#2520 – Build Decks Faster and Easier | The Buzz About Backyard Honey Bees | Stage Your Home to Sell

[Theme Music]

If your roots start to leak, all your floors really squeak, you’re living a money pit. Money pit. If your basement needs a pump, or your place looks like a dump, you’re living a money pit. Money pit. Pick up the telephone, fix up your home sweet home, by calling 888-MONEY-PIT.

 

[Producer Jim]

The Money Pit is presented by Daich Coatings. Now here’s Leslie Segrete.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is the Money Pit. Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone! We hope that you were able to get all of your money pit projects buttoned up for this amazing start to the summer.

 

Well guys, you know, it’s not too late to get your yard ready if you’re spending this holiday weekend at your friend’s house since you didn’t get a chance to get your own outdoor space done. It’s not too late. There’s always time to get your money pit in tip-top shape.

 

And you know what guys, I feel like when it’s your money pit, is anything ever really fully done? I feel like you finish a project and there’s something else to get started on. So no worries, take this weekend to enjoy, regroup, get started on those projects next weekend.

 

Coming up on the show this hour, are you tired of that back-breaking labor of digging holes and pouring concrete footers and setting posts for building joist and plank decks? Or that hard work of leveling and preparing the ground for installing an outdoor paver? Well, you can speed up the entire installation process of creating ground-level decks and raised patios with an amazing new product we’re going to tell you all about.

 

And if fresh local honey sounds good to you, you might be surprised that you don’t have to go any further than your own backyard. Backyard honey beehives are becoming very popular, plus you get a really cool outfit to operate that beehive in your yard. We’re going to share the buzz just ahead.

 

And it’s open house season. And if your house is going on the market, holding an open house is a great way to draw potential buyers in. You know, there’s limited inventory nationwide, so taking extra steps to properly stage and style your home can not only sell that house fast, but it can help bring in extra dollars from those buyers.

 

So we’ve got some tips to share coming up. Remember guys, you can reach us anytime at 888-MONEYPIT. We love to hear what you are working on and lend a hand.

 

Jim, who’s up first today?

 

[Producer Jim]

Carolyn is in Iowa. She’s holding and she’s got a question about a quartz countertop. Tell us what’s going on, Carolyn.

 

[Carolyn in Iowa]

What I notice are some dull spots that are showing up on the quartz countertop. We built this home two and a half years ago, and I always had understood with quartz, you didn’t have to polish or seal or anything.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I mean, quartz is fairly indestructible. You can put hot stuff on it, but it is also really absorbent, and you definitely need to polish it.

 

[Carolyn in Iowa]

Okay, so all that report that I’ve heard that you never have to do anything to quartz, it isn’t true?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, I mean, you have to do stuff to the granite, the marble, quartz over time. There is a sealant that the installers put on top of it in the whole process, and, you know, it wears away over time. And it’s interesting because the lighter the color, the more often you have to seal it, and it should be the same with quartz and marble and granite every, like, two to three years.

 

Now, I’ve got a granite countertop, I’ve had it a long time, probably 24 years. Maybe I’ve sealed it four times. It’s definitely not the correct amount, but I’m not having any issues in it.

 

But you’ll see, if you do get, there could be little areas where when they initially poured that sort of coating on top, where there were little divots in the natural surface, it sort of filled in and became like a clear spot. It can kind of pop out, especially on the edges. So that’s a thing that you want to do.

 

You want to have it resealed. You can have it done by a pro. You can buy some products online.

 

You know, you definitely can do a natural polish. But otherwise, it’s just going to dull over the years. It’s going to make it more porous.

 

It’s going to make it more susceptible to stains from, like, wine or olive oil or tomato sauce, lemon even. But it’s definitely something that you do need to be doing. It’s not totally like, woo, set it and forget it, I’ve got a solid surface.

 

It’s sort of like that, but with a little bit of work, right?

 

[Producer Jim]

Leslie, you don’t think she should just replace it with a bacteria-laden butcher block top?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Oh, God, no.

