Today, misconceptions about your home are being spread faster than ever. From viral posts shared on Facebook to the popularity of TV programs that discuss buying, selling, or flipping homes, more misinformation is out there than ever before.
Let’s take a look at some of these myths to make sure you avoid them.
How careful are you with your stone countertop?
Unless your countertop is made of incredibly tough diamond, it can be damaged. Many people proport the popular myth that countertops made of marble, quartz, travertine, soapstone, and limestone can’t be stained, but this is false. In fact, all of these can be stained.
Your marble countertops might have cost you a pretty penny, but it can be scratched and stained easily. Not only this, but any type of acidic beverage like soda or coffee creates a cloudy spot in marble. This process is known as etching. This means that you should immediately clean any acidic beverage, including wine or lemon juice, to avoid any problems.
However, typical household cleaners can dull the surface of any type of stone countertop, so be sure to buy a cleaner that is specifically made for your countertop stone type.
Another issue that can come up is discoloration of stone countertops. This happens under direct heat, so make sure you don’t put a hot pan directly on the surface.
If you’d like to not worry about your countertops so much, your best bet is granite because it doesn’t stain or scratch like the other options.
Does your smoke detector really work?
This one isn’t as much of a misconception as it is a simple and understandable mistake. First of all, if you check your smoke detector like you should twice a year by using the test button, you deserve a gold star.
Although some of us accidentally ‘test’ our smoke detectors by not being the best chefs, this is an incredibly important aspect of your safety that you shouldn’t disregard.
However, even if you’re using the test button twice a year, you still might not be doing what you should. Essentially, this check will only alert you to whether your alarm sound works or not. Well, what else do you need to know? Even if your alarm sound works, the actual sensor that detects the smoke might not.
This means that you should actually regularly test the detector with smoke. The easiest way to do this is to blow out a match directly under the unit. From here, you can see if both the alarm and sensor are working.
Do you really have to clean gutter guards too?
Most people think that cleaning their gutters is all that’s necessary and buy gutter guards to lighten up the work they need to do outside of the house. However, believe it or not, you have to clean gutter guards as well.
Of course, leaves shouldn’t be able to fit into gutter guards, but this doesn’t stop all of the small debris from clogging it up. Seeds, flower buds, and more, can get through them, meaning that while you’ll have a lot less work than without gutter guards, you’ll still need to keep an eye on them and clean them when necessary.
Can a lemon help you clean your garbage disposal?
Unfortunately, no. Of course, this natural way to clean would be better for the environment, it isn’t better for your pipes because of the lemon’s acidic properties. In fact, it eventually would corrode any metal in your disposal.
Others claim to use coffee grounds, instead, to clean it, but this isn’t the best decision either. While they can clean the blades, the coffee then clogs the pipes, leaving you in a worse mess than what you started with.
Your best natural disposal cleaning option is actually baking soda. It cleans the blades well because of its slight abrasiveness, but won’t damage the metal, so you’ve got the best of both worlds.
How short should you really mow your lawn?
Many people seem to say that if you cut your grass very short, you won’t have to mow it as often. This piece of misinformation is actually slightly based in fact because if you cut your grass too short, it will actually die.
Technically, then, this is true because you would have to mow less, but no one wants a lawn with grass that’s completely dead.
If you cut your grass too short, this plant won’t have the energy to fight off weeds, pests, or the heat of the sun’s rays. While you might have to mow a little more often if you don’t cut your grass super short, your lawn will look much, much better.
Should I redo my kitchen before I sell my house?
I’ve actually written an article before about which remodels will increase the value of your home and which won’t. After TV show after TV show came out showing people the fun and value of remodeling their homes (especially the kitchen), this became extremely popular.
Unfortunately, remodeling your kitchen with decorative pieces and trendy cabinets won’t increase the value. This is because trends change, sometimes quickly. For example, remember how popular wallpaper used to be? Now, almost no new homes have this touch.
In addition to this, everyone has different tastes, so you don’t want to design your home flashy way someone else wouldn’t like. If you do redo your kitchen or other parts of your home, aim for neutral styles and colors. One thing that could truly help your home sell is a fresh coat of neutral paint.
Save your money from these misconceptions
Now that you know some of the most common misconceptions that homeowners believe, you can easily avoid them, saving yourself money and problems in the long run.
Michele Karl is the Owner/Broker of Priority Real Estate. She can be reached at her email at sales@allwedo.com or give her a call at her office at 865-577-6600.
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