From time to time, it’s nice to kick back and read something different. In this week’s blog we have some crazy, and sometimes hard to believe facts about real estate. Enjoy the facts and who knows, you might hear one of these at a trivia game sometime. Then you’ll be glad you read this.
1. Brass Doorknobs can disinfect themselves
Doorknobs that are made of brass, copper, aluminum, iron, lead and silver are able to kill bacteria. It takes them about eight hours to disinfect themselves. Stainless steel and aluminum doorknobs do not disinfect themselves the same way.
So next time, skip the disinfectant wipes and load up on brass doorknobs!
2. Red doors for a paid mortgage
In Scotland, home owners paint their front door red when they pay off their mortgage. How many red doors do you think you’d see in your neighborhood?
3. TGIF
According to many real estate sources, Friday is the best day of the week to list your home.
4. You Can Buy an Earthquake Proof House in Japan
A Japanese company has developed a residential earthquake-proofing system that raises a house off of its foundation as far as 3 cm using just air pressure.
When an earthquake hits, compressors activate, forcing an immense amount of air under the home. The house will levitate there until the earthquake ends, then be placed gently back on the foundation.
5. Gas range stoves last the longest
Out of all the kitchen appliances, gas range stoves last the longest. Their average is 15 years, with electric stoves and refrigerators coming in close behind at 13 years, respectfully. So it might actually pay to use gas!
6. Realtors Really Do Help
You have a 120% better chance of selling your home when you hire a Realtor!
7. In Sweden, A Dead Body Can Heat Your Home
Swedes and Danes use dead bodies to heat their homes. Crematoriums heat up to 2,000 degrees, which is a lot of energy that was going to waste — until someone got the bright idea to pump that heat into local energy companies, where it’s used to warm homes.
8. You can live in an old missile silo
For old missile silos that are no longer in use, it is often useful to turn those spaces into a home. It isn’t a very pretty home, but it’s functional and is definitely livable.
9. The original housewarming party was in fact a housewarming.