Proper Gutter Maintenance

Clearing out your gutters can greatly reduce natural wear and tear to your home. Making sure they are clean before the winter will greatly aid snow melting and be preventative against things like rust. There are a few things to consider before taking on this task:

1.     Safety

Cleaning gutters can be done safely with the proper equipment and a plan. For gutters over a single story, many people hire a professional service. While this is always an option, the job can be done yourself. A decent ladder is the first step towards ensuring your safety while over a story high. Your ladder should be tested prior to use to check for weak spots and level footing. Place the ladder on a flat, hard surface, as it can sink in mud.

2.     Leaf Blower Method

There are many ways to clean your gutters. For low roofs and dry debris, considering using a leaf blower. This is a quick and effective way to get the job done. For more intense cleaning, such as damp, matted debris, keep reading!

3.     Complete Cleaning

If your gutters require a little more attention, a deep cleaning may be the best option. For this option, plan on it taking a few hours from start to finish, depending on the size of your gutters. First, make sure your ladder is completely secure. After checking your ladder for stability, put on some thick work gloves. Gutters can have sharp edges and protruding screws, so never handle them without work gloves. After your ladder is secure and your gloves are tightened, use a small hand shovel to remove dry debris. You should be able to get the majority of the debris out with this method. After this step, use a high pressure water hose, such as a power washer, to remove thicker, tougher debris. Unfortunately, this could be a messy situation, so consider using the power washer on the side of the house after the job is complete. When the gutters are clear, the last step is to check drain pipes for blockages. You can aim the pressure washer down in the pipe, but this may be a dangerous angle on a latter. Consider using a plumber’s auger to loosen clumped up debris in the spout. Free flowing downspouts will help backup and overflow in the gutters and prevent against early rust.

Getting Ready for New Tenants

Even after the numerous tasks for listing a property have been completed there is still work to be done is order to be fully prepared for new tenants at your rental property. In order to properly welcome the new tenants there are a few things that should be considered.

The Search for a Tenants

First, screening the possible tenants. This can be a little awkward at times, but is extremely important because you want to find serious tenants that will not cause any issues with the property. The primary thing to do is to ask questions to determine how motivated the potential tenants are. People that are looking to move in the next few days or even the next day indicate that they are not good planners and are probably not the type of tenants you want. On the other hands, tenants that are looking to move in several months should also be avoided as they are not immediately motivated to begin renting. There is a sweet spot in between the distant future and the next day that you as the property manager need to determine. A good place to start to find that time frame is to check the potential tenants credit, background, and criminal records. No evictions, steady work, and a clean criminal record usually indicate a good tenant.

The next step after a tenant has been selected is to collect the first month’s rent upfront and a security deposit. From there the following measure is the leasing agreement. This is the best way to express rules for the property such as: whether or not smoking is okay, the amount of roommates that can be living there at any given time, or any specifics on how rent payments should be made.

Welcoming the Tenants

Once all the technical arrangements are made the final step in the process is creating a welcoming environment for the tenants. Flowers or a gift basket is a nice gesture. Another option as a welcome gift could be household essentials such as paper towels or bottled water; since moving can be frustrating, these little items are sometimes over looked. New tenants typically really appreciate the thought of a gift in general. An exceptionally nice gesture would be a nice bottle of wine or craft beer from a local shop in the neighborhood to show that the new tenants are welcome to the neighborhood.

Video Intercom Solutions: Chicago 13-Unit

Just Installed Video Intercom!

Intercom systems are evolving in a way that benefit tenants and managers in exceptional ways. Fixed intercoms are a tool of the past. The ButterflyMX intercom system is a product that has transformed the way that property managers maintain their properties. ButterflyMX offers state-of-the-art and dynamic ways for tenants to handle their home simply by using their smartphones. As technology becomes more and more advanced Two Blue makes every effort to keep with the times. Thus, Two Blue recently installed the ButterflyMX intercom system in a 13-unit property located in West Town and has seen how the system helps communication at the property.

Property Management Benefits

The system is easy to use and allows property managers to utilizes intercom features throughout the entire building through a user-friendly web portal. There is also a function that allows the property manager to contact anyone in the building through widespread messaging. ButterflyMX can be integrated into most existing property management systems and can update new information automatically to shrink data entry mistakes and to decrease time spent integrating new tenants. The system also promotes a new level of security for the building by tracking who comes in and out of the building by logging all entries and exits from the primary door. Lastly, ButterflyMX uses cloud based data storage to collect and store information on all building activities.

Tenant Benefits

Residents can also reap many benefits from the system. The mobile app is the control center for the tenant to completely govern access to their home. The touch screen intercom located at the front door allows visitors to contact tenants directly on their phone and allow access to the building remotely. There is also a virtual key function that allows for temporary electronic keys to be made and will expire at a given time to allow service personnel into their home. Tenants also have the ability to use multiple methods of messaging to contact visitors. Voice messages or texts can be sent to visitors even when the tenant is not home. There is also an electronic time stamp function for entries and exits from the building. Tenants can manage records of their guests as they let them in all within the mobile app. The smart phone interface allows for extremely easy communication with the front door as well as opening the door remotely.