 

[Producer Jim]

Talk about maintenance.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I just, you know, it’s like, I don’t like them. I like the wood surface for, like, a workbench.

 

[Producer Jim]

Yeah, yeah, it’s a great look for there.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

In a kitchen, it’s so much work. And, like, the first time you put chicken on it, like, I’m going to freak out for the rest of the time I have it and worry.

 

[Producer Jim]

I like the look of it, but knowing what’s involved in the bacteria, that’s disgusting.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah. But if you’ve got it, we can tell you how to maintain it and keep it in tip-top shape. But it’s definitely not my first choice.

 

[Producer Jim]

Yeah, yeah. It is beautiful, but ugh.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, ugh.

 

[Producer Jim]

That’s the technical term. Kent in Kansas, you’ve got the money pit. What’s going on with you today?

 

[Kent in Kansas]

I have a vent that seems to maybe, you know, have some condensation or whatever, but I’ve got some stains of my bathroom ceiling. And I have tried to spray the, you know, the ceiling stain to fix it, but it continues to be a problem. And I wonder how do I, you know, what do I have to do up in the attic to take care of that?

 

Now, I do have a furnace up in the attic area, so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. But I think it’s associated with a bathroom vent.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Well, typically, when you have a ceiling leak that’s in a bathroom, it’s generally caused by that plumbing vent where it’s exiting the roof. Because all of your bathrooms are going to have a vent pipe that goes up. It’s about a three-inch wide pipe.

 

It goes from the bathroom and through the roof. And then there’s kind of like a rubber boot around the pipe that seals the water out at the roof as it sort of comes out through the roof. But the problem is that that rubber boot isn’t nearly as durable as the roofing shingles that are around it.

 

So when the sun is beating on it, it starts to break down. And then you’re going to end up with a gap around the pipe. And then the water, when it rains, is going to sort of sit on that pipe and work its way down the pipe.

 

And then it’s going to drip off or find another route and kind of end up somewhere near your bathroom ceiling. So that’s kind of the most common type of bathroom ceiling leak. It wouldn’t be the vent fan.

 

That’s possible. But it’s probably not that. It’s more likely this plumbing vent flashing.

 

So if you can, with binoculars, take a look up at that roof. Check out where that pipe is coming through the roof and see if it seems like it’s flashed in any way. Or maybe that flashing has deteriorated and it’s just the pipe.

 

If it’s really that flashing or that boot, if you’ll call it that, it’s really an easy fix. You kind of take off a couple of shingles. You put that new flashing back on.

 

And then you tack those shingles back in place and you’re good to go. Now, once that leak has been fixed, then what you would do is you would spray that stain on your ceiling with a little bit of bleach and water solution. Let it sit there for a minute.

 

Rinse it off. Wipe it dry. And you’re doing that because you want to kill any sort of mold or organic growth that may have occurred from that water sitting on that surface.

 

And once it’s dry, you’re going to prime the entire ceiling. You can use oil-based or latex-based primer. And then that’s going to seal that stain in.

 

And then you put on whatever top color you want. And that could be just a straight-up latex paint. Is that okay?

 

[Kent in Kansas]

Yeah, the ceiling right in the very center is a small crack. I’m almost afraid to touch it for fear that I’m going to put my finger all the way through it.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right. Well, if you’re afraid to touch it, you need to kind of find out what’s going on now and not later. So do poke around a little bit, but just a little bit.

 

If that small crack is in the drywall, it’s not a big deal. Just Google plumbing vent flashing. You’re going to see exactly what we’re talking about.

 

Let’s first start with making sure what’s happening with this leak and why you’re getting water. And then we can get to the rest. So first address that, and let’s make sure we’re doing the water stopping.

 

And then we’ll be here for you, okay? Give us a call anytime at 888-MONEYPIT. Hey, Money Pit podcast fans.

 

You want to help us out? Well, go ahead and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and we’re going to give you a virtual high five. Plus, you’ll be helping us spread the word about our show.

