Trusted Tips and Resources

Trusted Tips & Resources

Trusted Saskatoon Realtor Marla Janzen's Tips to Prepare Your Home for Fall and Winter Weather

As an award-winning SASKATOON REAL Estate agent, Marla Janzen knows the city and surrounding area extremely well. She strives to find her clients the perfect new place to live while negotiating the best terms and price possible. She has a keen eye for house layout and home staging, which really benefits her clients, most of whom are past client referrals! In her latest Saskatoon real estate tip, Marla shares tips on how to prepare your home for the colder months ahead. 

PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR FALL FEELS

Fall has a certain air to it, don’t you think? As the seasons change, it’s time to get your house ready for the coming rain, snow, and ice. The best way to avoid problems later in the season is to plan ahead and do some simple house maintenance as early as now. By doing this, you’ll be free to take advantage of everything the autumn season has to offer. To help you out, I’ve compiled a list of practical things to do on your own. However, hiring a professional to do it for you will be more cost-effective in the long run, saving you both time and money.

Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare your house for the colder months ahead.

1. Check the roof for leaks

From the ground, you should be able to get a good look at it. Consider using a pair of binoculars or scaling a nearby structure for a better vantage point if you’re up for the challenge. Look for shingles that are loose, broken, or missing. The removal of leaves and other debris can be necessary if your roof is flat.

2. Make sure your gutters are clear

It’s critical to maintain the smooth flow of your roof’s drainage system, which annually diverts tens of thousands of gallons of water from the exterior and foundation walls of your residence. Clogged gutters can result in water damage to your home’s exterior and a flooded basement. They rust and corrode more quickly. Remove all debris from your gutters and cover them with mesh gutter guards before the leaves start falling this season.

3. Remove leaves and check the trees in your area

Examine the trees in your area. Look for broken or too close to electrical wires or the roof, damaged limbs. Meanwhile, clear the yard of leaves by raking them and then removing them. If you have access to a compost pile, use it. If this is not an option, place in yard waste bags and place at the curb for collection by the neighborhood.

4. Replace window and door screens

Strengthen the windows and doors of your home. Having storm windows and doors would be best as replacements for your screens. All doors and windows should have caulk and seals checked.

5. Pool closeout

Schedule a pool closing service if you have a pool and live in a cold climate. If you are capable, you can buy the supplies and close your pool yourself if you know how to do this task.

6. Garage clean up

Organizing your garage or shed for fall and winter is a terrific time to search through your supplies. Don’t wait for snow trouble before you find that snow shovel of yours. If you live in an area with erratic weather, be sure your snowblower is serviced and ready to go.

7. Manage the shed

Most often than not, we have summer items filing up our storage. It’s an excellent time to organize and clean up your shed now by rearranging and putting all summer items at the back and winter products in the front to make it easier to get the things you’d need in the colder seasons. Be sure to get rid of everything that could freeze, as well. Restore and store outdoor furniture that has been left unused over the winter. Clean the cushions by removing them and washing them—store furniture in a dry spot throughout the winter after cleaning and drying it.

8. Make a bundle of firewood a priority

With fireplaces in mind, it’s time to start accumulating firewood. You’ll be happy you did it when the cold weather arrives. Use dried and ready-to-use firewood if you’ve collected it yourself. Covering and storing firewood away from the home is the safest option. Outside, construct a firewood rack and a carrier for moving the wood inside. Make sure you have enough wood on hand for the entire season.

9. Take care of the fireplace and the chimney

The colder months would surely make you and your family spend more time together, lounging in front of the fireplace. Ensure that the fireplace and chimney are both working properly before using the fireplace. It’s highly recommended that you have a professional chimney sweep and inspection if you frequently use your wood fireplace. To avoid chimney fires, schedule a chimney cleaning appointment right away.

10. Make sure that the furnace and boiler are working properly

You should check your furnace or boiler in the fall to make sure it’s ready for the cold weather. A furnace’s filters should be changed on a regular basis throughout the fall and winter. Have it inspected if necessary,  by doing so, you’ll be saving money on your utility bills and have extra for shopping, maybe?

11. Turn off all faucets and put hoses away in a dry place

Disconnect outside spigots and drain garden hoses. Turn off external faucets and, if your house is older, the valve inside. Shut everything down. Keep hoses out of the freezer by storing them in a dry location. Follow the manufacturer’s protocol for draining and safeguarding an in-ground irrigation system from winter damage to freezeproof it.

