Archive for the 'Home Maintenance' Category
Maintaining Your Property in the Winter
Dear Seller of a Vacant House,
We had our first real snowstorm of the season on Saturday. Around Hartford most places ended up with 3-4 inches of snow. Really nothing compared to some of the storms from last year, but still an amount that most would consider needs to be shoveled. So why did I, and my clients, have to tromp through this on Sunday when going to view your home?
Now, I know you don’t live here any more. You’re across the country at your new place and have other things on your mind. And at least it wasn’t like the debacle I stumbled across last year. But your house is still here and you are trying to sell it. Why not try to welcome the people that may want to buy it?
If you could, please hire someone to plow your driveway and shovel your front walk and sidewalk. I know my clients and I would appreciate it and most likely your neighbors will too. Also, if you don’t have your driveway and walks shoveled you’re essentially letting bad guys know that you’re not around and no one really cares for the place. They may decide that you also don’t care about your copper pipes and will let themselves in to take them. Just sayin’…
It’s a Brick. House.
I learned something interesting today during a home inspection, so I thought I would pass it along.
Take a look at the photo below. Is this house solely brick exterior construction or is it brick and stud construction (essentially the brick is only a veneer)? How can you tell?
This home, built in 1884 according to town records, is solely brick exterior construction. That means there are several layers of brick which make up the exterior/interior walls of the shell of the home. You can tell this because every few courses of brick there are bricks turned perpendicular to the other bricks. The brick is all structural in function and the method of laying the bricks provided stability and strength.
If the brick is all laid running the same direction, it’s a veneer and is only for aesthetics, the brick does not have a structural function.
Here’s an interesting website that talks more about older brick construction and how it works. There are also some helpful tips on how it should be properly maintained and repaired, if needed.
The more you know…
Tis the Season to Winterize Outside
With Thanksgiving behind us it’s time to think about getting your home ready for winter. It feels a little strange to be worried about winter with it 60 degrees and sunny outside, but it’s practically December so it is time. Here are five tasks to do over the coming week(s) to make sure you’re ready when temperatures turn colder.
Clean Out the Gutters
Nearly all the leaves have fallen by now, so this mild weather is the perfect opportunity to clean out the gutters. Free flowing gutters can be a thing of beauty. We have one area of our roof that has a valley. It collects a lot of water during rain storms and leaves in the fall. If we keep the gutters in that area clean, then they can handle all but the heaviest downpours. However, when we let them get clogged up, the gutters overflow and water cascades down in places we would rather it not go. It’s now or never for getting them cleaned up since once the leaves freeze they’re a real pain to remove.
Rake the Lawn
Town leaf pickup was disrupted by the big snow storm at the end of October. For example, Hartford usually has vacuum collection, but this year has asked residents to bag their leaves since the city spent so much money picking up tree debris. Trucks are still out and about, but the rules may be a little different this year. Be sure to check with your town to make sure you have the latest instructions and schedule.
Turn off the Hose Spigots
Frozen hose spigots can cause a lot of damage, but are fortunately very easy to avoid. Head down to the basement and follow the pipes to find the first shut-off valve before the water heads outside to the spigot. After shutting it off inside it’s also a good idea to then go drain any water you can from the outside. A five minute task can save thousands if you are unlucky enough to have water damage.
Flip Over the Birdbaths
We have a concrete birdbath, and were told that we should invert the bath in the winter. My understanding of the suggestion was that allowing water to freeze in the bath over the winter could potentially crack the concrete. Rather than risk damage, we just go ahead and follow the advice each year even though we’re not 100% sure it’s right – better to be safe than sorry.
Take in the Rain Barrel
This year we added a new feature to the yard, a rain barrel. Like the birdbath, we were told that it’s a bad idea to let water freeze inside. However rather than simply turning it over, the instructions we received were to actually bring it inside. Presumably completely draining it and putting it in the garage would be sufficient since that would guarantee no water getting inside. We don’t have a garage, so I guess it’s going to have to come inside to the basement.
What else do we need to be doing to get ready for winter? What are we missing?
Strange Litter
We live in a very walkable neighborhood, which means that people tend to walk past our house. We also live on a corner lot, about a block away from a school, which means that lots of people walk past our house on a daily basis. One of the unfortunate realities of high-pedestrian-traffic areas is litter. We don’t receive an overwhelming amount on our property, but it’s not uncommon to find something in the grass. We deal with it – it’s fine.
Yesterday we found a very strange thing. It was a big blue and white ball that little kids often play with. Most surprisingly, it was inside our fence.
Where did it come from? Why was it here? This seems like something people might notice is missing.
