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Category: <span>news</span>
Jan 08 No Comments

Discover the Perfect Time for Buying a Vacation Home

Author:timeharisova
Categories:news,Places to Visit,Real Estate

If you’re lucky enough to have reached the time in your life when you can seriously contemplate buying a vacation home, there’s much to be excited about. According to the National Association of Realtors, one in eight homeowners are thinking of buying a second home. While summer may be the time of year you start to think longingly about sun, sea and sand, it may not be the best time to buy a cottage.

Here are some things to consider when you’re buying a vacation home.

Peak of season is seldom a good idea

Avoiding peak seasons makes sense in supply and demand terms. Peak season, whether you have your eye on a Vail ski chalet or a Cape Cod sea shanty, is when the area in which you’re looking is at its finest. Since vacation homes can be sentimental investments, many who’ve inherited them rent them out as additional sources of income so they can hang onto a property. They may be sharing it with siblings or have had to buy them out. They also may be part-time vacation home investment owners who got in early on a new resort but need to ensure 100 percent occupancy during peak season to make their investment pay off.

Aim for the final weeks of the high season to make your offer or hold off until just after peak season ends. If you’re looking for a summer vacation home, the time between Labor Day and Thanksgiving is the perfect window of opportunity. You’ll still take possession early enough in the year to be able to get a glimpse of what future summers can hold, and you’ll also have a chance to do any needed repairs before winter sets in. Then you can spend the winter planning what you need to do to make the place your own the following summer.

If you’re looking at a winter vacation home, spring is the best time to make an offer. While diehards may still be renting or occupying their vacation homes, hoping to get one or two more days of spring skiing or boarding in, most will have placed their properties on the market. Just be careful not to leave your offer for too late in the year if the area you’re interested in is remote. Some owners board up their properties for the off season, making it harder to get viewings. Also, don’t forget the power of spring mud. Properties accessible through three seasons may become harder to access during spring thawing and flooding.

Be sure the time is right

Before buying a vacation home, you need to think long and hard about a whole host of considerations. First and foremost is whether you will be able to use it enough to make it worthwhile for you financially. Even if you buy a vacation home and plan to rent it out to defray expenses, that means your time there will be limited. While you may love a cottage on a lake in fall, not everyone else does. If you can’t afford to spend the 4th of July at your own cottage, this may not be the time to buy.

Second, have you considered all the duplicate expenses involved? Whether you want your vacation home to mirror your principal residence in all ways, you can’t escape the fact that you’re going to need two of everything now. Unless, that is, you want to treat every weekend you spend at your vacation home like a camping trip (which may well be the case). You’re not going to want to haul lawn mowers and leaf blowers to the cottage every summer weekend. That goes double for appliances, linens and furniture. You’ll also have a second set of bills for property taxes, insurance, yard maintenance, internet and cleaning costs. In addition, there may be HOA fees, too.

Third, what are your vacation goals? If you want to visit every continent and are running out of time to tackle Asia and Africa, does a vacation property make sense? If you find you’re drawn to experiential vacations like hiking the Appalachian Trail, swimming with the dolphins or building someone else a home with Habitat for Humanity, a vacation home may be an anchor you don’t need.

On the other hand, if you know you can afford to invest in a second property and have a long-term plan to use it as a home base while you globetrot in retirement, or if you want your family to have the freedom of the great outdoors while they’re growing up, it might just be time to seize the day.

Dec 22 No Comments

How to Choose an Artificial Tree for Christmas

Author:timeharisova
Categories:news,Real Estate,Roundup

If you don’t want the mess of a real evergreen in your home this holiday season, or if allergies prevent you from having a live tree in your house, an artificial tree may be the perfect solution for your holiday decorating.

Buying Tips for Artificial Trees

Christmas trees are a nearly universal element in most homeowners’ holiday decorating. Some people don’t like the fuss and mess of a live tree, while others have allergies that preclude them from having a real evergreen in their house. If you’re considering purchasing an artificial tree for your home this holiday season, use these ideas as a guide:

Choosing Artificial Tree Accents

  • Pre-Lit Artificial Trees: Pre-lit artificial trees are a great way to minimize setup and cleanup (and avoid the holiday trauma of a giant ball of tangled lights). However, pre-lit artificial trees are generally more expensive, and you can’t change the size or color of the lights from year to year. Swapping burned-out lights for fresh ones may also be a challenge. If you choose a pre-lit artificial tree, look for one that is labeled “continuous on” or “with burn-out protection.” This means that if a single bulb on the strand burns out, the rest of the lights stay on.
  • Flocked or Accented Artificial Trees: When an artificial tree is flocked, its branches look like they have been dusted with snow or glitter. You can choose how flocked you want your artificial tree to be; some are dusted more heavily than others. Additional artificial tree accents also may include natural-looking elements, such as pinecones and berries. Keep in mind that these items cannot be removed, so a flocked or accented artificial tree may not match your decorating style if it changes from year to year.