All faucets that leave your home should have an internal shut-off valve. If the interior shut-off valve has a drain stopper, open it while the outside faucet is still turned on. The drain plug on the shut-off valve should be closed and then turn the outdoor faucet back to the off position once all of the water has been completely drained from the line. If you don’t have shut-off valves or can’t find them, hire a certified plumber to install them.

Blowout sprinkler lines and irrigation system. At this time, your irrigation system may need to be drained and checked. Repairs should be performed by a professional, and sprinkler heads near snow removal zones should be marked. By doing this, you’ll have peace of mind during the freezing season.

12. Check the condition of your furnace

It would be best if you had a professional inspect your heating system once a year. Think about doing this task before winter sets in so you don’t have to rush. And while you are at it, include your furnace on the checklist too. Hire an HVAC professional to check for leaks, evaluate the heating efficiency, and change the filter. They can also check for carbon monoxide for air safety. Also, keep spare air filters on hand and swap them out regularly.

13. Clean humidifiers

During the months when it’s operating, maintaining your central humidifier will make you and your house more pleasant. To begin, look over the plates or pads and, if necessary, give them a good cleaning with a strong solution of laundry detergent. Use a wire brush or steel wool to remove mineral deposits after rinsing the area well and drying. Replace any worn-out filters and give the compartment a thorough cleaning. Vinegar is a low-cost and effective solution. Just a trivia, did you know that dry winter air makes fine wood more susceptible to cracking? So much so that dry winter air can also cause harm or irritation on our skin.

14. Make time for carpet care

Cleaning your carpets is best done in the fall. This season is the most fantastic time to open windows and let fresh air in to help with drying. If you don’t know how to operate a carpet cleaning machine, hire a pro to do it for you.

15. Comfy clean bedding

Get your down and cotton comforters, linens, and knits out of the closet and give them a good cleaning. After a thorough wash, place your blankets in a handy closet so that they’re ready to go when the frigid nights arrive.


There you have it—my practical guide to prepping your home for fall. Make sure your house is ready for the next autumn season by being smart and practical. Preventative maintenance now will save you money on costly emergency repairs and other expenditures in the long run. Maintaining your house well not only increases its worth and appeal but also saves you time and energy. 

Is there something you need help with around the house or are you planning to sell or buy a new home for the winter? Contact award-winning SASKATOON REAL Estate agent Marla Janzen today for a free consultation! 

Marla guarantees to provide you with a stress-free, hassle-free, wonderful experience and we are sure once you have met her that you will not contact anyone else!

Marla Janzen is a TRUSTED SASKATOON REALTOR®

Trusted Saskatoon Furnace Experts at JOB Have Tips To Help Reduce Your Fall Allergies

JOB Heating & Air Conditioning Saskatoon is eager to provide the best possible customer experience. Their aim is to be a professional resource for our clients before, during, and after the sale! Their team takes pride in service knowledge of modern equipment and training. They are recognized by peers and offer sales, service, training & installations for residential, and commercial Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing systems in Saskatoon and area. In their latest article, they discuss tips to keep your furnace from triggering your allergies this fall. 

Tips to Keep Your Furnace From Triggering Your Fall Allergies

Though furnaces do not cause allergies, they can be a culprit for making them worse. When summer ends and you switch your heat on for the first time, all the dust and allergens that have built up in heating ducts end up traveling through the ventilation. This impacts air quality in the household. In keeping allergies away, good air quality is key. Here are a few tips to keep your furnace from triggering your fall allergies.

1. Replace Your Furnace Air Filter

HVAC filters are designed to collect allergens. In order to do their job properly, they need to be replaced regularly. A clean filter is more effective at catching allergens and will improve the overall efficiency of your furnace system. Replacing your HVAC filter regularly is one of the best ways to reduce allergies and ensure everyone in your household can breathe easily.


2. Clean Your Air Ducts 

Like HVAC filters, allergens collect over time in air ducts. Air duct cleanings are the best way to ensure these allergens are not spread throughout your home. Investing in air duct cleaning on a regular basis will help ensure good air quality so allergies do not become worse. 