Our only theory is that someone thought it was ours and left it here on purpose. We have a very similar blue and white ball in plain sight on our front porch, which Ellen will sometimes play with in the yard. She actually took the new ball in stride, calmly declaring that there were now two balls; one, two. She didn’t want to play with them yesterday – it was a chalk coloring day – but I have no doubt they’ll get some use in the future.
The mystery ball is not the strangest litter we have found in the yard. Earlier this summer I found a glass of what appeared to be soda sitting on the curb. It was a normal looking dining glass like you would use when you had company, mostly full, and still bubbling. That one mystified me. Again, it was something that people would presumably miss. I put it up high to advertise its location and it disappeared within a day. Perhaps a neighbor came out to chat with someone who was parked on the side of the street? I just don’t know.
Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit
The West End of Hartford contains multiple Historic Districts, which include just about all the properties in the neighborhood. In addition to recognizing the architectural importance of the collection of homes, and helping protect the properties from inappropriate modifications, the Historic District designation also creates opportunities for owners.
One interesting incentive is the Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit. This past month I had an opportunity to sit down with Lucas Karmazinas, an independent consultant in the field of architectural history, to learn more about the tax credit and how it can benefit homeowners.
Tax Credit Basics
Owners of single-family through four-family homes in certain areas of Connecticut are able to apply for a tax credit to help maintain or renovate their properties. Examples of projects that may qualify for the credit include most exterior work (foundations, porches, walls, doors, windows, roof, gutters, chimney, etc.), mechanical systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), and interior work (structural systems, floor plans, floors, walls, ceilings, stairs, decorative elements, door/window casings, etc.).
Since Hartford is one of the “Targeted Areas,” and so much of the West End is in a Historic District, owners simply have to follow the application process and live in the property as their primary residence for at least five years after project completion in order to qualify.
The main benefit to working within the program is that a homeowner can receive up to 30% of the renovation costs back, with a cap at $30,000 per dwelling unit. Since there is also a minimum project size, the practical result is that the program targets renovations with total budgets of between $25,000 and $100,000 for a single-family home.
The “tax credit” language is a little misleading. Homeowners technically do receive a tax credit voucher at the end of the project, but it’s not one that they can apply to their personal tax liability. Only certain businesses are allowed to utilize the credits, so homeowners end up selling the vouchers and pocketing the cash independent of their tax filing.
Because the credits are not used directly by owners, they don’t receive the absolute maximum benefit. Mary Dunne, who helps oversee the program at the State Historic Preservation Office, conservatively estimated that vouchers generally sell for at least 80% (and often more) of their face value. She also noted that she has never heard of a homeowner who was unable to find a buyer among the 30+ vouchers that are distributed each year.
Applying for the Credit
The tax credit is managed through a written application that is broken down into different parts to reflect a project’s various stages. Part One simply confirms that a home qualifies for the program. The only noteworthy reason why an owner-occupied home in one of the West End Historic Districts would not qualify is that the building itself is not historic, that it doesn’t contribute to the historic character of the District.
Part Two describes the rehabilitation work in detail, capturing the current condition and articulating the proposed rehabilitation. Photos and drawings are encouraged. During our conversation, Lucas emphasized that in order for the renovation work to count towards the credit it must follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The application instructions summarize the criteria, while the website above provides illustrated guidelines for rehabilitating historic buildings. Part Two also includes the proposed project budget. Cost estimates must be from qualified pros, and qualified rehabilitation expenses are separated from non-eligible costs.
Mary said that her group is required to respond to an application within 30 days, though they try to turn them around in about 2 weeks. Ultimately it will depend on the scope and complexity of the project.
Part Three of the application is the request for certification of the completed work. In addition to demonstrating that the work was completed as planned, the other major component is the final accounting of the project costs. The tax credit is then calculated as 30% of either the approved budget or the actual expenses, whichever is less.
Application Assistance
Lucas assured me that it was possible for a homeowner to successfully work through the application process on their own. He said that the staff overseeing the tax credit was quite helpful, though it would take patience, time, and an interest in the subject matter since there are guidelines to learn and follow.
Some homeowners may not want to take on both a major renovation and the tax credit application/process. It’s possible that there are general contractors out there who would be willing to handle the application within their overall project management responsibilities.
Another option is to hire Lucas, or someone else like him, to help with the application process. Lucas said he is flexible in how he works with individual homeowners. In some cases it makes the most sense for him to charge a flat fee and handle all aspects of the application. In other cases the homeowner may want to do much of the documenting, describing, and photographing, so Lucas could bill hourly for his contributions — consulting as needed and interacting with the State Historic Preservation Office.
Resources
No matter how a homeowner approaches the credit, it’s a good way to take advantage of living within one of the West End’s Historic Districts. Here are some additional resources to help get started.
Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation
Lucas Karmazinas, Historic Resources Advisor
FuturePastPreservation(at)gmail(dot)com, 860-428-7982