Selecting Tree Height and Width

Most artificial trees for the holidays come in one of three widths, generally labeled as full, slim or pencil. Artificial trees also come in a range of heights, beginning at tabletop size and increasing, usually in half-foot increments, up to about 12 feet. To ensure the best artificial tree for your home, measure the spot where you plan to display the tree and leave enough room to maneuver around it to decorate.

Choosing Artificial Tree Material

  • Types of Branches: Artificial trees come with two types of branches—hinged or hook-in. Hinged artificial trees, which consist of just a few parts, have permanently affixed branches and are generally easier to set up. Hook-in branches are individually hooked into a specific spot on a central tree pole. These artificial trees take much more time to put together and cannot be pre-lit, but they also tend to be less expensive.
  • Types of Material: Artificial trees are made using one of two types of plastic: PVC or PE. The main difference in materials is in how the trees look. PVC needles are attached to the artificial tree branches using wires. PE artificial trees are fabricated, so both the needles and the branches better resemble those of a real tree. Branch tips may also be sculpted, which means they better replicate the look of a real evergreen.
  • Tinsel, Feather and Other Artificial Trees: While many artificial trees for Christmas are designed to resemble real evergreens, some of them are designed to fill a different decorating need. Tinsel and feather trees are two common examples; these are typically white, silver or gold. While many are often used as tabletop trees, tinsel trees are available in full-size as well.

Note: The density, or tip count, indicates how full your artificial tree looks. When purchasing, evaluate your artificial tree’s branches for sturdiness; if you have lots of ornaments, you want branches sturdy enough to hold them.

Additional Considerations When Choosing Artificial Trees

  • Price: Just as artificial trees can be found in all sizes, they can also be found in all price ranges. Ultimately, the quality of the tree and additional accents will affect the pricing. While off-the-shelf varieties are generally affordable, custom artificial trees are also available.
  • What’s Included: The general life expectancy of an artificial tree is about 10 years, and some may come with a warranty. Stands are usually included; plastic versions may be less stable than those made of metal. Some artificial trees also include additional accessories such as a storage bag. Your artificial tree should also be fire-retardant and fade-resistant.
  • Decorating with Both Artificial and Real Trees: Both artificial and live evergreens can be deftly worked into a variety of holiday styles and schemes within your home. A small artificial tree is a great tabletop choice to display a themed set of decorations or to complete a room’s color scheme, in addition to a full-size live evergreen. A miniature real evergreen can be used in a room where there isn’t lots of space, such as the kitchen or guest room, for added fragrance.

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens. Used with permission. © Meredith Corporation. http://www.meredith.com. All rights reserved.

 

Dec 21 No Comments

Fun and Festive Christmas Color Schemes

Author:timeharisova
Categories:news,Real Estate,Roundup

Get in the spirit of the holidays with color schemes that offer a new take on the old red-and-green Christmas theme.

Green, blue and silver color scheme

This light and airy holiday color scheme incorporates light green, bright blue and silver to create a sophisticated Christmas living room. Hang light green-and-blue oversize stockings from your mantel beneath potted lemon cypress trees wrapped in teal paper and green ribbon. Decorate your Christmas tree with an assortment of blue, silver and green glass ornaments, and color-coordinate a sea of blue-and-white wrapped packages to complete the color scheme.

White-and-brown color scheme

Play up a minimal living room for the holidays with brown, gold and silver accents. A frosted Christmas tree displays oversize silver and gold ornaments; white and brown wrapped packages are placed neatly beneath the tree. A glass-top coffee table holds tall apothecary jars filled with white candies and Christmas cookies.

Green, white and brown color scheme

An earthy holiday color scheme of green and brown gives a natural look to this Christmas living room. Green-and-white stockings hang from a wooden mantel, and light-brown throw pillows sit on off-white armchairs. The colors stay consistent through the tree decorations, with bright-green glass ornaments and creamy felt poinsettia flowers. Woodsy ribbon and an owl ornament wrap a light-green box under the Christmas tree, and other patterned wrapping papers play up the mellow, earthy tones.

Editor’s Tip: You don’t have to decorate your whole house in a different color scheme every year—just focus on small areas, and simply carry the scheme through wrapped presents or tree decorations.