 

Just go to moneypit.com slash review. We hope that you are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend, and we thank you for spending part of your holiday with us. You know, we’ve got some fun news to share to help you tackle a great project this summer.

 

We are thrilled to announce that we’ve partnered with Daich Coatings to bring you the ultimate porch and patio makeover sweepstakes. Now through June 9th, you can enter to win amazing, easy-to-use DIY products from Daich Coatings that will transform your porch or patio or any concrete surface that you’ve got into an attractive surface that will last for years. You just head on over to moneypit.com slash sweepstakes right now through June 9th. Two grand prize winners will each receive about $1,000 in Daich Coating products. You can choose a decorative surface of spreadrock granite stone coating, track-safe anti-slip color coat, or roller rock rollable stone coating. And you’re also going to get a final coating of track-safe anti-slip sealer to create a gorgeous new space in your home.

 

There’s also going to be 20 runner-up winners who will each receive their track-safe anti-slip color kit. It’s valued at $150. Make sure you enter today at moneypit.com forward slash sweepstakes. You can enter every day through June 9th. Jim, let’s get back to Talking Home Improvement. Who’s up next?

 

[Producer Jim]

All right. Mike is on the line and has a question about staining his deck, Leslie. What’s going on, Mike?

 

Because we want to know. It’s our business now. You called us.

 

We want to know if you’re getting ready for summer or what’s happening. How can we help?

 

[Mike]

I have two decks. And a few years ago, I stripped the deck clean, did it the right way, sanded it, and re-stained it. And now it has turned back into what it was.

 

So, I’m questioning whether I need to replace all the boards or is there something else that I could do to get this deck looking good again?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

So, Mike, when you say it turned back into what it was, is it the stain that you put on is gone? Is it gray? Are the boards peeling?

 

What do you see on the surface?

 

[Mike]

It is. It’s peeling. It’s discolored.

 

And I have two decks, one that’s directly on Lake Champlain in Vermont and the one that’s back in the hills of Vermont. And so, it gets pretty tough weather here. But I’ve fallen back a couple years and it didn’t last like I would hope.

 

All right.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Did you use paint or stain?

 

[Mike]

I used stain.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right. Well, stain typically isn’t going to peel. A stain is generally just going to kind of fade and wear away.

 

But you definitely have some sort of adhesion issue. And if you were going to do this again, I would want to keep it as a wood deck. What I would do is prime it.

 

Now, you’re definitely going to be sort of leaning more towards a heavily saturated color way because the prime is going to cover over it. And then the stain, even if you go with a solid color stain, you’re going to see some grain but it’s not going to be like a clear or a more natural stain. Now, if you can take it all the way back down to the surface, you’re going to have to just do it this way again.

 

And I know you don’t want to but hopefully this lasts way longer. You could use an oil-based primer. If you’ve got cedar, you can use an anti-tannin primer because that’s basically going to grab that cedar.

 

And then on top of that, you would use that solid color stain which really will work very well. Again, you have to let though that primer dry, cure, process, make sure it’s totally cured before you put that solid color stain on it. And it really will work because if it’s done right and everything dries correctly and you’ve prepped correctly, maybe that solid color stain will last 15 years.

 

Generally, they say 5 to 10 but done right, you could get much, much longer especially when using the primer. Now, if you want another option, I mean, you’ve got extreme weather. We’ve got a place up in Vermont too so I know the weather can be all over the place.

 

You can have super hot days. You can have more snow than you’ve ever seen. So, it could be a good opportunity now for you to get a deck makeover where basically you leave the whole structure in place if that structure is sound and still well attached to the house.

 

It’s properly supported. You have no issues. You just take off those wood decking boards and you can put down a composite decking surface.

 

And that’s beautiful because that finish is going to last forever and ever. You don’t have to do anything. There’s a smooth side that shows the grain and then there’s a textured side that has the grain that gives it a more naturally feel.

 

Every so often, I have a composite. When I say deck, I mean like the three steps that go up to my screen and porch plus the landing pad are composite. It’s awesome and the little screen and porch is composite but it doesn’t sit in the sun.

