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House Talk |
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What To Look For In A Lawn Care Contractor
Whether you decide to hire a neighborhood teenager, a local company or a national firm, there are certain requirements that you should look for when hiring a lawn contractor. |
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First you should decide what your lawn care needs are. If you only want the grass mowed and nothing more, than a teenager would be perfect. If you’re hoping to have the most beautiful lawn on the block, than chances are a professional company would suit your needs better. Most professional lawn care companies offer services such as mowing, edging, fertilizing, pesticide spraying, tree trimming, weed control, and shrub maintenance.
Before hiring a contractor set some goals for your lawn, and communicate them in writing. Also, ask for written bids from the companies you are considering, and check out their reputation with the Better Business Bureau in your State.
Ask the company to provide you with proof that they are properly insured. If one of their workers falls out of your tree during a trimming, you’ll want to know the company is insured.
On a final note, make sure the company will be easy to reach and quick to respond to problems. Lawn care is a competitive business so you can expect, and should get, a high level of service. |
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Tips For Great Looking Carpets
Carpets should be vacuumed twice weekly and cleaned a minimum of once per year. |
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The best method of cleaning is steam cleaning. You can either hire a carpet cleaning company or rent a steam cleaner yourself.
The best advice for keeping carpets in good shape, is to handle stains quickly and effectively. For emergency spills remove any excess spilled material that was not absorbed with a spatula or scraping device. Next, blot with folded paper towels. Finally pour water over the spill, and blot again with paper towels. For more in depth information on removing stains call the Carpet and Rug Institute at 1-800-882-8846 for a free brochure on removing common spills.
What Do Real Estate Designations Mean?
You’ve probably been told that it’s important when hiring a real estate agent, to find one who has earned extra designations. The question is what are the designations that are important to look for?
The designation “GRI” which stands for “Graduate Realtors Institute,” is earned through the National Association of Realtors. It requires that a real estate agent complete at least 90 hours of course work on different subjects ranging from mortgage financing to real estate law.
An even tougher designation to get is the “CRS” designation which stands for “Certified Residential Specialist.” It is earned through the Realtors National Marketing Institute. This Institute also sets the guidelines for the “CRB” designation, which goes to highly trained real estate brokers. |