Blue-and-white color scheme

Mimic the icy colors of winter with this blue-and-white Christmas color scheme. Birch logs, frosted pinecones and branches in white ceramic vases provide the indoor winter wonderland. Accent with blue velvet ribbon and clear blue goblets for cool pops of color.

 

 

Silver-and-gold color scheme

Let your indoor Christmas decor shine with this pretty silver-and-gold color scheme. Decorate your mantel with a silver-and-gold ornament ball wreath, cream stockings and greenery. Add in ornament-filled cloches and apothecary jars for a decorative dimension. Adorn a frosty Christmas tree with silver, gold and blue ornaments, and display gorgeous wrapped packages in the same hues to create a festive scheme that sparkles.

Turquoise-and-orange color scheme

Try a zesty Christmas color scheme using bright, contrasting colors—such as turquoise and orange—to give your holiday decor a bold look. Here, wide orange ribbon wraps large boxes covered in patterned turquoise paper, and an urn brimming with oranges dresses up the bottom of the Christmas tree. A light-blue coffee table holds a teal vase of orange flowers and a footed dish filled with oranges; a blue-and-orange decorative pillow pulls the color scheme together on an off-white couch.

Editor’s Tip: Stabilize the Christmas tree trunk with sand and gravel before adding the oranges to the top of the urn.

Red-and-tan color scheme

Red-and-tan color scheme

Swap tan for white in this Christmas color scheme to give your home a vintage holiday feel. Light brown upholstery webbing is transformed into a large bow to accent this Christmas wreath, and tiny packages fill the bed of a red toy pickup truck. A handmade burlap pillow with Christmas words and phrases finishes the natural color scheme.

Red, pink and blue color scheme

Play up the color of holiday poinsettias with this unusual Christmas color scheme. Fuchsia-color poinsettia bracts (look for Polly’s Pink variety) complement a ceramic dish filled with pink and silver ornaments in different shapes and sizes, an ideal decoration for your Christmas mantel or a holiday table centerpiece. The flowers and ornaments offset a blue-and-white striped couch with wintry accent pillows for a unique holiday look.

 

Red, cream and white color scheme

Give traditional Christmas colors a break by removing the green and adding cream and white for a warm and cozy color scheme. Cream and red throw pillows—with a cream rosette wreath above the chair—add a warm element to the decor, and a 3-foot tabletop tree adorned with red and white ornaments stands in a cream pot on a white table to round out the color scheme.

Multicolor festive Christmas scheme

Celebrate the season with all the colors of the rainbow—the bright hues are perfect for adding holiday cheer to a table. Create mini trees and wreaths out of ball ornaments by removing the ornament caps and hot-gluing the balls onto foam shapes.

Red, white and blue color scheme

Red, white and blue color scheme

You’ve heard of Christmas in July, but now bring the spirit of July to your Christmas decor in December. Red, white and blue is a classic color scheme that suits the holiday. Create stockings from red and blue felt; embellish with snowflake appliqués. Attach stockings to antique wooden skis or other cold-weather icons for a winter scene.

Teal, white and cranberry color scheme

Twist a classic color combination with cranberry and teal. For an easy tablescape, cover your table with a teal tablecloth and create place cards from family photos. Copy the photos onto light red paper. Make a cardboard frame for each photo and attach the photo to the back of the frame. Place each framed image in a holiday-inspired photo clip or place-card holder.

 

Pink and green color scheme

Typically thought of as a springtime combination, pink and green will add cheer to your home during dreary winter months. For this bright centerpiece, place a metallic bottle-brush tree in a heavy planter, weight as necessary with rocks or gravel, then cover the base with fake moss. Accent the room with patterned pink and green pillows to emphasize the color scheme.

Red, white and green color scheme

If you prefer a more traditional approach to holiday decorating, try a red-and-white color scheme with added pops of green. This festive place setting combines the three colors with white chargers, a red place mat, and sprigs of evergreen tucked into folded napkins. A burlap runner, pots of moss and apples offer inexpensive finishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nov 27 No Comments

Ask a Pro Q&A – Selecting the Perfect Backsplash: Tie your kitchen’s look together with these tips

Author:timeharisova
Categories:Maintenance,news,Real Estate

Don’t let a little water damage make your next backsplash a wash out with these designer tips. Jennifer Adams, our interior design pro, answers this reader’s kitchen remodeling question after a hurricane hit her home.

Question:  We were flooded during the hurricane and have to rebuild most of our house. My kitchen has bamboo floors, alabaster white cabinets and Blanco Azul granite with black stainless steel appliances and stainless handles. I am trying to figure out a good backsplash to tie it all together. Any help would be great.