 

But it does get hot in the sun so that’s a challenge sometimes for people. And the pricing has come down a bit over the years and you can get it in a ton of different looks and you can even get it in like a washed aged decking look as well. But composite could be a way to go and you could also sort of change the rails and the handrails and the spindles to composites as well.

 

You will never, ever, ever have to do anything to them except every so often pressure wash. I kind of pressure wash every spring season as my sort of maintenance and it’s great. So if that’s in your budget and you never want to paint, stain, sand ever again, that’s a way to go.

 

Now, if you’re doing this at this point, if you’re taking the boards off, there’s a great product and I don’t know if any of your decks are elevated or have space for a room underneath or maybe even storage. There’s a product that can only go on at this point when you’re putting on new deck boards and that’s Trek’s Rain Escape. And it’s basically like a series of troughs and downspouts.

 

So when you put those boards back on because it goes between the joists and that board, it will move the water away. So if you have an elevated deck, now the area below could be a hot tub for a pre-ski. It could be like, you know, an outdoor room.

 

It could be storage, whatever it is, but at least it’s dry. So this is really a great way that you can gain more space. And if you go with the composite, it’s just a great way to never have to deal with refinishing that deck again.

 

[Mike]

Well, thank you so much. Just one side question. You wouldn’t ever take the boards up and turn them over, would you?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I mean, sure, you could take the boards up and just turn them over. But if you’re going to do the same process of sanding and prepping and staining, you’re going to only get three years or so again before you have to do it again. So you might as well either go for the primer and the solid or just go composite and never do the work again.

 

[Mike]

All right, well, I appreciate your help so much.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, no problem, Mike. I really wish you well, and maybe I’ll see you around the backwoods of Vermont sometime.

 

[Mike]

I really appreciate your help.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, good luck with it.

 

[Mike]

Great, I’d love to see you out.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Well, once the winter weather ends, we all enjoy sitting in our outdoor spaces, enjoying the yard with family and friends. A deck or a patio can totally create that environment for you by giving you the anchor for your entire design. And this used to mean a lot of digging holes to support those decking posts or leveling a lot of square footage to level out that space for a stone patio.

 

But thanks to our friends at Bison, this project just got a lot less back-breaking for you, which is great. The level-up adjustable pedestal system, it’s going to save time, it’s going to save labor and money. And it does eliminate that difficult task of digging those holes for those concrete footers, filling them with concrete, leveling.

 

I mean, even the significant time that’s involved in leveling and preparing the ground surface. It’s just minimal ground prep here. You can build a deck or this raised paver patio in as fast as one day.

 

No demo or removal of old concrete slabs or pavers. And you build it directly over an existing hard surface or compacted soil and gravel, which really makes for an easy project. Now, the level-up adjustable pedestal, it fastens to that wood joist.

 

So you’re going to use a series of them and it builds a very strong, durable substructure. It’s made out of a composite. You can use this for pressure-treated wood.

 

And it’s really a great sort of setup system for this platform that’s meant to support each joist. And then it has multiple adjustment points so that what you’re doing as you’re putting all of these pedestals on your joist, you’re creating these leveling points. So you know that you’re having the ability to perfectly level your deck.

 

And the deck pedestals are sold in kits of 12. And that’s going to allow you to build an 8-by-10-foot deck using 2-by-6 lumber as that base. And you can combine multiple kits to create a larger deck, depending on your design needs.

 

You’re not limited to something small. You’re not limited to something square. You can come up with interesting shapes.

 

It’s just a matter of how many of these kits you’re going to need. And Bison has introduced a new pedestal system that supports an elevated outdoor tile and paver patio. And for the paver, this kit sort of contains 16 pedestals.

 

And what you’re able to do with that one kit of 16 pedestals is build a 36-square-foot paver deck. They’re made from weatherproof heavy-duty polymer, and the pedestal system is completely adjustable. So you can increase, decrease the height.

 

You know, it sort of compensates for a ground slope. You kind of just twist that pedestal by hand, and it adjusts the height so that you’re really able to create that level surface. I mean, this is a total game-changer because you were having to do so much physical work to create the groundwork to then level it out again.

