5 Holiday Hosting Disasters and How to Avoid Them

Imagine you’re preparing to host your annual holiday party, and you’re past the point of no return. The veggies and meats have been bought. Guests are already braving busy airports and crowded highways to get to your home—and then your oven won’t turn on. Your home-cooked meal has quickly turned into a microwave dinner.
That’s just one of many hosting nightmares that can end your holiday party before it even begins. Thankfully, some of the most damaging mishaps easily can be avoided. We collected five of the most prevalent issues and give you preventative tips to keep your holiday party on track. Problem: The oven doesn’t heatFor any holiday occasion, the oven is the most important appliance in your house. If it fails to work, the centerpiece of your meal could go from roasted beef, ham, duck, or Tofurky to Peking Duck from the local Chinese takeout joint. How to avoid:
  • There are any number of reasons a stove can break, but one common cause of disaster is easy to prevent. Don’t self-clean your oven until AFTER the holidays. You risk blowing a fuse or a thermostat, and tracking down an oven technician around the holidays can be tough.
Problem: The kitchen sink clogsThe day after Thanksgiving is the busiest of the year for plumbers. The prime cause of this clog-a-thon is the mistreatment of drains when cooking holiday feasts. We hope your Thanksgiving went well, and that you avoid clog-a-thons for the rest of the holidays. How to avoid:
  • Fats and cooking oils can solidify in your pipes, so never dispose of them in your kitchen sink.
  • If you have a garbage disposal, make sure it’s running before anything goes in it, and never feed it any stringy, fibrous, or starchy foods like poultry skins or potato peels.
  • To fix, don’t rely on chemical drain-clearing products that can harm your pipes. Use a snake instead, available for $15 at your local hardware store. Best to keep one on hand.
Problem: The heat goes outAs the party’s host, you’re supposed to hang guests’ coats—not apologize to them for having to keep them on. A lack of heat can stop a holiday party dead in its tracks. How to avoid:
  • The key to avoiding freezing your party to a standstill is regular maintenance of your HVAC. Every 90 days, a new one-inch pleated furnace filter should be installed. If you haven’t done it in a while, now’s a good time to replace it.
  • Also inspect insulation on refrigerant lines that are leading into your house. Replace them if they’re missing or damaged.
Problem: The toilet stops upToilets have a way of clogging up at the worst times, such as during parties and when you have overnight guests. This is especially true if you have a low-flow toilet from the early 1990s. How to avoid:
  • Don’t flush anything other than sewage and toilet paper down the toilet. And there’s nothing wrong with putting up a polite note to remind your guests to do the same.
Problem: The fridge doesn’t coolWithout a properly functioning refrigerator, your meat could get contaminated, your dairy-based treats could go sour, and you may not be able to save your yummy leftovers. To avoid discovering a warm fridge after it’s too late, take these simple precautions. How to avoid:
  • Get a thermometer for your refrigerator to make sure each shelf stays below 40 degrees and you can be aware of any temperature changes.
  • Also make sure the condenser coils located on the back of the unit or beneath it are free to breathe. Coils blocked from circulating air by cereal boxes atop the fridge, or dirtied by dust or pet hair can prevent a fridge from keeping cool.
Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from Houselogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Radon - A Red Flag for Sellers & Buyers

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the ground from the breakdown of radium.  It is very prevalent in New Hampshire.  Studies show that high levels of radon increase the risk of lung cancer.  Radon enters your home through cracks in the foundation and even from the release of the gas in your water (taking a shower for example). Today's buyers test for radon in the air and water and expect sellers to mitigate levels that are higher than recommended guidelines.  Buyers can also use this as a negotiating point to reduce the sales price.  For sellers to maximize selling potential, it is best to test before listing and install mitigation systems as needed.  This will make the home more saleable and avoid a point of conflict with buyers. In order to better understand radon, contact the State of NH at 721-4764, or give Donna a call for a free state environmental fact sheet on radon, 526-4116.

Donna Forest, Broker Associate

We Have Just the House for You!

Whether it's this roomy Colonial in New London, or a beautiful post and beam with Lake Sunapee access, we can find the right home for you.

Featured today is 3 bedroom, 3 bath Colonial in a great location only minutes to shopping, the post office, and hospital/medical offices.  Nice-sized rooms with open kitchen/family/dining rooms.  There is also a detached, large barn/workshop all on 2.4 acres.  For more photos and details, visit www.70PineHill.com.  Offered at $269,000.

Marilyn Kidder, Listing Broker

603-526-4116

New Listing - Charming New Englander

This well-maintained home is adorable and offers a huge great room perfect for entertaining.  It's in New London and close to schools, shops and parks.  Restored barn.  Screened porch and wraparound porch to enjoy the outdoors.  3 bedrooms, 1 bath.  Offered at $200,000 and ready to move in!

Stacey Viandier, Listing Agent

Build the Home You've Always Wanted - Two New Land Listings

Incredible value at this price!  Two wooded lots with stone walls in back adding a typical touch of New England.  Nice neighborhood setting and located on a quiet, dead-end road.  Under 7 miles to Mt. Sunapee Ski Resort and about 11 miles to I-89 for commuting.  Snowmobile trails nearby for winter fun.  Both just under an acre and offered at $28,000 each.

Donna Forest, Listing Broker

Is Your Home Safe this Winter?

More than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels.

Heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes. All home heating systems require regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to practice the following fire safety steps to keep those home fires safely burning. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility ...Fire Stops With You!

Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean

• Have your chimney or wood stove inspected & cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.

• Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.

• Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces. Leave glass doors open while burning a fire.

• Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures.

• Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.

• Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.

Safely Burn Fuels

• Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.

• Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup.

• Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.

• Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.

• When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate.

• Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving.

• Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside your home.

Protect the Outside of Your Home

• Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home.

• Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris.

• Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester.

• Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.

Protect the Inside of Your Home

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long life smoke alarms.

• Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.

• Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.

 

New Listing in New London Under $200,000

Great first time home or rental property. Plenty of room for expansion. Wonderful location - walk to town, restaurants, New London Barn Playhouse, school. Town water and sewer. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. Offered at $149,900.

A Place to Call Home

Warm up in the whirlpool tub then make first tracks at Mt. Sunapee Ski Resort just 4 miles away!  Enjoy lazy summer afternoons in the sparkling pool or lounge on the pool side deck.  This 4 bedroom home will surprise you with generously proportioned bright rooms and flowing floor plan.  For more details and photos, visit www.50SiouxPath.com.  Offered at $258,900.

Donna Forest, Listing Broker

Price Reduction on Two Bedroom Condo in New London

Simplify your life and live maintenance-free!  Let someone else worry about snow removal and lawn mowing.  Total independence yet in a community environment within walking distance to New London's shopping center.  Garage, elevator, central A/C, large common room with kitchen.  Ground floor unit with patio.  Was $165,000, now $138,000.

Donna Forest, Listing Broker

New Listing - Walk to Sunapee Harbor Restaurants and Shops

Live the life you love in this spacious 4 bedroom multi-season retreat!  Light and airy open floor plan, ample storage and counter space, hardwood floor, lower level with family room and rec room.  Only 4 miles to Mt. Sunapee Resort.  Offered at $359,000.  For more photos and details, visit www.42Burkehaven.com.

Donna Forest, Listing Broker