Knob and Tube Wiring

You might see what is called "knob-and-tube" wiring in an old house. Typically, you'll see it in the basement or attic space. It is an antiquated system that will need to be updated at what could be a major expense.

The way to notice it is if you see surface mounted individual conductors held in place with round white ceramic insulators. Sometimes you will see this set up, say in a basement, running along the floor joists. But with close examination, it looks like the system is no longer active -- it might have been cut and disconnected, but the materials are still there. A qualified inspector or electrician can tell you if the knob-and-tube wiring is still active.

We had some knob-and-tube at our duplex in St. Albans when we bought it. Updating the wiring was our #1 priority. Dave was an insurance agent at the time and knew we would have trouble getting a standard insurance policy with active knob-and-tube wiring. He said whatever policy we could get if the old wiring was in place would be very expensive unless we replaced the wiring. In our case, the cost was $5,000 in 2005.

We looked at a multi-family in Burlington the other day that had knob-and-tube wiring. In order for the building to get a certificate of compliance, the city required that the owners "Provide written documentation to this office from licensed electrician (sic) that the wiring is not overloaded and that the condition of the conductors and insulators is sound and substantially without defect or hazard." Many cities and towns are working hard to make sure multi-family dwellings are safe for their occupants.

For that reason, we decided to get rid of our knob and tube in our duplex -- an upgrade we were happy to make.

Broken Seals in Windows

Do you have a foggy window that will not wipe clean with Windex? You wipe the glass on the inside and outside and the moisture is still there. That's because the seal between the two panes of glass is gone. Many windows are argon gas filled -- the seal fails, the gas escapes, and moisture enters. There is a change in temperature between inside and outside of the home and the glass fogs. It's ugly.

What should you do? Inspectors will tell you that the insulating value does not change significantly when the glass fogs. However, most people do not like looking through fogged glass. We have had great luck bringing windows to a glass store (in Burlingon, VT, we use Able Paint and Glass). They can replace the glass only. I don't think they replace the gas, but the glass itself looks better when they are finished. For an average size double hung windows, the cost was about $75 to $100 per section of window.

If you are talking about a fogged sliding door, the cost will of course, be higher. You might even investigate whether it is more cost effective to replace the door itself -- the glass is bound to be less than a new door but if the door is old, it might make more sense to spend your money getting a new door.

If you are selling your house, buyers make a bigger deal of the fogged glass than is needed. They "horriblize" the situation and think it will cost a fortune to fix. So before you put your house on the market, fix fogged windows. While you are at it, cracked storm windows (triple track type) are also easy to fix at the same glass store.

Easy Mudroom Details

Most Vermont houses have a mudroom -- Mud is the Fifth season in Vermont! You many have to be creative finding a space. Or, if you already have one, make it organized and neat. We have a small mudroom, so we put a board horizontally across the space in our entryway. We screwed in knobs that you would use for cupboards in a kitchen, ones that stick out far enough to be able to hold a coat. Then we screwed the board into the space.

You can build a simple open bench in the space. Put baskets under the bench (you can get great rectangular baskets at Michael's.) Put mittens, hats, boots, lunchboxes, etc. in the baskets. Or, you could leave an area open, cut a boot tray to fit. Perfect for snowy boots.

A mudroom is not only good for organization, it's something buyers want. If you don't have one, make one out of any usuable space. If there is no space in an entryway, make it in a section of the garage by the stairs into the house. It doesn't have to be a separate room, a dedicated space will do.

Little Details that Make a House - The Kitchen

I've seen some houses in the $200,000 to $250,000 price range that have made modest changes that have helped the overall functionality of the home. The costs have been minimal. Today I'm going to write about easy kitchen ideas.

If your cabinets are old and unattractive, take off the doors and enjoy open shelves. Maybe you have been thinking of getting new dishes -- this is a good time because these dishes will now be seen and you want them to be attractive. Get square baskets, put coffee mugs inside and then put your silverware in the mugs. Now you can use a drawer for something different. If you want to keep the cabinets but they are dated, just change the knobs. Make sure you know the spacing between the screws of the current knobs if they are attached in two places because it is easier to attach them in the same holes. If you take the cabinet doors off, be sure to fill in the holes where the hinges were with wood filler and paint if they are painted cabinets. I bought my knobs online by googling "Arts and Craft Kitchen drawer pulls." We sanded and painted our cabinets and then changed the knobs They are great and make the kitchen look more authentic to the style house.