 

It’s a great new system. It really is perfect for a more advanced DIYer or pros are even using them for ease of installation. Check it out because it’s a whole new system.

 

It’s definitely worth checking out how it works. There’s great videos online. You can look at levelupdecking.com, and it’s level-updecking.com.

 

The kits range from about $300 to $400 depending on the deck or patio, but it’s well worth it for a great build experience and a wonderful new favorite outdoor spot that you’re going to create. So check it on out today. Well, when it comes to having a beautiful lawn this summer, you got to remember to mow high and water deeply.

 

You need to set that mower blade to 3 inches or higher because that will encourage deep root growth, and it kind of shades the soil so that the grass grows much more healthfully. You want to water early in the morning with about an inch of water per week to keep that lawn looking healthy during the summer heat. And you know what, guys?

 

I give you full permission to skip the mowing this weekend. We’ll allow it for the holiday. Jim, let’s get back to the callers.

 

[Producer Jim]

We’ve got Dana on deck. Leslie, a little baseball reference. Did you catch that?

 

Was it great? Yes. She has a question about window glazing.

 

Go Tigers. What’s going on with you, Dana?

 

[Dana]

I have a number of fixed pane picture windows in my home that the glazing is kind of pulling out of. It’s not the kind of old school glazing that gets hard and chips off, but it’s kind of like a little bit sticky and soft, and it’s just coming out of. And so I’m wondering how I can fix this without having to actually take the window out.

 

I could probably take the trim off on the exterior fairly easily, but some of these are quite large, and I really don’t want to mess with taking out the interior trim.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, Dana. Well, now we know Jim is a Detroit Tigers fan.

 

[Producer Jim]

Important stuff.

 

 

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I don’t care very much for baseball. We’re a soccer, football household. I guess football all around, so hooray for that.

 

But, Dana, whatever baseball team or soccer team you like, go them, too. Well, Dana, you’re on the right track here. Now, the glazing that you’re talking about is actually what’s known as wet glazing, and the wet glazing is what’s between the fixed pane windows, and it’s all sealed right there in that window unit, right?

 

And then the frame that it’s contained within, which in your case seems like it’s wood, and it seems to me like the original manufactured wet glazing that was in there is starting to deteriorate and fall out as you’re describing it. So what you could do here is you could take off the trim to get to the side of that to be able to see all of it, and I’d pull out anything that’s loose or deteriorated and easily comes out, and then simply replace that with a silicone caulk. And a good quality silicone caulk can take the place of that old wet glazing.

 

And here’s a little trick of the trade. You want to try to get that filled up as much as you can. So if you wet your hand or your finger and you use something like a little bit of window cleaning solution on the tip of your finger, it will slide nicely over that caulk and give you a nice, perfect bead in its place.

 

Now, usually you can do this with latex, but when it’s silicone, you can’t. And that’s why you have to wet your hand, wet your finger, put the window solution on your finger so it kind of smoothly flows right over it, and it will have everything laying nice and tight. It’s a project, but, I mean, I would try to do everything, you know, in one attempt.

 

This way you’ll have some number of years before any additional glazing starts to separate again. Good luck with your project. Thanks again for calling us at 888-MONEYPIT.

 

Well, if fresh local honey sounds good to you, you might be surprised that you don’t have to go to a farmer’s market to get some. You actually don’t have to go any further than your own backyard, if you like. Backyard honeybee hives are becoming very popular.

 

Honeybees, for the most part, are actually quite docile. I mean, don’t get me wrong. If you mess with them, they are going to mess right back with you.

 

They do have stingers, but a honeybee dies when they sting. So they really aren’t very motivated to do that to you. So what’s the attraction here of backyard beekeeping?

 

I mean, do you love fresh, delicious local honey? I mean, it’s really delicious. It’s wonderful.

