Category Archives: Home Owners

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8 Emerging Design Trends Will Be All the Rage in 2017

living-room

With the start of 2017, we’ve said farewell to some tired interior decor trends that have worn out their welcome. Once considered innovative and edgy, those bad boys are now giving us the blahs.

But, when one trend goes out, another must come in. It’s the design circle of life!

So what’s replacing the old fads with fun, new ideas? Your friends will fawn over these eight trends—from “jungalows” to jewel tones—that promise to hit it big in 2017. Want to be a showoff (the good kind)? Be the first to integrate them into your home.

Read about them here…

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The Renovations That Will Pay Off the Most for Your Home in 2017

updates-for-your-home

New year, new home improvement projects? Whether you’re dying to update your kitchen, add a half-bath, or kick back on a brand-new deck, it pays off big-time knowing just what kind of return on investment your dream renovation might deliver. And you’re in luck, because Remodeling magazine has just released its annual Cost vs. Value report, which analyzes what you’ll pay for various upgrades—and how much you’ll recoup on that investment when you sell your home.

For this much-read report (which, by the way, is celebrating its 30th anniversary), researchers scrutinized 29 popular home improvements in 99 markets nationwide, polling contractors on how much they charge for these jobs as well as real estate agents on how much they think these features boost a home’s market price. From there, they divided each project’s upfront cost by the home’s resale value; the resulting percentage gives you a sense of how well each particular reno “investment” pays off.

Read more…

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Smell Something? 7 Ways to Oust Odors

oust-odors

Whether you’re preparing for an open house or simply trying to freshen up your home, try these suggestions for getting rid of odors from seven commonly smelly items.

  1. Trash cans

After rinsing out a stinky garbage can with soap and water, stash a few scented laundry dryer sheets at the bottom to absorb odor.

  1. Freezers

An old (clean) sock stuffed with coffee grounds can absorb the musty smell in your freezer. Coffee socks can also help de-mustify stale closets. Tie one to a hanger.

  1. Litter Box

Extremely porous activated charcoal is a big-time odor absorber. Pet stores sell versions made especially for pet odors. Keep it near the litter box.

  1. Carpet

When your carpet smells icky, try sprinkling baking soda. Let it sit for half an hour, then vacuum it up.

  1. Dishwasher

Who wants to use a dishwasher that never smells quite clean? Pour white vinegar into a dishwasher safe cup and stick it in the top rack. Run the machine through its cycle. Though your kitchen will smell like vinegar for a bit, the inside of your dishwasher will soon be odor-free.

  1. Basement

If a dehumidifier doesn’t help, try adding a dozen drops of tea tree oil to a spray bottle of water and blasting the basement with this natural fungicide.

  1. Refrigerator

Clear out smell by wiping down the wall with hydrogen peroxide.

Making sure your home smells fresh is just one of the critical things to do before an open house. I’ll be happy to suggest other important steps; contact me today!

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8 Tips for Keeping Out Rodents This Winter

rodents

As the days grow chillier, rodents have even more reason to try to move into your home. They don’t just gnaw holes into walls and floors and destroy wiring, they can also bring in germs and disease. Follow these tips to help keep them out.

1. Prevention is the best defense

Don’t keep favorite rodent hangouts like trash cans, firewood and piles of junk close to your home.

2. Fill the gaps

Find out where the buggers have been getting in and stuff the holes with steel wool or aluminum foil – both stand up against mouse teeth. Make sure to seal up both the inside and outside of your home.

3. Someone “hoo” can help

Put up an owl box in your yard to attract owls, who snack on mice.

4. Use Scent

Certain smells convince critters you have an army of predators guarding your house. Try sprinkling ammonia (smells like predator urine), used kitty litter or snake poop. (Yes, you can buy Python Poo online for $15) around your yard.

5. Minty fresh defense

Douse cotton balls with 100 percent peppermint oil and put them in the back of cabinets, behind the fridge and other places mice hang out. Replace the cotton balls at least once a month.

