It’s time to see what winter’s wind, rain and snow have done to your home and make fixes quickly to head off water-related damage. First, head outside.

Spiff up the front entry. One way to stay on top of your home’s maintenance and protect your investment is to look at it as though you’re a stranger considering it for purchase. Perform repairs as the need arises and try each year to add a little to the home’s attractiveness on the outside. One good way to boost curb appeal, as real-estate agents call it, is to make the entrance more appealing. Once the weather is dry, check steps, decks and porches for wood rot and peeling paint. Repaint porch steps and railings yearly with durable deck paint. Wash winter grime and dust off the front door and door frame. Repaint or stain the front door to protect wood doors and give the whole home a little face lift. Consider using a fun accent color such as barn red, black, hunter green, navy blue or gold, depending on the other colors on your home’s exterior. You may want to add built-in planters to a deck or front porch and change the plants with the season.

Check for roof dams. Now that the worst of the weather is behind us, pull a ladder up to the roof to check the valleys and remove accumulations of sticks, leaves, tree needles and other storm debris. Similar to the dangers posed by melting snow on a roof, dammed-up debris can let moisture penetrate the roofing and reach into structural timbers and walls, causing rot and mold. Also, check the flashings, or metal seals, around roof joints, chimneys, skylights and other structures that penetrate a roof for holes or rust. Make repairs or call a professional.

Check for water under the house. While spring rains are still falling, or shortly after, get beneath the house to see if there’s any accumulated water. It should be dry there, even when it’s raining outside. If not, first eliminate the possibility of leaks from inside the house by checking the underside of the floor for dripping water or water stains. Track down any plumbing leaks and repair them or call a plumber. If an inside leak is not to blame, look next for seepage from outside the house. Check where the foundation meets the ground for spots where the earth slopes toward the house. Even dirt mounded around shrubs should be corrected by replanting. Fix any sloping earth so that it directs water away from the house. If you live at the bottom of a hill, that may mean calling a drainage expert to diagnose problems or help devise solutions. Keep up preventive maintenance by trimming trees and shrubs to keep them from touching the house and channeling water down the walls; remove ladders, wheelbarrows and other equipment stacked against the outside of your home. Install extensions on gutter downspouts to keep water far from the structure.




Want more ideas? Check out some indoor To-Do's at https://realestate.msn.com/march-home-maintenance-checklist

Want to own Hannibal Lecter’s storage unit?

The self-storage facility featured in the 1991 film “Silence of the Lambs” is going up for auction April 24. The 105,900-square-foot facility, at 7502 Thomas Blvd. in Pittsburgh, also was the first self-storage business in the city, according to commercial real estate broker Bill Matthews.

Matthews, a senior sales associate with Howard Hanna Commercial Real Estate Services who is marketing the auction, said bidding is slated to start at $100,000. The property belonged to Henry Focer, who died in September. The facility is being sold as part of his estate.

In the film, Jodie Foster plays FBI agent Clarice Starling, who’s tracking a serial killer with help from an imprisoned cannibal named Hannibal Lecter, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. The facility was the setting for Lecter’s storage unit, which Foster’s character visits in search of clues.

Matthews learned of the cinematic history of the building after asking about an old wooden sign he found stored in the office. The hand-painted sign read “Your Self Storage.”

The owner told Matthews about the “Silence of the Lambs” connection before his death.

“What the owner told me was the filmmakers asked, ‘Do you mind if we put a sign on the building?’” Matthews recalled. “The owner said, ‘No, not at all, just put my phone number on it.’”

Matthews said the owner’s only regret was not having Foster autograph the sign.

So far, Matthews hasn’t received any inquiries about the property from self-storage operators. Current tenants have been given notice to vacate.

“I believe the best use of the property would be conversion to modern loft office space,” Matthews said. “This facility is about one mile away from Bakery Square, which is where Google has its regional headquarters.”




Article originally posted at https://blog.selfstorage.com/self-storage-mom-and-pop/silence-of-the-lambs-storage-unit-4015

With substantial power outages across Erie, and still expecting 6-10 inches of snow today, here are some tips for how to handle powe