 

If you suffer from allergies, it’s fantastic to have a locally made, I guess we’ll call it a locally made honey, because those bees are pollinating all the local plants and flowers, and all of those allergens are kind of going into that honey. So you’re getting a little bit every time and helping you build an immune system to those local allergens. You know, in addition to the benefits and the tastiness of the honey, you can get beeswax, you can make it into candles and lip balm and furniture polish.

 

There’s so much that you can do. So it is a good project if you’re not super afraid of bees like I am. Now, it’s not hard to get started on beekeeping.

 

You can actually order everything that you need to do it online, and it gets delivered right to your door, including the bees. And the first step, though, is picking out a good spot for the hive. A big factor here is that this area needs to be protected from the wind, so you want to find a spot that’s sheltered by trees or a fence or maybe is in a higher part of your yard.

 

You also want a spot that gets plenty of sunlight, which is going to provide warmth for the bees. A south-facing spot is going to be perfect for that and make sure that the bees get all the sun they need for most of the day. Now, this is a great project.

 

What you do with those bees, what that process is once you’ve set up that beehive, I cannot tell you. You will have to learn that yourself. But I am telling you that this is not a difficult project if you are brave enough to do it.

 

And if you do, I want to hear about it. I want to see pictures. I want to see you with the hat on.

 

I want to know what you’re doing with the honey. How soon did you get honey? I’ve got a lot of questions.

 

So take it on, people who are not afraid of bees, and then let me know how you do. I’m very curious. Hey, guys, don’t forget to enter our porch and patio makeover sweepstakes right now through June 9th.

 

We’re giving away $5,000 in Daich Coatings products. You can learn more, and you can enter daily at moneypit.com slash sweepstakes. That’s moneypit.com slash sweepstakes. All right, good luck, everybody. Jim, who’s next?

 

[Producer Jim]

All right, Leslie. In the beautiful state of California, we’ve got Joe, and he’s got a solar panel quandary. Let’s see if we can help him out.

 

What’s up, Joe?

 

[Joe in California]

So a couple things. When they first installed it, they promised us that it was supposed to cut our bill down to nothing, and that did not happen. We’re now paying for the solar panels, which is about $300 a month, and it’s going to be a balloon loan that goes up to almost $400 a month.

 

And now we’re getting to the end of where we have to true up, and we’re having the highest bill we ever had. At one point, they hooked these up, our electrical box caught on fire. Granted, they came, and they fixed that, and they made it to where we were operating again, but it’s just it’s not operating to what they said that it would.

 

And we’re talking with them, but, like, they’re kind of, like, beating around the bush that, like, oh, well, it’s producing 7,000, you know, whatever, you know, and that it’s doing its job. But we had an existing system, and, like, I can’t tell if it’s their system that’s doing it or our system that’s doing it, you know. So it’s like we’re in a rock and a hard spot trying to pay for this now and trying to find a way to afford this new true up.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Wow. You know, I’m really sorry to hear that. And unfortunately, though, it’s not unusual because people do ask us all the time about solar, and they talk to us about the experiences that they’ve had with promises that these solar company salesmen are making.

 

And I have to assume that maybe these sales folks are highly commissioned, so they really do want to sell you on it. Now, we’ve got a lot of issues with this. One is that you said you got a lease or a loan to pay for those panels, and that loan’s got to continue.

 

And if you’re going to sell the house, you either have to pay off that loan first or figure out a way to transfer that loan, if that’s even possible, to the new buyer. So figure you’ve got to pay that off before you sell it. Secondly, there’s a big increase in battery technology that’s going to eliminate that need for a good number of the panels that they probably sized your house for.

 

And once that battery technology catches up, which it’s doing, like, super quickly, you’re going to be able to have fewer solar panels because those panels will feed a bank of batteries that could sustain your house for a longer period of time. So you simply don’t need to have that number of panels that you have right now. The only thing that I could suggest for you is that if they made representations on performance in the contracts that you signed and they’re not meeting those promised deliverables, then potentially you have a claim.