6. Dryer sheets

Mice loathe the smell of fabric softener sheets. Leave one or two in their favorite spots.

7. Adopt a hunter

Your local animal shelter is sure to have a cat who would help with critter removal in exchange for a good home.

8. Ultrasonic power

Ultrasonic rodent repellers drive mice away with sound waves. The sound bothers cats and dogs, too, so don’t use them if you have furry family members.

Ready to market your home now that the mice are gone? Contact me; I’ll be happy to help!

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9 Tips for Creating the Perfect Guest Room

guest-room

The holidays are coming – is your home ready for overnight guests? Follow these suggestions to create the perfect guest room for friends and family.

  1. Offer reading material

A pile of recent magazines or a shelf of assorted books offers guests a way to wind down before bed.

  1. Add flowers

A simple flower arrangement adds class and color to any room.

  1. Provide seating

Make sure there’s somewhere cozy for guests to sit if they need some alone time during holiday chaos.

  1. Make wi-fi connection easy

Leave a piece of paper with your internet server’s name and password on the dresser so guests can easily access your wireless connection.

  1. Did they forget something?

Fill a basket with sample-sized containers of essentials, like toothpaste, mouthwash and shampoo.

  1. Add a luggage stand

Put out a folding luggage stand where guests can prop their suitcases to avoid having to squat all the way down to the floor every time they need something.

  1. Make the closet functional

Be sure to stock the closet with empty hangers for guest’s clothes.

  1. Add charm with decorations

Create a welcoming, calm space for guests. Err on the side of generic. Remember, not everyone wants to sleep surrounded by Star Wars-themed decorations or your horror movie poster collection.

  1. A picture perfect welcome

Place a framed photo of you and your guest on the nightstand.

Is your “guest room” your living room sofa? Maybe it’s time to look for a larger space; I’ll be happy to help!

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4 Considerations When Updating Appliances

appliances

Nothing lasts forever – including the “vintage” stove that came with your adorable fixer-upper or the washing machine your parents gave you when they decided to downgrade. When it’s time to replace the appliances in your home, here are four considerations to keep in mind.

  1. Repairing vs. replacing

Sometimes an appliance is so far gone (smoke is often a sign) that repairing it is not an option. And if the estimate for a repair is more than half the price of a new (or great, used) machine, Consumer Reports says you’re better off buying.

  1. Classified ads

There are several reasons someone may be selling a perfectly good appliance. They may be moving to a smaller home. They may need a bigger, more powerful version. They may no longer be able to resist the lure of a fridge with a smart panel that tells their phone when they’re out of eggs. Appliance repair pros tell Angie’s List that newer appliances tend to have about half the life span of past models, so just because a machine is a few years old, it doesn’t mean it’s time for it to go.

  1. New, but not perfect

Ads may insist Labor Day weekend (and then Veteran’s Day, and then the next holiday, etc.) is the very best time to find deals on appliances, but if you don’t mind a cosmetic blemish or two, you can find deals year-round. Many big box and furniture stores and outlets have “scratch-and-dent” sections where you can find significant discounts.

  1. Refurbished shops

Some stores specialize in repaired appliances. They often come with delivery and service offers. If you can, bring a pro (or at least a handy person) with you when you shop to take a look. If the store doesn’t know a machine’s age, you can look it up by serial number here: http://www.appliance411.com.

Is it time to upgrade your home as well as appliances? I’ll be happy to help!

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6 Ways to Prep Your Yard for Winter

fall

You may still be picking your final tomatoes and enjoying the last flower blooms but it’s time to take care for those pre-winter tasks that will help make next year’s yard and garden even more lovely. Here’s a list to hit before the snow starts falling.

  1. Take care of those bald spots

Overseeding bald spots in the fall is like Rogaine for your lawn. Autumn’s a good time for aerating, too.

