Real Estate Information Archive

Want to keep your mower going as long as the grass is growing? Follow these mower maintenance instructions

For do-it-yourself gardeners the lawn mower is an essential piece of equipment, worthy of meticulous maintenance. In fact, you may pamper your lawn mower just as much as you do your car!

Even if you winterized your lawn mower last fall, it’s a good idea to give it a good inspection and tuneup come spring. Here are 10 expert tips to help prevent expensive repairs and keep your mower running smoothly through the grass-growing season.

RELATED: 8 Tips to Keep Your Lawn Mower Running

1. Maintenance

Review the maintenance section of your owner’s manual for the best maintenance schedule — what to do and when to do it.

2. The right equipment

Have these tools on hand:

·        Hammer

·        Clamps

·        Socket/ratchet set

·        Spark plug socket and spark plug gap gauge

·        Grease gun

·        Square tip screwdriver

·        Oil filter wrench

·        Shop vacuum

·        Side cutter

·        Torque wrench

·        Plastic gloves

3. Clean out the mower

Remove the belt guards on the mower deck and clean out any grass clippings, dirt and debris. This buildup can damage belts and pulleys as it gets sucked up into the mower. Use an air compressor or leaf blower and a screwdriver to blow out and scrape away debris. Do this after every third mowing.

4. Check the spark plugs

Worn spark plugs can make it difficult to start the mower and can lead to misfires, poor fuel economy and engine damage. Replace spark plugs based on manufacturer recommendations.

RELATED: Help! My Lawn Mower Won’t Start

5. Spark plug maintenance

Make sure nothing falls into the spark plug cylinder by cleaning around the plug before you remove it. If the old plug is difficult to remove, use a spray to help loosen it (rather than brute force, which can damage the engine). Set the gap on the new plug before installation. Finger-tighten the new plug first, then use a plug wrench to gently tighten it down.

6. Fuel filters

Worn fuel filters can cause poor fuel economy, hard starts or a carburetor rebuild. Replace old fuel filters per manufacturer instructions. Reduce gas spillage by clamping off the fuel line, releasing the clamps that hold the filter in place and plugging the filter inlet with the thumb of your gloved hand. Pull the filter out of the outlet hose and install the new filter, pointing the fuel flow direction arrows toward the engine. Put the fuel line clamps back into place and un-pinch the fuel line.

Information provided by BrightNest.com.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

 

A few weeks ago, we noted the uplifting news that millennials are still very much interested in homeownership. Since then, we've run across a plethora of articles focused on millennials and housing. (Though when you search for a certain subject, you are sure to find it.)

Many of these articles position millennials as saviors. Without millennials, there is little upside left in housing, so the reasoning goes. We don't see it that way. Though we'd love to see more millennials enter the housing market as owners, they are still only a subset of the overall ownership market. What's more, their support is mostly concentrated in lower-priced homes.

More important than millennials, baby boomers, gen-x, or any particular demographic is the overall health of the economy. On that front, the data we've seen on the overall economy is encouraging. The latest gross domestic product (GDP) data show growth at a robust 4.6% annualized rate. This is good news for everyone, and should serve as tight backstop to housing, which is why we see no backsliding.

To be sure, we welcome millennials, but we don't need to be rescued by them. Rising economic growth will lift all demographic groups.

Information provided by Jessica Regan.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

It doesn’t matter if it’s insects or rodents: pest invasions are never fun. Unwanted critters can wreak havoc on your home, spread diseases and give you a serious case of the shivers. If you wind up with a big pest problem, it’s important to call an exterminator rather than ignoring the issue or trying to deal with it yourself. A professional will be able to safely and fully restore your home to its former pest-free glory.

But choosing an exterminator can be intimidating. What traits should you look for? Are you getting a fair price? Can they really and truly get those racoons out of your basement? It’s important to be informed, because pest control can be expensive. Here’s what you need to know when hiring an exterminator:

1. Ask for credentials. Don’t be shy – you have the right to see the exterminator’s license! Before you hire, ask how their technicians are trained and what certifications they had to receive before being hired.

2. Check their history. Do some research to find out how long the exterminator has been in business. If a company has been serving your community for years, chances are they’re a trustworthy organization. Another great way to find a reputable company is by asking neighbors and friends who they used in the past (and whether or not they were satisfied). You can also use sites like Yelp for recommendations.

3. Get an estimate. Depending on the pest, different strategies for removal (i.e. chemical spray vs. setting traps) can vary widely in price. Make sure you get an estimate for each strategy, and then weigh the costs and benefits. For larger projects (like termites), it’s a good idea to get estimates from multiple companies so that you can choose who is best to tackle your problem. Note: Most professional exterminators should offer you some sort of guarantee for the pest removal – be wary if they don’t!

4. Demand thoroughness. A professional exterminator should inspect your home, confirm the specific pest problem and then present you with several possible solutions. Ask them to explain the pros and cons of each extermination method. Note: An exterminator who doesn’t seem very knowledgeable is a red flag! They should be able to explain the pest’s habits, why the invasion may have happened in the first place and how each extermination method will affect you and your home.

Information courtesy of BrightNest.com.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

We all know it’s important for your Harrisburg PA home to be green, but did you also know it can be easy? Bonus: These changes will save you money, too!

Switch To CFLs. They’re bright, stylish and will save you money! Yes, CFLs have a slightly higher purchase price, but they only use one-fifth of the power and last up to ten times longer than your current light bulb. Plus, these new bulbs give you design options that don’t exist with standard light bulbs. Want a red, warm light to match your grey walls? No problem!

Make A Compost Bin. Yard trimmings and food waste make up 27% of the solid waste stream in the United States! Instead of adding to the landfill, make a compost bin. The mix you make of fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds and other leftover food scraps will help make your garden lush and improve its soil structure and water retention. Bonus: You’ll save money on fertilizer!

Reduce Junk Mail. Every year, the average household gets nearly 800 pieces of junk mail. To stop the never-ending stream of snail mail spam, just take a picture with PaperKarma! PaperKarma is a mobile app designed by two Microsoft guys to help you easily unsubscribe from the junk mail of your choosing. Simply use the PaperKarma App to snap a picture of the offending catalog or mailer and within 24 hours they will unsubscribe you from the spammer’s distribution list.

Wash Clothes in Cold Water. Up to 90% of the energy used while doing laundry comes from the fuel used to run your water heater, rather than the electricity needed to run the machine. So, wash with cold water instead! Bonus: It also saves the average family around $63 on their electric bills. If you’re curious just how much your family will save, try Seventh Generation’s Calculator. Info provided by www.brightnest.com)

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.