 

But unfortunately, with this one, you’re going to have to pursue with maybe even an attorney because they’re clearly not owning up to what they’ve done. And I find that when they’re selling you, they’re making these promises that maybe aren’t exactly true, and it’s just really to get you to sign on the dotted line and buy their expensive panels and then suffer all of the consequences and the expenses for years to come.

 

[Joe in California]

Well, yeah, because we actually almost backed out of it right before they did it because they gave us this contract saying it was going to produce 7,000 kilowatt hours or whatever. And we were like, no, no, no, we saw that last year we produced much more than that. And then so they gave us a call back, and they were like, yeah, but what you’re not understanding is that we’re also putting two Tesla batteries.

 

So those Tesla batteries are going to offset that 7,000. It’s going to make that 7,000 be, like, a lot more. And that’s not the case.

 

So, like, we are barely producing over 7,000, and that’s just – and it looks like that’s between theirs and my existing one that I already had. They’re saying, oh, well, it’s working properly, you know, and – but they verbally told us, which obviously that’s not going to hold up anywhere, that we would have little to no bill every single month, and that is not the case.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, you might have to just get an independent expert to look at the system and then kind of report on exactly what it’s doing and what it’s generating and what kind of power it’s not generating. But I would definitely pursue this because, you know, it’s got to be stopped. It’s just ridiculous.

 

And you’re not the only one who’s facing this. So I would definitely pursue some sort of course of action where you get a third party to come in and really assess what’s going on with the situation and have an attorney look at the contract maybe once you get that report so you can see if they’re delivering to you what they said they would.

 

[Joe in California]

All right. Well, thank you.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right. Well, good luck with that. I’m so sorry.

 

Well, it’s open house season right now, and if your home is on the market, your realtor will no doubt be scheduling one soon because it’s a great way to get a lot of potential buyers in the door. But before that happens, you need to make sure that your house is ready to be seen. So, first of all, those buyers kind of need to be able to envision how they’re going to live in your space.

 

So clear that clutter. That’s a good place to start. Open up rooms by removing larger furnishings that are kind of just extra in there.

 

Really show the space off. Now, a buyer isn’t going to notice if your home is spotlessly clean, but they will notice if it’s not. So hiring a cleaning service to make it sparkle and get rid of the odors, shampoo your carpets, keep litter boxes clean, all of that.

 

You know, even think about new towels in the bathroom or setting your dining table. All of that makes a big impression. So you definitely want to do this and really catch the eyes of those buyers.

 

And don’t forget about the outside of the home. Keep the lawn trimmed. Weed the landscaping.

 

Prune the shrubs. Add some flowers onto the porch. Just boost that curb appeal.

 

It’s really a great way to just show off how your home looks at its best. And here’s the hardest one to do. I don’t blame you, but on the day of the open house, you got to get out.

 

No one wants you there, homeowner. I mean, I’m sorry to say it. People are going to feel so much more comfortable if the homeowner isn’t sitting in the middle of the living room while they’re walking around being like, Oh, I just don’t like this paint color.

 

I wonder what’s over here. You know, they’re not going to feel good. They’re going to want to get out as fast as possible.

 

So do yourself a favor and get out. Let the realtor do their job. They’re going to highlight the positive features.

 

They don’t need you hovering. I promise you, they don’t want you there. So do your job.

 

Get out. Make the house look great and sell it. I’m telling you, there’s such limited inventory right now.

 

Houses are going on the market where I live and selling them like a day for well above asking. So let that be yours. All right, guys.

 

Shall we get back to the callers, Jim?

 

[Producer Jim]

You shall.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

We shall.

 

[Producer Jim]

Hey, Leslie, you know the best part about that segment? What? Your pronunciation of realtor.

 

Thank you very much.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I know they’re going to be so happy with me. Realtors.

 

[Producer Jim]

Everybody says realtors. It’s not realtors. Realtors.

 

Correct.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Now is the time when Jim jumps into the Money Pit email bag. It’s big. He likes to jump in there and swim around with all the paper.

 

I’m always printing stuff for him.

 

[Producer Jim]

I’ve got one for you here.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, let me hear it.

