Spring and summer are traditionally the busiest shopping seasons for potential homeowners. With the current housing stock dwindling as buyer demand increases going into the warmer months, a seller's market has emerged across the country, giving residents looking to unload their current properties the upper hand in negotiations. However, even with the advantage laying in the hands of owners, a closing can still get derailed - or at least made less-than ideal for a seller - when a buyer hires a home inspector to come investigate the property.

In many cases, these contractors will unveil deficiencies in the property that even the homeowner didn't realize existed, causing the prospective purchaser to demand a slash in the asking price. Often, the amount of money that these home inspections cost the seller on a closing exceed the price it would have cost them to be proactive about minor fixes in the first place.

Before putting your home on the market, have a home inspector come in and evaluate your property to check for the deficiencies that potential buyers will be watching out for. Simple things like the water heater being outdated - or even not positioned correctly off of the floor - can be caught, allowing you to preemptively address them before the open house.

More than 480,000 house fires were reported in the United States in 2013, according to the National Fire Protection Association, resulting in over 2,800 deaths and more than 14,000 injuries, not to mention more than $9.5 million in property damage. A house fire is reported on the average once every 85 seconds.

A fire can escalate from a spark to a raging blaze in just a matter of minutes. Since it can start behind the walls without being detected until it gets out of control, an electrical fire is especially dangerous.

Unlike storms or other emergencies, fires often leave families with little time to prepare and evacuate the building—so it’s important to stay protected against some of the most common causes. Some of the biggest reasons for household fires are related to electricity, including:

Fortunately, there are many measures you can take to protect yourself and your household or business from a catastrophic electrical fire. One of the most important tips we can give you is to be very careful about who you have work on your electrical circuits and wiring. To avoid an electrical fire, only allow a certified electrician to install new wiring and/or work on your outlets, circuits, or electrical appliances. During your day-to-day routine, stay weary of any open flames, whether on your gas stove, a candle, or a cigarette.

Of course, even the most careful household or building can face an electrical fire. It’s important to have a working smoke detector in place in the event of an emergency (we can help!). You should also devise an evacuation plan and make sure that each family member or employee knows what to do if you have a fire.

Another way to prevent an electrical fire is to stay current with electrical maintenance. At Kolb Electric, we employ only skilled, licensed electricians to work on your wiring. We want you, your home, and your office to stay safe, so we’re careful to send out the best electrician for your particular job.

For more tips on electrical fire prevention or to get top-notch electrical services for your home or building, call us at 877 287-1179. We’ve been providing top-notch installations and maintenance work to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC home and building owners since 1925.

You Can Be Liable for Unlicensed Electrical Work

07/30/15

Revamping your home's electrical work can be a big headache. You need to find a qualified electrician and write what could be a hefty check for work that might require opening holes in your walls and temporarily making a mess of your home. The last thing you want after a big electrical project is to have to tear it all out and redo the job all over again. That could be the scenario you face, however, if you cut corners and don't hire a licensed electrician to take on the task. Fly-by-night contractors might be cheaper at the outset, but they can cost you big time in the end if they don't follow the local building code, leaving you liable for the faults in your home wiring.

Fanning the Building Code Fires

Some contractors might complain about having to follow local code, but it's in place for a reason – it helps ensure that any work done on your home is performed safely and effectively. Local code standards are particularly important when it comes to electrical work, because faulty wiring and connections can lead to short circuits or even an electrical fire, putting your family at risk.

That's why technicians who do electrical work are required to maintain a license, secure permits and schedule inspections for many home projects. Unfortunately, there are electricians who are tempted to skip the code requirements in order to avoid the time and expense of compliance. They might quote you a lower price, but shoddy workmanship can leave you on the hook for a lot more money overall.

Limit Your Exposure to Liability

If your local government figures out that you are working on an electrical project, they can send an inspector to check it out. If the work isn't up to code, you'll have to remedy the problem before you pass inspection. And if your electrician isn't licensed, you have little recourse to correct the faulty electrical work besides paying out of pocket for someone else to redo the entire thing. Worse, if your electrical system does cause a fire that leads to injury or death, you could be civilly liable for huge sums.

Licensed electricians, on the other hand, have more incentive to follow the rules to begin with, since they could lose their certification if they don't. Furthermore, you may have an easier time recouping your investment in the event of unsafe or incomplete work if you can prove that you did your due diligence and hired a licensed electrician.

Good Work Done Right

To avoid code and permitting issues, hire only licensed technicians for your electrical work and ask them to show you all the relevant permits. Protect yourself and your home by holding out for competent contractors so you know the work is done right the first time.

You look up. Movement. What is this? It looks like your fluorescent lights have come alive! They’re swirling and spiraling, like each one has an angry snake inside. This is no good. The light level in your room isn’t even. The fixtures flicker, annoyingly, and your eyes start to feel overworked and tired.