Whether your countertop patterning is dramatic and bold or quieter and more textural, a backsplash that is simple will be better. Oversized rectangular tiles in light tones to match the whites in your granite, along with matching grout, will look great. For a more textural approach, choose a monotone tile mosaic in whites or pale grays. Even classic subway tile with gray grout will bring in a bit of pattern without being over the top or competing with your granite.

For a finishing touch, tie in the bamboo tones throughout your kitchen with accessories and art in the same color.

https://www.bhgre.com/bhgrelife/ask-a-pro-qa-selecting-the-perfect-backsplash-tie-your-kitchens-look-together-with-these-tips/

Nov 13 No Comments

Seven Reasons Getting Rid of Clutter Helps a House Sell Faster

Author:timeharisova
Categories:Maintenance,news,Real Estate

Whether you bought a starter home or what you hoped would be a forever home, circumstances change. One thing that doesn’t change though, is the inevitable expansion that occurs when you become a homeowner. As time goes on, you acquire tools that need to be used just once or twice a year, like step ladders and extension ladders, lawn mowers, edgers and leaf blowers. When it’s time to sell, you may find you’ve expanded just a bit too much. Getting rid of clutter is the first thing you need to do when you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, and sadly, unless you move frequently, there are very few people who don’t accumulate more than they should.

Here are seven reasons you need to get rid of that clutter to ensure a quick home sale.

Minimalistic spacious house interior with two floors
Minimalistic spacious house interior with two floors

1. It’s all about imagined lives

Clutter makes it hard to think. You may not think of your collection of exotic masks from your foreign travels as clutter. But let’s face it, we don’t all like the same things, and if your home is bursting with small objects, buyers can’t imagine themselves in your space. You have to make room for them and their imagined lives in what might soon be their home rather than yours. Store the highly personal collections during the selling process so buyers can see the space as theirs, and they’ll be more likely to make an immediate offer.

2. Help the potential buyer maintain focus

Extra seating, family photos and bone china tea cup collections are all distractions. You don’t want potential buyers to become so intrigued (or puzzled) by the things you’ve collected—none of which they’ll be purchasing—that they don’t actually register the house itself. You want them to look at the space, appreciate its best features and become convinced of its potential for their family.

Built in closet with warderobe in home interior
Built in closet with warderobe in home interior

3. Create the illusion of space to entice buyers

By getting rid of extra seating, paring down the clothes in your closets and weeding out everything in the pantry that’s past its best-before date, you create the illusion of more space, which is always a good thing when trying to sell a home. After all, empty rooms always look bigger than rooms filled with furniture.

Be strategic, though, and don’t leave yourself with nowhere to sit. Think of your home as wearing its Sunday best rather than sweats and a t-shirt, and if there’s a chair the cat’s clawed, the sun has faded or that needs cleaning or reupholstering, get it out of the house while potential buyers are viewing. There will be plenty of time to kick back and relax in that past-its-prime lounger when you’re moved into your new home.

4. Well-staged homes photograph better

While you might get a viewing from a drive-by or after an open house, most potential buyers these days are going to look at your house and its listing online. Good photos make all the difference here, but you’re not going to get them if you haven’t decluttered. Put the family photos away, get all the toys into the toy box, remove the gym equipment that’s migrated from the basement to other living areas and make your real estate agent’s job easier by presenting a home that shows to advantage in both photos and real life.

white and steel kitchen interior

5. Maximize kitchen counter space

Yes, it’s a pain. But even though your family uses the toaster and blender every day, putting them away in cupboards before viewings provides a clean slate and makes potential home buyers think about all the meals they’re going to prepare in their new home.

If your home’s being shown to first-time home buyers, chances are good they’re looking for more space, particularly an opportunity to expand from a galley kitchen to one that has room for a table and chairs. Help them believe they’re going to be transformed into hosts with the most when they buy your home by giving them the visual space they need.

6. Don’t borrow trouble

Cluttered homes make potential buyers uneasy. Viewing someone else’s occupied home is slightly uncomfortable for most people. Clutter is not only a distraction; it makes your home look uncared for. This can make potential buyers start to ask themselves, “if they haven’t taken care of their possessions, what other problems are brewing here?” You could lose an offer if this kind of nebulous doubt sets in.

7. Let your home show itself

Let’s face it—you’re selling your home, not the couch and coffee table. By getting rid of clutter and replacing it with neutral but stylish accessories, you lead the buyer’s eye to the features of your home that are its true selling points. That means you’re going to get a quicker sale and a higher price than if you make a potential buyer struggle to see your home’s merits.

