August 1999
Newsletter
- July's $100 winner...and
more!
- August's $$ Saving
Tip - Clean walls for more light
- Handy Home Tip-
Wax in your carpet
- Giving your deck/fence
a new face
- Preparing your house
for sale
- Just for laughs!
Another Contractor Joke!
1. July's $100
winner...and more!
We picked a July winner for our
free draw! Congratulations to David Ross of Calgary!
Best of luck to you all- You could be the next to win $100! Don't
forget, if you are receiving our newsletter, you are automatically
registered for each month's draw!
Just a reminder about our
"refer a friend" program. If you have had work done
through our system, tell your friends about us, and if they hire
one of our listed contractors- we will send you a cheque for $10!
Home-Work does all of the leg-work and they
receive info on the companies contacting them. It's so easy and
there is no obligation. Best of all - it's FREE!!
2. AUGUST'S
$$ SAVING TIP- Clean walls for more light
Most people think that the only way
you can brighten your home is by washing the windows or repainting
the walls. Did you know...dirty indoor walls can absorb a lot
of light in your home. The dirt film need not be dark to cause
this and it builds up slowly over time so that you do not notice
it. This requires you to turn on more lights and this wastes electricity.
All of the electricity used by light bulbs ends up as heat energy
inside your house. Most walls can just be washed with soap and
water and this will brighten them up considerably. If you do repaint,
select a light color and one of the new easy-to-clean indoor wall
paints. Many major paint manufacturers sell this type of paint.
Some of it has a low porosity finish and others have components
formulated in to keep dirt from sticking to the paint surface.
(by: Jim Dulley)
3. HANDY HOME
TIP- Wax in your carpet
To remove candle wax that has dripped
onto the carpet, use an iron and a couple of paper towels. Turn
the iron to a low setting. Place the paper towels on the wax.
Then rub the iron on the paper towels being careful not to leave
the iron in one place too long (You don't want to burn the carpet).
As the wax melts the paper towel will absorb the wax. (Home Doctor)
4. GIVING YOUR
DECK/FENCE A NEW FACE
Are you wanting to spend some time
relaxing on your deck this summer? If your deck needs work, you
have many options. The easiest one is to contact Home-Work for
free painting estimates! For you handy,energetic types, here are
some tips on removing old and peeling paint, many coats, from
a wood surface. How to approach it depends on the amount of surface
area. If it is not too big then sanding is a good solution. On
larger surfaces, it might be better to use a paint remover solution.
Remember that your new paint will be much better and last longer
if you can remove any of the old, loose paint. Also, when you
re-paint, use a good primer first. Make sure to ask at the paint
store which type of paint is best for your situation. (Home Doctor)
5. PREPARING
YOUR HOUSE FOR SALE
Doing whatever you can to put your
house's best face forward is very important if you want to get
close to your asking price or sell as quickly as possible. Short
of spending a lot of money, there are several steps people can
take to make their home show better:
- Sweep the sidewalk -mow the lawn
-prune the bushes -weed the garden and clean debris from the
yard -clean the windows (both inside and out) and make sure
the paint is not chipped or flaking
- Be sure that the doorbell works.
- Clean and spruce up all rooms,
furnishings, floors, walls and ceilings. It's especially important
that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless.
- Organize closets.
- Make sure the basic appliances
and fixtures work. Get rid of leaky faucets and frayed cords.
- Make sure the house smells good:
from an apple pie, cookies baking or fresh bread.
- Hide the kitty litter.
- Put vases of fresh flowers throughout
the house.
- Having pleasant background music
playing in the background also will help set your stage.
(Brought to you by one of our
sponsors: Realty World Tempo South Calgary- 253-1901)
I would like to thank all of our
sponsors:
Pillar to Post Home Inspection, Realty
World Tempo, Keaco Services (Carpet&Upholstery Cleaners),
High Security Lock Co., Remax House of Real Estate, The Blind
Doctor- Blind Cleaning & Repair, Richardson Rug & Upholstery
Cleaners, Phantom Screens, and Blinds 2000. Please visit our
web page find out more about the services they offer.
6. Just for
laughs :)
Three contractors were visiting a
tourist attraction on the same day. One was from Calgary, another
from Saskatoon, and the third from Toronto.
At the end of the tour, the guard
asked them what they did for a living. When they all replied that
they were contractors, the guard said, "Hey, we need one
of the rear fences redone. Why don't you guys take a look at it
and give me a bid?" So, to the back fence they all went to
check it out.
First to step up was the Saskatoon
contractor. He took out his tape measure and pencil, did some
measuring and said, "Well I figure the job will run about
$900. $400 for materials, $400 for my crew, and $100 profit for
me."
Next was the Calgary contractor.
He also took out his tape measure and pencil, did some quick figuring
and said, "Looks like I can do this job for $700. $300 for
materials, $300 for my crew, and $100 profit for me."
Without so much as moving, the Toronto
contractor said, "$2,700."
The guard, incredulous, looked at
him and said, "You didn't even measure like the other guys!
How did you come up with such a high figure?"
"Easy," he said. "$1,000
for me, $1,000 for you and we hire the guy from Calgary."
