Hales February Newsletter

Inside this Newsletter

• Important Dates to Remember
• Updates at Hales Property Management
• Save on Your Heating Bill This February: 4 Tips
• Best of the Blog
• Maintenance Tip: How to Replace Worn Weatherstripping on a Sliding Door

Important Dates to Remember:

Jan. 22 – Feb. 4 Chicago Restaurant Week
Feb. 2 Midwest Film Festival
Feb. 13 – 21 Chicago Auto Show
Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day
Feb. 15 HPM office closed in observance of Presidents Day

Updates at Hales Property Management

We have recently been informed that the guidelines for all Chicago recycling has changed regardless of who your carrier is.

The primary things to be aware of are as follows:

• Plastic bags of any kind are not recyclable, this includes trash bags.
• All recyclable material must be emptied directly into the bin not inside a plastic bag.
• Pizza boxes and frozen food boxes are not recyclable.
• Boxes besides pizza and frozen food boxes must be broken down first.
• Recyclables must not have food/drink on or in them (Drink bottles must be empty, aluminum to-go boxes must be scraped clean).
• If these guidelines are not followed the recycle hauler will not pick up the material and the association faces potential fines from both the hauler and city.

Please refer to the following link for a more detailed list of items that should be placed in the respective waste containers.

http://www.recyclebycity.com/chicago

Save on Your Heating Bill This February: 4 Tips

February is traditionally the coldest month of the year in Chicago, which also means high heating bills for residents city-wide. But there are a few things you can do to lower your energy bill this month and still stay warm:

• Use your programmable thermostat. Energy efficiency begins and ends with the programmable thermostat. The point of the matter is that you don’t need your place to be warm all the time (such as when you’re at work, or when you’re under heavy covers at night). If you can adjust temperature by the time of day, and do so automatically, you’ll make a large impact on your energy bill.
• Use your curtains. Keep curtains open during the day, to let warming sunlight into your home, and close them at night to add an extra layer of insulation that keeps the heat in.
• Reverse the ceiling fans. Flipping the small switch on your ceiling fans will make them spin the other way, pushing warmer air from the ceiling to the floor, making your home feel warmer.
• Insulate doors and windows. The largest culprits of air leaks are the small spaces around doors and windows. Thankfully, these spaces are also the easiest to insulate with some cheap materials you can find at any hardware store, so check your windows and doors for obvious areas where cold air is coming in.

Best of the Blog

Our blog is still posting weekly advice for owners and residents. Here are 4 recent posts we were particularly proud of:

Finding a Chicago Property Management Company in 2016: What to Look For

Find out why the right property management company for your needs should have a range of technological offerings to manage your building in 2016.

Chicago Neighborhoods on the Up in 2016

Find out which four Chicago neighborhoods will be making a name for themselves and increasing in popularity in 2016.

The Reasons for Joint Filing a Property Tax Appeal as a Condo Owner

A joint appeal is the most effective way a condo owner can file a property tax appeal. Find out more details on how to do so, in this post.

How to Combat Winter as a Property Manager

Here are just a few of the behind-the-scenes things a property manager has to do to keep a building running smoothly in the wintertime.