Blog
3 Steps To A Healthier, Happier Home
Brought to you by Stonebriar Home Inspections! Today, people are more focused on health and wellness than ever before. You know this because you are constantly flooded with advice on what to eat, how (and how much) to exercise, and what to ask your doctors. All of...
4 DIY Tips To Save Money And Get Your Home Ready For Winter
From your friends at Stonebriar Home Inspections! Many people look forward to the cooler weather. The brisk autumn winds and colorful leaves signal that once again it’s time to take out the sweaters and scarves. There are the hot soups and pumpkin-flavored drinks to...
The Sound Of Silence: How To Design A Quiet Home Office
The Article Courtesy of Stonebriar Home Inspections! In today’s increasingly digital world, it’s no surprise that more employees are opting to work from home. While there may be a shift of physical locations — from the office building to the home — productivity is...
Tips To Stop Drafts, Save Money And Improve Your Home
Here are a few great fall/winter tips for helping to keep your home warm and also help on your energy bills from your friends at Stonebriar Property Inspections. As you are aware, colder weather is here. Before those winds begin to howl, be sure your home is ready for...
10 Hot Home Tech Gifts for Every Budget!
'Tis the holiday season, which means it's prime time to find good deals on fancy new electronic gadgets that promise to make your home even more awesome! Does your home entertainment system need an upgrade? Are you looking to improve your house's security system? What...
How to Keep Your Cool by Maintaining Your Air Conditioner
It's summer in Dallas — which, as you know, means air conditioners are running and utility bills are rising. Did you know that 6% of your household energy goes to cooling your home? And homeowners spend $29 billion every year to run their A/C systems! Air conditioners...
Your 7-Step DIY Sprinkler Tune-Up Checklist and When You Can Water in DFW
With temperatures already in the eighties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, it's a good time to make sure your sprinkler system is in tip-top shape. Doing so will save you water, which in turn saves you cash. (Did you know that minor water leaks account for more than 1...
6 Steps to Keep Your Pipes from Bursting During a Freeze
Did you know a 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can release up to 250 gallons of water in a single day? That's why it's important to protect your plumbing when the temperature dips below freezing. Water in pipes expands as it turns into ice. Pipe bursts. And you are left...
10 Gifts Any First-Time Homeowner Wants to Receive
Our friends just bought their first home, so we've been trying to find the perfect holiday/housewarming gift for them. There are so many options, and we've done some research. Along the way, we've collected 10 gift ideas we think any first-time homeowner will...
The Top Five Decisions to Make Before Gutter Replacement
Some friends of ours recently replaced their gutters and downspouts. And while that sounds like a relatively simple project, they found there was more to consider than they expected. If you are planning for a gutter replacement anytime soon, here are the top five...
What You Wish You Knew About Fire Extinguishers
It's the National Fire Protection Association's Fire Prevention Week, and their focus for the third year in a row is on smoke alarm safety. Smoke alarms are a great way to protect your family, pets, and home from unnecessary fire and smoke damage. We wrote about how...
Three Keys to Keeping Your Smoke Alarms Ready to Rescue
September is National Preparedness Month. Fire Prevention Week is just around the corner — October 9th through the 15th. And the National Fire Protection Association and U.S. Fire Administration want to educate you about the basic, but life-saving, smoke alarm....
Make Sure Your Home Inspection Isn’t Botched
We were watching Botched the other night – a TV show about a couple of plastic surgeons who fix procedures that other people have messed up. Usually, those who botch the surgeries are not ethical, licensed plastic surgeons. Often, they’re not even doctors. Yet people...
Prevent Costly Home Repairs with Proper Grading and Drainage
Standing water near your home’s foundation caused by improper grading or faulty gutters and downspouts can cause damage, including slab movement, retaining wall failures, and slope instabilities. It can also lead to serious foundation problems, requiring costly...
10 Budget-Friendly Ways to Stage Your Home For a Fast Sale
If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, you want to sell it at a fair price, as fast as possible, and with the least up-front investment of time and money. And while you may need to make critical repairs or decide to update a few “That 70’s Show”...
The Pros and Cons of Buying an Older Home
Drive into the suburbs of any large city and you’ll find new housing developments under construction. Obviously, new construction is popular to many. But most people buy an existing home — one that someone else has lived in and wants to sell. Did you know that there...
The #1 Tool You Need to Maintain Your Home
It takes a lot of effort to maintain a home. The long list of recommended tasks can quickly overwhelm any homeowner. But the effort is worth it. Failing to properly maintain your home can lead to unnecessary costly repairs. It can also put your family's safety at...
10 Ways You Should Prepare Your Home for Winter Now
Winter is coming. Is your home ready? Before the cold weather makes its presence known, here are 10 tasks you should check off your list to make sure your home is in good shape to withstand the elements and keep you safe and warm. Here are ten ways you should prepare...
What Does A Home Inspection Cover & How Long Will It Take?
Home inspectors report on many different areas. Mechanical and structural components will be evaluated from top to bottom. These areas will include the roof cover/ roof structure, foundation/ drainage, exterior walls, windows, doors, chimney stack, patios, decks,...
Why Selecting the Right Home Inspector is Critical
Home inspections are important and can save you thousands of dollars in potential costly repairs, so selecting the right home inspector is critical. Once you have a signed contract you need to identify a home inspector ASAP, as the option period clock starts ticking....
Why You Need A Home Inspector When Purchasing A Home
What a qualified home inspector does for a home buyer and why you need one in your corner when purchasing a home When purchasing a home there are so many things to be concerned about. Especially for first-time home buyers this experience can be a crash course in which...
How to Prepare for a Home Inspection in Dallas – Fort Worth
One of the final steps in the process of selling your home involves a home inspection. Typically, if you have reached this stage you have already received an offer from a buyer and there are just a few details to iron out. Pay attention to the details, and the sale of...
Common Problems Even New Homeowners Can Inherit
Learn about the most common things home inspectors can miss that you can get stuck having to repair, even with new construction or homes built recently. Is that new home really your dream palace or a complete nightmare and financial disaster? Just because a home...
Home Inspections: Not Just for Buying or Selling
Generally homeowners obtain home inspections only when buying or selling, but they can be valuable and save you money in more ways than one. Find out how in this article... When a home is changing hands is the most common time to have a home inspected. Once the new...
Home Inspection Myths
In this article, Keith Boggs, a licensed home inspector in Dallas, TX, explains common home inspection myths and misconceptions. Myth # 1: All home components are inspected. Inspectors are limited visually. Home inspection is not a “CSI type” of inspection. Home...