Common Landlord Pitfalls (& What To Do About Them)

It may seem as if owning property and leasing it out to others is one of the easiest ways to make money there. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, being a landlord comes with a whole host of challenges, with some making the difference between success and failure. With that in mind, check out the most common pitfalls landlords encounter, and what to do about them below. 

Not creating an inventory before you lease.

One major issue that landlords can run across is not creating a comprehensive inventory before they lease to a client. An inventory is a long list of every item and features in the home before tenants move in. It should also state the condition of these items and features with photographic evidence, if possible. 

The idea is that this list can then be used as a starting point when your tenant moves out. Thus providing you the landlord with something to compare the current state of your property with. In fact, a comprehensive inventory can serve many useful purposes, including identifying any changes that have been made and establishing the original state of the property. The latter being important when repairs or deep cleaning needs to be done. 

To that end, if you want to make the moving out transition as easy as possible, taking the time to create a clear and detailed inventory is vital.

Not correctly managing and maintaining your property.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest pitfalls that landlords encounter is that they do not manage and maintain their property correctly. This is usually because it is one of the most time and effort-intensive tasks related to leasing homes. Something that can make it very difficult to keep up with, especially if you have multiple properties or other responsibilities. 

The good news is that there is a simple way to keep up with your rental real estate management and maintenance. It's to employ a management service like Revid to deal with it for you. In fact, for a reasonable fee, you can have your management service deal with all sorts of issues, such as finding tenants and collecting payments. The best management agencies will even deal with the maintenance that needs to be completed on your property. Something that means you can ensure everything gets done, but with minimum effort on your part. 

Not having the right insurance. 

Finally, many people counter a significant pitfall by not investing in the right insurance for their rental real estate. The policy that is needed as a landlord is totally different from the one required if you owned or lived in the property yourself. This is because it covers additional issues, such as tenant damage, accident, and harm

Unfortunately, if you don't have the correct insurance and something does happen, you will be significantly out of pocket. You, as the landlord, may even face legal proceedings and prosecution. To that end, it is vital to investigate the insurance you will need and avoid this pitfall at all costs.

11 Things You Should Be Doing At Home To Preserve Your Teeth

Our teeth do a lot for us. Not only do they allow us to chew and digest different kinds of food, they also help to preserve the structure of the jaw and face - without them, we’d look pretty strange! This is why damaged teeth and teeth that have not been looked after properly can severely damage the confidence of a person with them. If you want to save a fortune on dental work in the future and maintain your natural smile for as long as possible, below you’ll find 11 things you should be doing at home to preserve your teeth. Take a look!

Use An Electric Toothbrush Twice A Day 

Electric or even sonic toothbrushes are so much more effective than manual toothbrushes - yet many people have not made the switch. Yes, they are expensive in comparison, but they are also far better for the environment than disposable toothbrushes and they do a better job at cleaning the teeth. You will literally feel the difference once you have switched. If you can make this sort of investment now, you will definitely save money in the future. 

Avoid Brushing Too Hard 

Whether you’re brushing with an electric toothbrush or a manual toothbrush, you shouldn’t be brushing too hard. When you brush hard, you can damage the enamel that protects your teeth. You’ll know if you’re brushing too hard as your gums may bleed regularly (normal when you first get an electric toothbrush but this will stop), and you’ll notice that the bristles on your toothbrush bend soon after use. 

pexels-andrea-piacquadio-790744.jpg
  1. Floss

Flossing is something some do twice a day, some only do once. You should aim to do it at least once a day, as it gets rid of debris and gunk left between the teeth that can cause cavities and gum disease. Again, your gums may bleed at first, but you will get used to it and it will die down. You’d be surprised at how much the debris between your teeth can cause bad breath, too! By flossing, you’ll freshen your breath and protect your teeth. 

Rinse

The final step in your oral care routine should be to rinse with mouthwash. Mouthwash helps to loosen any more debris, get rid of remaining bacteria, and freshen the breath ready for the day. If you’re not convinced that this is something you need to do, take a look at these surprising facts about teeth to convince you otherwise. You’ll be surprised at how much bacteria can live in a person’s mouth! 

Brush Your Tongue 

Don’t forget 0 you should also brush your tongue. A lot of bacteria on the tongue can cause bad breath and eventually tooth decay. A tongue scraper could be a good investment for use in the mornings. Make sure you aren't too harsh with it, and that you don’t use it too often or you may damage the sensitive taste buds on your tongue. 

Watch What You Eat

You can have a balanced diet and healthy teeth, but it really must be balanced. If you consume too much sugary food and drink, you may get lots of cavities and tooth pain. If you don’t keep up regular dental appointments alongside this, then you may need painful procedures to get your teeth healthy again. This is why staying on top of your oral health and paying close attention to any changes is key. 