Have a nook in the kitchen that sits there with no purpose? Put shelves across and make that your pantry. Don't want to look at your canned goods? Put a curtain across.

You've decided to change your countertop and you don't have a breakfast counter? Put in an 11' overhang. Just get the contractor to cut a piece of Formica larger than you currently have. Then get a couple of chairs and it's the perfect place for quick meals or homework.

Hard to see to work on your countertops? You can get lights that are battery operated and attach them under the counter.

Need some more space? I know you love your cookbooks, but these days, so many recipes can be found on epicurious.com Use your space for more important items that you use every day -- pots and pans if you don't have a rack, Pyrex baking dishes, etc. By the way, when you have a small kitchen, a pot rack is a great space saver. I've seen some that hang flat on the wall or hang above the stove or sink. We removed a corner cupboard dividing the space in our kitchen and I found a square one that perfectly fit the footprint of the old cabinet.

Lastly, speaking of pots -- are there some you use once a year? Other fun items that you don't use often? (Pasta maker, panini machine, waffle iron) Then put some shelves in your basement or buy metal baker's shelves and put all that rarely used stuff down there. Add the boxes of bulk food you buy at Costco. Unfinished basements can be such wasted spaces.

Keep your kitchen counters clear of "stuff" and the space will look bigger. Look for places to tuck items. And you'll be more organized in the end.

Great Store to Help Furnish Your New Place

If you don't mind continuing to check every week, The Goodwill Stores on Shelburne Road and in the Taft Corners area (kind of behind Bed, Bath and Beyond) are wonderful places to pick up furniture and home goods at great prices. Most of the home goods are brand new -- glasses, dish sets, towels. The furniture is of course hit-or-miss, but worth going checking to see what new pieces have arrived. The stores are new, clean, bright, and well organized. Bring the items you don't want and bring home new ones.

If you are looking for clothes -- it's predominantly a place to find used clothes. This is a great way to recycle!

Feb 14, 2012 Free Americone Dream Ice Cream? Another reason to love Burlington, VT

I don't know if this is happening at the scoop shop in Burlington, but considering Ben and Jerry's started in Burlington, I am hoping there is free Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream being given away. Don't hold me to it! I've been trying to call the local shop.

Here is the link to Stephen Colbert's fight with Jimmy Fallon regarding ice cream flavors. http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/407604/february-01-2012/colbert-super-pac---americone-dream-super-pack It's all in fun and a way to market our favorite ice cream and the success story of two friends who started a huge ice cream company in an old gas station in Burlington, VT. Check out their history. http://www.benjerry.com/company/history/

I love walking down Church Street in the summer and seeing the long line at Ben and Jerry's. I especially love their free outdoor movies for kids. A few summers ago we bought a brownie sundae to share and sat down to watch "Up." People walked up and down Church St stopping to chat with friends as the movie played on. Great fun!

There is always something going on in Burlington, VT. That there might be free Ben and Jerry's Americone Dream on Feb 14, 2012 is a great bonus. No promises, but I'll keep you posted!

Showing Property if You Own Pets

There is nothing worse than getting to a showing and hearing a growl from behind the front door! It has happened more than once and I have to call the listing agent and tell him or her that we are not seeing the property after all.

Once, a cat started growling and when I talked softly to it, it leapt at me! Another time, one jumped from under a bed and grabbed a client's leg.

Another difficult aspect of pet owning is... stinky litter box or stinky dog smell. We all love our pets, but let's face it, sometimes they have an odor about them.

What should you do? For your dog, either come early and take the dog for a ride, or put a child gate across the boiler room or another room in the basement and leave them there. Be sure to put a sign up on the kitchen counter letting the agent know that the dog is safely behind a gate. A crate is a great solution. Again, leave a note for the showing agent.

Keep the litter box clean and fresh and leave it in a far corner of the basement. I've seen it in the bathroom before and that is not very inviting. Another bad place to leave it is at the bottom of the basement stairs.

Not much you can do about attack cats if that is what you have, other than leaving a note to "ignore the cat." Most agents are not afraid of cats, but the dogs can be serious threats if they are protecting the house. Best to take the really aggressive ones out of the house.

On another note, a friendly old Golden Retriever type can make new buyers feel at home. There is nothing sweeter than a wagging tail in your "new home."