Tampa Home Show November 6 - 8

If you are looking for something to do next weekend, you might consider checking out the Tampa Home Show at the Trop in St. Pete.  It will be held from Friday November 6, 2015 through Sunday November 8th.  This is one of the many home shows that happen around our area.  This one located inside the trop makes it easy no matter what the weather brings for us.  Even better, they offer free parking for visitors.

Here is the quick schedule...

• November 6 Friday 10am - 6pm
• November 7 Saturday 10am - 7pm
• November 8 Sunday 10am - 5pm

Location Info...

Tropicana Field

One Tropicana Drive

St. Petersburg, FL 33705

(Just off I275, Exit 22 in downtown St Petersburg)

They claim to have it all, so if you are interested in home remodel, building a new home, gardening, or updating your patio, pretty much just about anything you can think of related to your home.   You can check out the schedule and get more information by visiting the website  http://www.tampabay.com/expos/tampa-bay-home-show-attend.page .

There are sure to be all kinds of contractors & home service companies ranging from remodel contractors, building contractors, kitchen contractors, roofers, air conditioning, flooring companies, architects & more.  

There is a great list of shows scheduled each ranging from dogs that do tricks, Marcottes Design Salvage (side note this store is GREAT... I love it) and Jenni Turcotte present “ The How too’s for painting kitchens using Chalk Paint, Home Loans & more

Holding a Garage Sale

It's the all-American trash-to-treasure phenomenon that attracts people from all walks of life and socio-economic strata. It's almost, not quite, as much a social event as a treasure hunt, and in a twist on "build it and they will come", the garage sale slogan could well be: "Advertise it and they will come."

While most people are seeking something new-to-them for their home or tools to complement what they have, others are seasoned buyers who might host a flea market table elsewhere and look for cheap stuff they can turn around for a buck or two more than they paid. Whatever their motivation, yours is clear: Get rid of things no longer wanted or used and get a little money in the process, as we say "Clean Up & Clear Out!

You might want to order up a junk dumpster rental from Bin There Dump That at the outset if you have a deep clean-out from an overly-cluttered garage, basement or storage unit. That makes it easy to toss the non-saleable junk and debris items right away into your Tampa dumpster rental. As you price stuff, bear in mind you'll probably get offers for half the asking price, and haggling over dollars and cents is the hallmark of garage sales.

A first order of business is to check with your homeowner or neighborhood association, town and county for rules and regulations governing garage sales. Some have permit requirements, limits on how many per year, sign ordinances, etc. If you have covered space, then you don't need a rain date, but you might consider it if your driveway and front yard are the only showroom areas for your trash-to-treasure things. You don't need much to hold a garage sale, but it goes much smoother if you have thought ahead and assembled a few basics, here is a quick list to get you started:

• Markers
• Signs
• Staple gun/tape to put up signs (as allowed)
• Paper bags make good, stand-up signs with thick marker with weight to hold them down
• Money box
• Lots of $1 bills and change
• Stickers for prices
• Plastic bags for small or multiple items purchased
• Dolly to move furniture, grill, heavy stuff
• Hangers for clothes, rack or tree limbs
• Calculator
• Tables and a couple folding chairs (one for you)

Advertising on craigslist is a no-brainer, and the Garage Sale category is under the For Sale section. Garagesalestracker.com and local community newspapers may also be good for publicity.  

And here are a few little tricks of the trade.

• One rule of thumb for pricing is to consider one-third of what the item would cost new, assuming it's in great condition.
• Go through the pockets of all the clothes.
• Have an extension cord to test lamps, appliances, etc.
• Put tools or a lawn mower out front to entice men to willingly stop.
• If there are several people selling things, use different color stickers and have a notebook handy to record the sale.
• Go through each item yourself to tally a total.
• Have fun!

Disaster Restoration Professionals

No matter how prepared you are for events such as hurricanes or flooding, natural disasters and other unwanted disasters like fires do strike.  When disaster strikes and you have your hands full with evaluating the needs of your home or business and safety of your family, it might be the right time to engage the services of a disaster restoration company.  These folks are the experts in water extraction, odor neutralizing, mold and mildew evaluation, hazards to health and home, professional clean-up and complete restoration of property, including contents which can be salvaged.  They can make a big difference in your recovery time and really remove stress from the process.

Not only does a disaster restoration staff have specialized training and knowledge in disaster recovery, but also they have super-duper equipment like high-powered water extraction units, gigantic fans and state-of-the-art thermal imaging tools to find water where you cannot see it.  It's likely if they are on the scene quickly, after a flood, for example, that mold will never materialize into a big issue because they know well how to act fast to remove water and dry a structure.

Additionally, disaster restoration firms can deal with biohazards like sewer backup, hazardous material spills, copious mold, hoarding situations, even crime and death scenes.  Most of these firms are familiar with and assist in the process of dealing with insurance companies and claims making the process even easier for you.  Some municipalities may require professional cleaning before re-instating an occupancy permit in a house or allowing you to re-open your business building.

When choosing a disaster recovery company, look for online reviews & reputation, check to see that they have a local contractor permit, registered to do business in FL, Better Business Bureau endorsement and/or the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) logo. This non-profit institute offers a comprehensive line of classes to increase knowledge and competency and certification in a wide range of areas, like:

• Carpet Cleaning Technician (CCT)
• Applied Structural Drying Technician (ASD)
• Senior Carpet Inspector (SCI)
• Fire and Smoke Restoration Technician (FSRT)
• Health and Safety Technician (HST)
• Odor Control Technician (OCT)
• Wood and Laminate Flooring Inspector (WLFI)
• Introduction to Substrate Subfloor Inspection (ISSI)
• Building Moisture Thermography (BMT)
• and  many more...

The National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors (NORMI) has been providing advanced training to indoor environmental professionals for more than a decade.  NORMI is involved in possible legislation that states may embrace which will not impede business growth.  Currently, there are few or no mold regulations for building or maintaining structures.

While we applaud the do-it-yourselfers who often rent Tampa roll off dumpsters from Bin There Dump That, there are DIY projects both at home and at work (if you are a business owner) which are best left to the professionals in terms of turnaround time, expertise,  equipment and proficiency.   When it comes to getting rid of that debris or junk, Tampa dumpster rentals from the team at Bin There Dump That is a great option to considder.  Let them do what they do best, Tampa dumpster rentals, so you can spend your post-disaster time and energy on family, business and employee safety and security.