 

[Producer Jim]

It’s actually a twofer. Okay. It’s Stan, and he’s got a two-part question.

 

First part is, why do you want to raise the garden above otherwise good soil? He also asks, potting soil can be expensive. Should you mix it 50-50 with sand?

 

Oh, it’s actually a three-parter.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Oh, I love a three-parter.

 

[Producer Jim]

If you use pressure-treated wood to frame this raised garden, is there any danger that the chemicals in the lumber will leak into the veggies? That’s a great question, actually.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, those are actually great questions. So raised garden beds are lovely. It’s a wonderful way to sort of set off the garden from the rest of the yard.

 

And people like to add, you know, depending on where you are in the country, if you’ve got wildlife or animals that get in the way, sort of a roof or a cage to this area with a wire mesh. It’s definitely helpful if you have rabbits that love to eat salad, things that you might be growing, or deer that just want to get at any of the greenery. And it doesn’t look bad.

 

I think you can sort of create it in a way that makes this little beautiful sort of, you know, garden… What’s the word I’m thinking of? Gazebo?

 

No, I don’t know the word I’m thinking of, but you can frame it out in a way that that mesh is going to look lovely. So yes, that’s one way to do it. A potting soil by itself would be super expensive.

 

That’s why you should be looking for garden soil, or there’s even specific soil that comes in very nice large bags that are designed to be used for a raised garden bed. It’s got a good mix in it. It’s also a lot less expensive for potting than potting mix.

 

And I think this is a great question that you’ve asked about the pressure-treated lumber. I know a lot of folks have asked similar questions about that, and it’s really not as much of a concern today as it was, say, a decade or more ago, because the treatment process has been updated. And now they’re not treating that lumber with arsenic anymore.

 

There’s actually a safer treatment. But if you are concerned, a very simple solution would be to line that planter with plastic sheeting, or you can build it with regular lumber. You just have to understand that because it’s not pressure-treated, it’s not going to last as long as it would.

 

Haha, would. Get it? I cracked myself up.

 

[Producer Jim]

Oh, groan.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I didn’t mean it. I just made it funny. Or you could use decay-resistant lumber like a cedar or a redwood.

 

That’s going to cost you a bit more up front to build. Again, it’s not going to last as long as pressure-treated lumber, but it’s going to take a little bit more time to sort of break down as it would with regular lumber. But it’s a great choice.

 

Cedar and redwood are lovely. Good choice. This is a great project.

 

So really enjoy it, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

 

[Producer Jim]

Yeah, I think you should go with the pressure-treated and the liner.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I mean, if he feels uncomfortable with it.

 

[Producer Jim]

I’m calling it a liner, but you know.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

You’re right, though. It would be a liner. You would staple it in place.

 

It would protect anything from leaching out of the lumber itself. And it is going to be the most cost-effective option. Jim, if you could, if you had yourself a raised garden bed here, would you be planting veggies and produce to sort of create lovely summer meals?

 

Would you be going with a beautiful, colorful garden? What would you do?

 

[Producer Jim]

If I had someone building and maintaining a garden, is that what you asked, Leslie?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

No. Silly.

 

[Producer Jim]

I’m not much of a green thumb. If I had my choice, I’m a functional guy. I’d much rather have veggies and stuff.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Good job. I know you love salads lately these days. Jimmy’s lost a ton of weight, so he’s doing really good.

 

So that would be healthy. Thanks, Leslie. My boyfriend, Mike, really wants to do a raised garden bed.

 

I just happen to have the tiniest yard in the world, and he would do veggies, too. Awesome. All right.

 

Thanks again so much for spending part of your Memorial Day weekend with us. This really is a great time to enjoy the hard work that you’ve put into your money pit with your family and friends. And I hope that barbecue is extra yummy.

 

And remember, to get a perfect medium rare, you want that steak to reach 135 degrees. It’s going to be so yummy. Save one for me, you guys.

 

All right. Enjoy. You can find more amazing money pit content online at moneypit.com.

 

Remember, you can do it yourself, but you don’t have to do it alone. See you next time.

 

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