Easy Fixes for 4 Household Problems

Squeaky stairs, leaky faucets, or oil stains in the garage? Learn how to fix common household problems so they don't turn off buyers.

Problems like squeaky stairs and oil stains on the garage floor can be quick turnoffs to buyers. But these common household troubles need not hold your listing back—particularly if they’re relatively easy for a do-it-yourselfer to fix.

Lynda Lyday—carpenter, professional contractor, and a featured expert on the DIY cable network—provides dozens of simple fixes for common household problems in The Homeowner’s Manual (Que Publishing, 2006).

While it’s always best to bring in an expert to correct big problems, Lyday provides these tips for capable home owners who want to try their own hand at a solution.

Problem: Oil Stains on Garage Floor

Lyday’s solution: "You can remove most of a stubborn stain with a bit of elbow grease and scrubbing. First, remove the surface oil by sprinkling some cat litter on it to soak it up. Then clear away the cat litter and focus on the stain.

Make a paste of hot water and dry dish or laundry detergent. Use a stiff bristle scrub brush to scrub the area with the paste. Hose the area and let it dry. Another method is to use a product such as Spray ’n Wash on the stain for 10 minutes, along with a dry detergent.

Your last option is to spray on some oven cleaner. Use this sparingly, wash it down thoroughly, and keep children and pets away from it."

Problem: Leaky Faucets

Lyday’s solution: "Most faucet leaks can easily be fixed with a rubber washer, an O-ring, or seals—depending on what type of faucet it is. By fixing the problem yourself, you can save a good bit of money since plumbers can be expensive and will charge you a standard fee even if it takes only 10 minutes to fix the problem."

Problem: Nail Pops

Lyday’s solution: "Nail pops are a problem across the country. The term comes from the nails that hold the drywall to the studs actually popping out through the face of the drywall. This is from either a house settling or the wood studs drying out over time, squeezing the nail out of the wood and pushing it through the drywall.

The fix for this isn’t terribly hard, but it’s tedious because there are up to 32 nails in a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of drywall. My suggestion is to pound the nail through the drywall to the stud. Then, just above it, place a drywall screw to hold the drywall to the stud, and finish it off with a few coats of spackle or joint compound. Finally, seal and paint it.

Most home-improvement stores also sell nail pop kits that can make this job easier."

Problem: Squeaky Stairs

Lyday’s solution: "The most common problems that occur in a staircase are the treads (horizontal surface of the steps) coming loose, which causes squeaking. Also common are the spindles or balusters coming loose. If you can get underneath the staircase, fixing the treads is easy.

You will need to attach an L bracket from the underside of the tread to the stringer (the long piece of wood that connects the treads and runs diagonally up the wall). If you can’t get underneath the staircase, you’ll have to make the repair from above.

Squeaky stair kits are available that allow you to make this fix even through carpet. Otherwise, you can secure the tread to the stringer with a trim screw."

The Color of the Year!!

So what's the "it" color for 2010??

According to Pantone, it's turquoise's year to shine.

Look for this vibrant blue-green color to pop up in many fabrics, textiles and home interiors this year.

It's a color that many people respond to positively to, according to Pantone, which predicts the HOT color each year by surveying designers. Many people associate the color with a pleasant and inviting form of escape, such as a tropical paradise, according to word-association studies.

"With both warm and cool undertones, turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum," according to Pantone. "Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens."

Do you agree? Do you think turquoise is a good color to work into home interiors?

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Realtor Magazine.

HOAs Seek Association Fees from Banks

Condominium and home owners associations desperate for money are experimenting with a tactic called "reverse foreclosure" to force banks to pay association fees.

The process works like this: When a borrower stops paying the mortgage, banks often delay taking the property into foreclosure. When banks delay, neither the former home owner nor the bank is paying association fees.

To remedy this, the association files its own foreclosure notice, taking over the title. The association can't sell the property because of the bank's lien on it. So the association goes to court, renounces the property and asks the judge to give the title back to the bank.

When the judge does so, the bank has to pay the fees. Experts say this technique is becoming very popular in parts of the country where there are a lot of foreclosed condos.

Looking to Step Up a Condo’s Curb Appeal? Start With the Front Door!

In "5 Way to Add Condo Curb Appeal," Debbie Rumsey with Century 21 Sea Coast in Encinitas, Calif. suggests sprucing up the front door to attract would-be buyers. Here are a few more tips for getting that condo door looking great for showings:

Pay attention to the details, such as removing cobwebs from the front door light fixture, says Maureen Bray from Portland-based Room Solutions Staging. If the door has a window, don't forget to wash it inside and out. Curb appeal does not stop at the front door, she says. If the condo/townhome has a garage, make sure that door is clean and in good, working condition.

Consider the plethora of front door looks you can create upgrading exterior door hardware, paint/stain color, exterior light fixtures, and unit numbers, says Kimo Stowell a real estate merchandiser with JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design in Oahu, Hawaii. "Stoop accessories can create a virtual endless combination of eye catching details to your condo front door," Stowell says.

Don't forget to address scuff marks from furniture moving and usual wear, says Elizabeth Bolton with Coldwell Banker in Cambridge, Mass.

Susan Uram, brand manager of Olympic Exterior Stains says that exterior stains are designed to absorb into the wood and allow the natural beauty of the wood to show. Condos and townhomes with outdoor facing entrances need to be protected from the elements, Uram says, and need added protection from scratching and every day wear and tear.

If a "furniture-like" finish that shows off the grain (e.g. an oak door) is desired, Uram suggests applying an interior stain followed by an exterior durable varnish. But if you're looking to repaint the front door white or another solid color, an exterior solid color stain would work as well as an exterior paint, say Uram, who suggests the Olympic Wood Protector Solid Color Stain (available at Lowe's in more than 140 colors). For a rustic finish, Uram recommends one thin coat of a semi-transparent exterior stain, which also is good for desks, fences, and siding.