3. Routine Furnace Maintainance Reduces Fall Allergies

Routine furnace maintenance is a key step to ensuring your household’s air quality is up to standard. Before switching on your heat for the first time, it is beneficial to have a maintenance inspection to solidify that your filters and air ducts are clean and that your furnace is in good working condition for the colder months. Ensuring your household’s furnace is properly maintained is a great way to prevent low air quality and help keep allergies at bay.

These are just a few tips to keep your furnace from triggering your allergies this fall. If you need any assistance with your furnace or home heating equipment, do not hesitate to contact our team at JOB Heating & Air Conditioning.

JOB Heating & Air Conditioning are Trusted Saskatoon furnace experts. They show up on time, deliver on budget, and leave the work area cleaner than when they arrived! They take pride in their work in this city and surrounding area, so nothing means more to us than testimonials from their clients as their preferred plumber in Saskatoon.

‘Your Comfort is Our Concern!’

JOB Heating & Air Conditioning Are Trusted Saskatoon Furnace Pros 

Hairstyle Inn Salon Your Trusted Saskatoon Salons for 10 Years!

TRUSTED SASKATOON RECOGNIZES OUR 10 YEAR PARTNERS!

In this series of articles, we are shining a spotlight on the businesses that have been with us since we launched in 2011. We want to thank them for TRUSTING our team, and we are recognizing each of them individually for providing 10 years of OUTSTANDING service to the public of Saskatoon and surrounding areas! In this article, we celebrate and recognize Laddie, Shelley and their amazing team at Hairstyle Inn Salon.


We are pleased to celebrate Hairstyle Inn Salons who have been TRUSTED Saskatoon Salon partners for over 10 years!

Right from the start Laddie and Shelley James believed in our idea and they believed that together we could make a difference! Hairstyle Inn Salons are a fun, fresh & locally owned; well-known salon group with TWO Saskatoon locations. Hairstyle Inn at the Centre Mall and Hairstyle Inn at The Lawson MallTheir wonderful creative team makes up one of Saskatchewan's premier cut, colour and design salon groups, established by the James family in 1976 when Laddie’s father opened up their first location.



Laddie has an impressive reputation within the salon industry worldwide, and he has been invited as an expert to perform and speak at major industry events and fashion shows from New York to Amsterdam! Hairstyle Inn Salons are in an industry that is notorious for the turnover of staff, but they buck the trend. They have many long-standing team members, including Katherine, who has been a stylist at the Centre Mall location for 35 years! This really showcases what sets them apart, the wonderful, caring and supportive environment that has been built and nurtured there over the years. They have a huge heart and it is OBVIOUS to anyone that steps inside their salons.

It’s easy to see why Hairstyle Inn Salons have such a great, long-standing history in Saskatoon and so many satisfied clients... me included! Every time I walk up to the counter I’m always greeted with a smile no matter who sees me first. I’ve been lucky enough to have my hair done by a few of their talented stylists and each and every time they are professional, friendly, and really take their time to get to know me personally. At either HSI location, it really is a place where everyone knows your name... or at least that’s how I feel! I’ve been to other salons around the city for many years and Hairstyle Inn Salons are by far the best around, and I’ll continue to go there and rave to others about their amazing team and outstanding service!


GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF HSI

The team at Hairstyle Inn Salons also gives back to our community in a huge way. They always step up to donate items and time, including volunteering at The Persephone Theatre, C95 Radio marathon, and last but certainly not least, the non-profit that Shelley James founded in 2006 - TLC@HOME. TLC@Home stands for Touching The Lives Of Children at Home. They provide a Christmas shoebox full of gifts for children at several participating inner-city schools in Saskatoon. They started with a few classes in one school and have continued to grow the number of children we reach each year. Their goal is to reach every child in each of the community city schools in Saskatoon. 


"The Trusted team has been actively involved in fundraising and donating our time to this great initiative. We treasure the days over the years that our team has been invited along to distribute gifts directly to children in the schools. I am so grateful to have Laddie, Shel and the team as part of my business and part of my life. " - Sara Wheelwright, Trusted Founder


 



Our involvement with  TLC@Home sparked the idea to launch a non-profit category on Trusted Saskatoon to further support 4 local non-profits and the Trusted team is proud to support TLC@Home as a Trusted Saskatoon Non-profit. 

Hear from the wonderful Laddie and Shelley by watching the Behind The Brand interview that was recorded last year. 