  1. Leave ornamental grass alone

Don’t cut back the tops of ornamental grasses before early spring. The top growth helps insulate the root, keeping the source of next year’s growth nice and snug.

  1. Empty the tank

Store your mower with an empty tank over the winter. Have a bit of gas left? Mow over the leaves on your lawn for a natural mulch.

  1. Speaking of mulch…

Mulching in fall can be even more beneficial for plants than doing it in spring. Spreading two to three inches of mulch around trees and shrubs helps protect roots from frost and helps retain moisture during cold, dry winter months.

  1. Maintain your hose and pipes

Drain your hoses and store them in the basement, shed or garage. Blow out your sprinkler system. Drain your water features. Stash watering cans, especially galvanized steel cans, indoors. Water left over the winter can freeze, expand and damage them all.

  1. Put the tools to bed

Before storing your garden tools for the winter, clean them off and, if needed, sharpen them. Rub a bit of linseed oil into wooden handles to prevent cracking. When it’s time to pull them out in the spring, you’ll be ready to go.

A well-kept yard can increase the value of your home. Find out more ways to enhance your investment by contacting me, your Realtor!

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9 Mood-Lifting Ideas For a Cozier Home This Winter

warm-and-cozy-home-plants

It’s been a freakin’ long day at work and you just want to get home and relax on your deck. But nooooooo, it’s already dark outside and that chill in the air is telling you it’s time to pull out your parka. OK, inside it is. But then it hits you: Indoors feels more like a dank cave than a welcoming oasis. Depressing.

You don’t have to succumb to the winter blahs. Just implement a few of these ideas, and you’ll be warm and comfy inside until winter’s worst blows over.

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The Reasons Behind 2017’s Color Trends

feng-shui

Every year, paint company Sherwin-Williams puts together a series of palettes to predict the hues and combinations that will influence interiors in the coming year. They look not only at paint swatches but also at the cultural forces behind a color’s popularity.

Recently representatives from the company were on hand to reveal the palettes to interior designers and others attending the Chicago Design Summit. They predict surging interest in “new spirituality, cultural flux, feisty self-expression, and soulful nostalgia” will bring these four palettes to prominence in 2017.

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7 Ideas for Using Feng Shui to Create a Harmonious Home

feng-shui

The ancient Chinese art of feng shui uses design principles to create harmonious spaces that encourage health, wealth and happiness. According to the practice, colors encourage energy to flow freely throughout a structure, and each color is thought of as an expression of one of the five feng shui elements: fire, earth, metal water and wood.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when designing your home using general feng shui color principles.

  1. Wake up a space with yellow

Yellow energizes spaces and is great for brightening rooms and adding a welcoming feeling. Yellows can be an excellent choice for kitchens, living rooms, hallways and offices.

  1. Hues that work for you

If it’s a calm sanctuary for a restful night’s sleep, feng shui rules suggest water-element colors of calming blues to create tranquility. If you’d like your bedroom to be more passionate than peaceful, fire element colors like red can help crank up the heat.

  1. A blank canvas for the kitchen

In feng shui, white is one of the preferred shades for a kitchen because it encourages purity and freshness. Plus, it creates the perfect palette for the rich colors of food.

  1. Better than a lullaby

Shades of green in a child’s room help make calm, serene spaces for sleeping. Plus, wood-element shades of green also encourage growth and learning.

  1. Mind your reds

While red is the Chinese color of luck and happiness, too much of the fiery color can throw things off balance, bringing aggression and overstimulation.

  1. Shades for success

Wood-element colors like greens and browns promote creativity, and water elements like blues and blacks promote wealth. Combining shades of each can change the energy of your home workspace.

  1. Look outside your walls

According to feng shui principles, adding accent pieces and furniture in elemental shades also can help change the energy of a space. You don’t need to go big (or commit) with an entire wall.

Color can help bring balance to your home, but it works best when you’re living in a place that suits your needs. Looking for harmony in a new zip code? I’ll be happy to help!