Chew Gum After Eating

Sugarfree gum is a great way to clean your mouth a little after eating. It can help to rid the mouth of unnecessary bacteria and freshen your breath. Of course, chewing gum isn't something you should have too often. If you chew it all day long, then you may strengthen the masseter muscles (the muscles at the side of the jaw), and they can get larger and give the face a square appearance. When the masseter muscles are strong, this can also result in night time grinding. Chewing gum too often can also be bad for your digestion, so it’s something best done a couple of times a day at most, after meals. 

Watch Out For Teeth Grinding

If you already grind your teeth or have large masseter muscles, it could be that you grind your teeth and you don’t know it. If you grind your teeth you can cause cracks, wear down your enamel, and chip your teeth. You can also wake up with headaches and end up needing serious dental work to fix the problems the grinding has caused. You may not be able to control the grinding at present, but there are things you can try. For example:

  • A mouthguard may be helpful in protecting your teeth at night. You will still grind your teeth but you may not cause damage to the teeth. An easy option is to get an online night guard, as many providers offer custom solutions for quick relief.

  • Botox can be injected into the masseter muscles to relax them and render them inactive. Of course, this is something that should only ever be performed by a dental or medical professional and not a beautician (the industry is not regulated, so they may offer the service regardless)!

  • Try to de-stress as much as you possibly can. Many people store stress and tension in the jaw, and this is why they grind throughout the day and at night.  

Never Use Your Teeth As Tools 

Many people use their teeth as tools and don’t even think about what this could do. Opening bottles with your teeth is extremely unhealthy and can cause terrible pain and cracks if you’re not careful. Your teeth are delicate, so treat them as such. 

Avoid Bad Habits 

There are many bad habits that can damage your teeth, the main three being excess alcohol, drugs, and smoking. These things can wreak havoc with your oral health, so make sure you’re safe. 

Make Appointments With A Reputable Dentist You Trust 

Don’t think that just because you’re caring for your teeth at home you can skip out on appointments. Just one appointment a year could save you expensive dental work in the future! You can reach out to dentist near me arlington to get started.


How To Get Yourself Ready For Running

If you’ve had a .ong break from running, or you’ve never run before, it can feel a little intimidating to head out and hit the pavement. However, if you familiarise yourself with the right basic information about running and start as a beginner you will be well on your way to a great running habit. 

pexels-pixabay-40751.jpg

Before You Start

If you haven’t had a recent health check, you may want to see your doctor before you take up running. Share your goals and action plan and have the, assess it for potential health issues. This is particularly important if you are returning to running after an injury or have recently seen a specialist such as a pedorthist

Have The Right Gear 

You don’t need to have tonnes of fancy equipment to run. However, getting the right running shoes for you is important for comfort and for injury prevention. You should ideally be fit for your perfect running shoes, and, yes, everyone is different and has, therefore, has different needs when it comes ot the ideal shoes for running

Use Walking For Breaks 

Before you begin walking, get yourself familiar with what the walk/run method is. Most starter runners use this technique, to begin with. This is because they don’t have the endurance or fitness to run for a particular length of time. The walk/run method involves running for a small segment and then using walking for a break. As you continue to use this, you will be able to gradually reduce your walking time. The aim of the game is to reduce your walking to as little as possible. 

Use A Schedule 

Although you do need ot listen to your body when it comes ot recovery, you should still have a schedule in place for how often you plan to run. It will help you to follow your training and help you to remain motivated. Have a look at a good beginner schedule below. 

-Week One 

Walk for 6 min, jog for 1 min. Complete this three times. Try to do this three times in week one. 

-Week Two

Walk for 5 min,  jog for 2 min. Complete three times. Again aim to do this three times in week two. 

-Week Three 

Walk for 3 min, jog for 4 min. Complete four times. Three runs this week. 

-Week Four

Walk for 2min,  jog for 5 min. Complete four times. Try ti do it three times this week. 

-Week Five 

Walk for 2 min, jog for 8 min. Complete three times. Do this three times this week. 

-Week Six 

Walk for 2 min, jog for 9 min. Complete this three times. Again shoot for three runs this week. 

-Week Seven 

Walk for 1 min, jog for 11. Complete three times. Three running sessions again. 

-Week Eight 

On your first run out this week, aim to walk for five mins at the start and end of your workout and then run for 20mins in-between. By the end of the week, you might b able to run for the full 30 mins.  

Once you’ve worked through this programme, try to run thirty mins three times a week. You will soon notice your fitness and stamina improving. Meaning you will soon be ready to run your first 5k