Garbage Drain Disposal Care

Garbage disposals have recently become a standard in the modern-day home in Chicago. There are many added luxuries of being able to throw waste and food down the drain, but they should not be taken for granted. All sink drain lines with garbage disposals should be rodded every 6 months to 1 year depending on the size of the building and usage of the owner/tenants. As an experienced property management company in Chicago, here are a few tips on how to save your drains from overflowing/clogging and how to save your association/landlord from charging you for the damages.

1. Run the disposer along with a steady stream of cold water for 10-15 seconds before and after grinding is complete.

2. Avoid using hot water during grinding. It is ok to use your garbage disposal between grinding periods.

3. Do not pour grease or fat into your disposer or drain.

4. Avoid grinding or draining the following:

   1. Large amounts of fruit or vegetable peels

   2. Fibrous materials such as celery, corn husks, artichokes, carrots, etc

   3. Hard Materials such as bones, fruit pits, etc

   4. Large amounts of Rice or Pasta/Noodles

   5. Egg Shells

   6. Potato Peels

   7. Coffee Grounds

5. Use a disposer cleaner to relieve objectionable odors caused by build-up, or grind a small amount of citrus fruit peels to freshen up the area.

Windows Energy Savings - What To Look For

Heating during Chicago winters is expensive, and here at PRG Management, we try to work towards finding you cost-effective, sustainable energy savings to help ease your electric and gas bills when it gets cold.

One option is to upgrade your old windows to energy efficient windows.  Energy star qualified windows start at around $100 for a normal sized single-hung window.  Energy Star Windows can help you save an estimated $126-$465 a year. 

Making an informed decision is important, so here are some options you can get if you are looking for new windows:

Common Frame Materials

o   Fiberglass: Paintable, low maintenance, and good thermal performance, but costly.

o   Vinyl: Good thermal performance and cheap.  Nonpaintable and easily cracked during the winter due to expansion and contraction.

o   Wood: Good thermal performance.  It needs heavy maintenance and has a high cost for quality frames.

o   Aluminum: Strong, good color choices, and low maintenance.  Quality is varied, and thermal performance is low.  More suited for warmer climates.

SHGC and U-Factor Glazing Ratings

o   Most glass now has 2 panes of glass and a low-e coating for lowering heat transfer to ensure better insulation in your home.  For colder climates, what you want is high-SHGC and low U-factor windows.

o   SHGC is an indicated value of how much solar radiation is passed through a window assembly.  The higher the solar heat gain coefficient; the more solar heat it transmits.

o   U-Factor is an indicated value of a window assembly’s ability to resist heat flow and insulate.  Lower U-Factor numbers indicate better insulating properties.

Other items to look for

o   Multiple panes of glass with a gap between create an air buffer to insulate your home better.

o   Different gases can be used to fill the double or triple panes of glass for less thermal conductivity and better insulation.

o   Low-e(missions) coating reflects Infrared and UV light from the outside, and also keeps your heat locked indoors.

Choosing The Right Salt This Winter

With the winter season approaching fast, we know that Chicago winters can be very unpredictable when it comes to winter weather.  Buildings and Associations should be preparing to get good pricing on snow removal and salt before the snow and cold sneak up on you.

An important decision for buildings every year is what kind of de-icer to use for the season.  Common walkways must be de-iced to ensure the safety and comfort of walking around your property.  Here are some comparisons of different snow-melting salt options PRG Management has reviewed to help you decide on property management in Chicago this winter.

·         Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride

o   Price scale: Medium

o   Fast acting and effective alternative to the commonly used rock salt.  Mostly safe for grass if used minimally to moderately.  Melts to -25 degrees F.

·         Magnesium Chloride

o   Price scale: Medium

o   Fast acting and effective alternative to the commonly used rock salt.  Mostly safe for grass if used minimally to moderately.  Melts to -13 degrees F, and has a higher chance of damaging asphalt or sidewalks.

·         Potassium Chloride

o   Price Scale: High

o   Safest Pet and Garden friendly alternative.  Melts to -25 degrees F.

·         Sodium Chloride/Rock Salt

o   Price Scale: Low

o   Basic rock salt.  Extremely cheap but toxic to pets, damages surfaces, and not garden-friendly.

·         Metal and stairs

o   Metal and stairs can be a hassle.  There are several options for melting ice on metal stairs to minimize, such as Urea based de-icers or using a brine (liquid de-icer) solution.  Another solution would be to use Sand.  Sand is not a de-icer, but if you shovel beforehand, sand can provide traction for walking on the stairs along with preventing new ice from forming on top of it.

These are the most common types of de-icer that we at PRG Property Management have worked with in the past.  As a premier Property Management company in Chicago, we are more than happy to help your building manage any upcoming winter woes to ensure a safe environment for everyone!