Over the last 10 years, Hairstyle Inn Salons has been re-checked, re-verified and mystery shopped several times, and each time they pass with flying colours. They continue to be top salons in Saskatoon and they have always upheld our 5 TRUSTED GUARANTEES of service for the 10 YEARS as Trusted Saskatoon Partners.



When the Trusted Saskatoon team gives a business the 'Thumbs Up' it really means something!! So continue to use and recommend TrustedSaskatoon.com to FIND GREAT LOCAL BUSINESSES YOU CAN TRUST like Hairstyle Inn Salons!

Hairstyle Inn Salons have been given the thumbs up as Trusted Saskatoon Salons for 10 years!!

Hairstyle trends change like the weather, but Shelley, Laddie, and the rest of the Hairstyle Inn team are always keeping up to date! For the best Saskatoon salon experience and Trusted customer service call Hairstyle Inn salon today or get more Hairstyle tips Inn in our Trusted Salon Tip Library.





Trusted Saskatoon was founded on the principle that great local businesses deserve the promotion. We know they are out there, we have found many already, and we work hard to find more. Please help us by nominating your favourite Saskatoon businesses here.

Marla Janzen Celebrates 10 Years As A Trusted Saskatoon Realtor!

TRUSTED SASKATOON RECOGNIZES OUR 10-YEAR PARTNERS!

In this series of articles, we are spotlighting the businesses that have been with us since we launched in 2011. We want to thank them for trusting our team and recognize each of them individually for providing 10 years of OUTSTANDING service to the public of Saskatoon and surrounding areas! This article celebrates the first EVER Trusted Saskatoon partner, Marla Janzen, a Trusted Saskatoon realtor



Marla Janzen, a Saskatoon REALTOR® You Can Trust  

Marla Janzen is truly outstanding as a local Saskatoon realtor and an amazing person, mother, partner, daughter, and friend to everyone she meets! Her personality is infectious, and she truly takes a heartfelt interest in meeting her clients' needs and goals. It's easy to see why she has risen to the top ranks of all realtors in Saskatoon, Warman and the surrounding area in such a short period of time. Marla is a multi-award-winning agent with eXp Realty. She has won dozens of awards throughout her real estate career, most of which are for real estate sales, but she has also been recognized for her outstanding marketing! In 2016, Marla was the recipient of the WMBEX Marketing Award at the Warman & Martensville Chambers of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. She has committed to representing Saskatoon, Warman, Martensville, and the surrounding area with the highest calibre of professional real estate service ever experienced in those communities!

Marla was taught that honesty, hard work, and stellar customer service are the most important parts of the business and she puts that philosophy to practice as she strives to be the best real estate agent in the area. She has been a Saskatchewan real estate agent since 2004 and she brings her vast knowledge and experience to help each of her clients and their specific needs. As well, Marla is adept at handling any transaction, regardless of property type or price point. We are confident she will offer you an outstanding experience, whether you are buying your first home, dream home, rental property or selling an existing property.


Over the years, Marla has been re-checked and re-verified, and she has been mystery shopped; each time, she has passed with flying colours. She has also consistently upheld our 5 TRUSTED GUARANTEES of service for 10 YEARS straight; she has never had as much as a grumble or complaint! 
Sara proudly presented her with her 10-year Trusted Saskatoon Partner Award. 




"Marla has been a joy to deal with over the last decade. She helped me find the perfect home for my family and the entire process from beginning to end with stress free. I am so impressed with how she has built her business and her brand over the years and she embodies what it means to be ' Trusted '." - Sara Wheelwright - Trusted founder. 

Marla Janzen has been a Trusted Saskatoon Real Estate Expert for over 10years!


If you’re considering selling your home, contact award-winning SASKATOON REAL Estate agent Marla Janzen today for a free consultation! She would be happy to offer you her personalized opinions.


Marla guarantees to provide you with a stress-free, hassle-free, wonderful experience and we are sure once you have met her that you will not contact anyone else! 

When the Trusted Saskatoon team gives a business the 'Thumbs Up' it really means something!! So continue to use and recommend TrustedSaskatoon.com to FIND GREAT LOCAL BUSINESSES YOU CAN TRUST like Marla Janzen with eXp Realty!


You can find out all about Marla's philosophy, what attracted her to the real estate industry,  and hear what drives her to provide excellence each day in the Behind The Brand Video we recorded with her in 2020. 



MEET  ALL OF THE 10 YEAR TRUSTED SASKATOON PARTNERS BY CLICKING HERE 

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