How to keep your home disaster free?

We can spend a lot of time and energy to shop for new appliances, new furniture,and things for remodeling.  How about keeping these investments from damages?  It may only take a tiny fraction of time and energy for such maintenance of our investments.

Here, I would like to talk about the preventive measures against water damages:
1. Periodically, we should check the water heater tanks, washing machine hoses, dishwashers, refrigerators and ice makers.  Make sure they are secure, in good condition and leak free.  If there is dripping water or a small leak, fix it right away.
2. If possible, check often the dryness of the crawl space.  In summer, we don't get much rain.  A wet or muddy crawl space means leakage in the water supply line(s) or the sewer line.  It is also a good idea to check your water bills.  A sudden jump in water bill could mean that you got leak somewhere in the water supply lines.
3. In Autumn, clean the gutters to prevent backup and/or leakage.
4. When we go on vacation in Winter, try to keep the house heated to certain degrees.  This is to prevent frozen pipes and the disaster that follows.  It's also important to close interior valves for exterior faucets in the cold Winter.


In retrospect, we will realize that it's much wiser spending $100 to prevent possible disaster, than several thousands (if lucky) to restore the damages after the disaster.


Let's be the wiser homeowners...

Some stories of home ownership in Silicon Valley

Buying a house in Silicon Valley is an interesting experience, if you can detach yourself from the financial stress.  In reality, you cannot.  It all depends on the price range you can afford before you venture out to seek the home of your today's dream.

In my earlier years of real estate sales, I had met too many buyers from out of the State who were in this Silicon Valley real estate cultural shock.   The story was usually that they just sold their two - three thousand square feet home with an acre of land somewhere.  Moving to Silicon Valley with much higher pays, they were dumbfounded to learn that the most they could afford was a 1500+- square feet Ranch home if they wanted a better school district for their kid(s).

However, Silicon Valley is truly Silicon Valley.  It's kind of magical in many senses.  Especially when the time plays tricks on us.  I have had many clients with technical backgrounds coming to this valley, first living in a one-bedroom apartment; then moving to a 1,000 square feet simple Rancho home; not long after, I was helping the young couples (now with kids) purchase multimillion dollars of homes.

So if you like to hear more good stories, please stay in tune and follow this blog.

Until then,
Sophia