AAA House Manager Blog

While we’re currently locked in the dead of winter, spring is only a couple months away and with it comes warmer weather, pops of greenery, and a long list of things to get done in the garden.  Luckily, there’s no need to wait. You can (and should) get started on your to do list today. Here are a few tips to help your green thumb get off on the right foot.

What are the attributes of a great House Manager? What does it take to diagnose and repair a complex system like a home, to earn a member's trust, and become their first call when something in their home goes wrong? While we've given the subject elaborate consideration, we often find inspiration in the outstanding passion and work ethic of our House Managers. Whether it's George working past a scheduled appointment time to make sure everything on a member's list is taken care of, or Ben seeking every possible avenue to increase his knowledge of homes, we never cease to be amazed by the dedication and care they bring to their craft. Troubleshooting complicated systems is no easy task, and we truly appreciate their commitment to making the critical task of caring for a home that much easier for our members. Now without further adieu, meet Ben!

We’ve been hearing some interesting home maintenance myths lately that has us thinking it’s time to separate fact from fiction. So just call us Adam and Jamie because we’re ready for some serious myth-busting. Luckily (or unfortunately?), there’s no need to blow anything up.

Happy 2020! With this new year, comes a wonderful opportunity to set some new habits around your home. One we can't recommend enough: doing a little something for your home each month. Those small efforts add up quickly! To make it easier, we compile our top recommendations each month. No need to research, simply follow along and start appreciating the impact around your home. If you want to skip ahead, we have the entire year's plan set out in our 12-month Bay Area Home Maintenance Checklist, plus optional calendar reminders and monthly emails so you never miss an update. 

What are your home goals for 2020? As you're sitting down to set your New Year's resolutions, will any for your home make the list? Whatever the project, we're here to help when you need us. Here are a few ideas (and a special free smart home tech offer):

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is more than a classic holiday movie — it’s a guide for how not to care for your home. 

So while we winced watching Clark Griswold face home disaster after disaster, we also couldn't resist turning his experience into a set of homeownership tips. (We're all about education here at House Manager, after all.)

Here are just a handful of practical lessons from the movie that all homeowners can use; we'd share them with Clark if we could!

As we approach the end of 2019, we look back on what was AAA House Manager's first full year in operation. We experienced a lot of exciting changes — adding more House Managers to our team, expanding into new cities and, of course, welcoming new members. We're now helping more Bay Area homeowners than ever before, which is what we loved most about 2019. Let's take a look back on how we helped our members this past year. 

Between Scandinavian-inspired minimalist design and hygge vibes, house plants becoming a staple of modern living, and open floor plans taking the lead, 2019 was a more subdued, earthy year for home décor and design. Lovers of everything lavish and extravagant will be pleased to hear that more decadent styles are on the horizon, largely thanks to a nostalgic re-imagining of 1920's classic looks. 

Whether you were done months ago or haven’t even started (or maybe somewhere in between?) it can be tough to find the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list. Luckily, we have some ideas for the area we’re experts in — the home.

If you want to become a great cook, you watch how renowned chefs prepare their own meals. After all, they know what really matters — and what you can ignore. (Soufflé, here we come!) The same goes for your home. If you want to know the key steps to maintaining you biggest investment, you turn to the pros. Fortunately for us, we have a number of them! This month, we get to know Matthew and his advice for the holidays.