENT ODORS
Even though there are plenty of natural remedies you can create to deodorize your home, there are a few precautions to help you avoid these bad smells in the first place:
Do laundry often: Letting piles of dirty clothes sit in your laundry bins can quickly contribute to bad odors. Don’t let laundry linger for extended periods — it might be the cause of the smells like must and mildew. Get those washed ASAP!
Toss expired food: It may be time to check out those expiration dates. Old food like meat and dairy products can give off bad odors that seem to stick to your fridge forever. Go through and toss any expired goods to make sure nothing stinks as you open the doors.
Wash your bedsheets: While we’re all getting our beauty sleep, our beds are collecting fungus, bacteria, and dead skin cells which won’t smell good after some time. To avoid this, wash all your linens at least once a week. According to Joshua Zeichner, M.D., microorganisms like bacteria and fungi tend to thrive in moist environments — including your dirty pillowcase. Get rid of funky smells in your bedding by adding a few cups of white vinegar to your washer.
No shoes allowed: If you can, enforce a no-shoes allowed policy in your home so bad odors can’t get dragged onto your sparkling clean floors or fresh carpet.
Keep the sink clean: Do those dishes! Keeping the kitchen clean right after you cook and eat will help avoid scary sink and garbage disposal smells.
Clean vents & replace air filters: If you’ve cleaned every room and have tried these natural remedies and things still smell a little stale, try wiping down air vents and replacing your HVAC filter — be sure to check with your landlord before making this change. This quick-fix can quickly ventilate your room and filter out those bad smells.
Open your windows: Nothing can get more natural than simply opening up your windows. On days with good outdoor air quality, open up the windows to bring in new air to freshen up your space.From essential oils and baking soda to citrus peels and cinnamon sticks, these natural remedies will be the first things that come to mind the next time you’re wondering how to deodorize your rental — they’ll come in handy if you’re getting ready to list your apartmentor looking to create a more environmentally friendly rental. If you’re a landlord looking to fill an apartment, visit our rental application and tenant screening services to help find the perfect tenants.
Guest Contributor: Sarah Stinson
Sarah is the Director of Content and SEO at TurboTenant where she leads a team of experts to provide valuable resources to help landlords and renters. With over 10 years of experience writing in various industries, she has been featured in many top tier publications and is an expert in the real estate tech space as well as the property management industry.
Ah, the famous age-old question: who’s responsible for plumbing maintenance? Landlords or tenants? Many generations have given their contribution to resolving this problem in the past. To quote an Allen Ginsberg poem: I saw the best minds of my generation… We’ll stop right there. This isn’t a boring poetry reading, and the question raised at the beginning certainly isn’t something great thinkers have struggled with for centuries. Although, since you’re reading this text, you might wonder: really, who’s responsible for plumbing maintenance? You might’ve encountered some problems in your new apartment, or maybe you’re checking out your options before you move in. Whatever’s the case – we’re here to help you out. Stay tuned for some helpful info.
FIRST THOUGHT – BEST THOUGHT (OR IS IT?)
Your first thought might be: well, the landlord is responsible for its tenants’ quality of living; therefore, he’s accountable for anything that goes wrong with plumbing. That could be the truth. But, there’s a catch. In most states, the landlord is responsible for hiring someone to take care of plumbing emergencies. Is a leaky tap an emergency? Probably not. What classifies as an emergency is a question to ponder (consider checking your state law). For example, if you notice there’s no running water, that’s undoubtedly an emergency. The landlord is definitely responsible for that one. In most cases, you’ll find these problems classified as emergencies:
Serious leaks in your bathroom or kitchen;
Damaged, non-working water heater;
Burst water pipes;
Toilet with an active overflow.
Landlords are definitely responsible for resolving a plumbing emergency. A leaking tap probably doesn’t fit into that category. Check your state law.
Can the landlord also be responsible for minor repairs?
There isn’t a straight answer to this one. You might want to check the lease agreement and see if you can find the solution there. If the problem you’ve encountered is somehow listed in the agreement, and if the landlord’s responsibility is evident, you have your answer. Otherwise, if the issue isn’t a subject of the lease agreement, you’ll need to check state real estate laws. Some of them have repair and deduct statutes. These rules make the landlord deduct the repair cost (paid by the tenant) from the monthly rent. A quick tip: there are some repairs (even though they look minor) you shouldn’t try to do by yourself. For example, low water pressure is an issue that pros should handle.
ADDITIONAL INFO THAT MIGHT COME IN HANDY
Let’s say you’ve made a deal with the landlord. He’ll deduct the repair costs from the rent for the next month. Now imagine this scenario: your landlord’s antique kitchen table gets damaged in the process. We guess you know who’s responsible for that. To ensure this doesn’t happen, consider hiring experts such as those at golansmoving.com and see if they can do something to help you store valuable items during the process.
It’s very important to store valuable things somewhere they can’t be damaged while the renovation process enfolds. The best way, of course, is to rent storage space.
DIPLOMACY IS KEY
It might be better if we mentioned this earlier, but before you quote the law and everything, see if talking to your landlord can seal the deal. Keeping a good relationship with your landlord is something that will guarantee you peace of mind when plumbing issues (or any other issues with the apartment you’re renting) occur. Also, it really isn’t pleasurable to stay in an apartment where the owner acts indifferent. There’s no need to be super-formal or something. Of course, if talking doesn’t get you what you think you legally deserve, then quoting the law is the way to go. But, as we’ve noted at the beginning, it shouldn’t be your first option.
AN EXAMPLE: WHAT’S IT LIKE IN CHICAGO?
In this paragraph, we’ll pinpoint some of the rights tenants have when renting in Chicago. For example, the landlord can’t evict you without a judge’s order and must take care of a pest infestation when it occurs. Also, you shouldn’t worry that he will come unannounced. What about plumbing maintenance? Suppose the tenants (or their guests) are not responsible for the damage done. In that case, landlords are obliged to take responsibility in accordance with the City of Chicago’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (commonly known as CRLTO). Make sure you check that out. In other words: be familiar with your rights. A well-informed tenant is a good tenant. As if you already didn’t know that, right?
Know your rights! Being well-informed is a must nowadays. If you’re a Chicago resident, consult the CRLTO
SHOULD YOU SUE THE LANDLORD?
Hopefully, there won’t be a reason for that. Most landlords will quickly resolve the issue you’re dealing with. If, for some reason, the landlord ignores fixing the problem, you have all the rights in the world to mention a potential legal action (after you consult the lease agreement or the state law, of course). But, as we’ve already said, that scenario is really not so popular. You’ll rarely stumble upon a landlord who will make you want to take legal action.
FINAL WORDS
That’s all, folks! Hopefully, we’re closer than ever to find the answer to the question of who’s obliged to hire professionals for plumbing maintenance. The best way to sum up this article is: know your rights! Make sure to check the lease agreement, consult the state’s real estate law, and before you start thinking about taking legal action – talk to your landlord. As we’ve mentioned, there’s a slim chance you’ll need to go to court because your toilet is overflowing. Being diplomatic and, at the same time, well-informed is a recipe for success!
Kevin Szabo Jr Plumbing 