 

https://www.bhgre.com/bhgrelife/getting-rid-of-clutter/

Nov 06 No Comments

How to Create a Craft or Sewing Room

Author:timeharisova
Categories:news,Real Estate

Making and enjoying crafts requires space to spread out and be creative and to quickly store your masterpiece-in-progress whenever you’re interrupted or called away. In addition, you’ll need even more space to store the materials and tools you use in an organized and productive way.

You can start small with a corner desk in a spare room, or double up so your home office allows you to do personal work. Or you can find space in your basement, addition, or heated garage. Before you create a room of your own, think about craft room decor at the start and you’ll end up with a room that’s not only functional, but one you want to spend time in..

Lighting, a good, big working surface, storage, and easy access to tools are four of the most important aspects to creating room for your crafts. A devoted crafter needs a large working table, a storage cabinet, an easily organized and accessible grab-’n-go tool rack, and a sink or rough equivalent to get started.

Lighting

LED panels are cheap and quick to install. Go to a Home Depot or Lowe’s to find easy-to-install, plug-in lighting panels that will illuminate even the darkest space. 1000 lumens is more than enough light for the average-size room. A new 1000 lumen LED panel should cost you less than $60.

Work Table

Most kitchen counters are 31 inches above the floor. Using that as a guideline, a 31-inch surface  provides you with an easily accessible working platform that doesn’t require stretching or stooping.

If you don’t have a folding table already, check online used shopping sites in your area for cheap or free tables. If you want or need to make a solid table, go to a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and purchase an old hollow core door as a table surface. In larger cities, you could try your local Ikea and purchase a table or desk surface for less in the discount room, where the components of broken furnishings are unpacked and sold cheaply.

Online shopping is useful not only for cheap, ready-made table surfaces, but also for free, broken tables. If you find one with functioning legs, detach its broken surface and reuse the legs for your hollow core door or Ikea desk surface. The advantage of screw-in legs is that they’re not bulky, so you can store other material you will need for your crafts right there at hand. Anything from fabrics to colored or wrapping paper can fit, and larger tools like hair dryers or paints might also be accommodated, depending on their size.

Once the table is assembled, attach rulers or measuring tapes to two adjoining sides of your surface to help you measure your crafts quickly and easily. You can also use a yardstick to draw a square grid on the table surface with a pencil, then make these marks permanent with an indelible marker or chalk paint. You can attach magnetic strips to hold tools you will use for your crafts on the wall above the table.

Storage Cabinet

A lot of material goes into making crafts. You need to organize them or you’ll get buried in an avalanche of paper, ribbons, and fabric. When it comes to getting organized, you can store hangers for school-sized colored paper rolls on the back of your craft room’s door. It’s a little extra space bonus.

Then,  find an old filing cabinet, a kitchen hutch, or a library card catalog in any one of your favorite thrift spots. Repaint your treasure so that it’s fresh (you could even color-code the partitions), then position it against an easily accessible wall and attach a light on a spring arm so you can root around in the various cubbies looking for that gorgeous spool of thread or ball of wool.

Alternatively, find an old desk with many drawers. Remove the desktop and replace it with a thick sheet of glass. Now you have a second working surface that enables you to look into the storage drawers to locate things as they come to mind. On top of the repurposed desk, you could put a modular bookcase to store more material and tools.

Grab-and-Go Tool Rack

Do you sew, knit, or do paper crafts? You will need special tools for each craft. Organize your pencils and markers and your needles and scissors by color and size, and deposit them in visible and easily accessible mason or pickle jars. If you are short on jars, you may be able to find some at your local recycling center.

If not, you can chop equal lengths (five to seven inches) of PVC piping with a hacksaw blade and glue them together with plumber’s adhesive. If you’re storing paint brushes, stuff strips of corrugated board into the open necks of the PVC containers to separate different colored brushes.

Happy crafting!

 

https://www.bhgre.com/bhgrelife/craft-room-decor/

Sep 23 No Comments

A Few Helpful Gutter Cleaning Tips for Your Home

Author:timeharisova
Categories:Maintenance,news,Real Estate

Autumn is one of the most seasons. The crisp air and changing leaves make even a walk through the neighborhood feel like an event. Those leaves, however, have to go somewhere and many of them end up in the gutter. We have a few helpful gutter cleaning tips to keep you safe and prevent property damage.

Let someone know what you’re doing

Of all the gutter cleaning tips, letting a friend, family or neighbor know what you’re doing is the most important. It is helpful to have someone check up on you. Also, make sure to have your cellphone somewhere near you in the unlikely event of an accident to easily call for help.

Use a safe and sturdy ladder

Using a sturdy ladder will keep you safe. Before stepping onto the first rung, check to see that the hinges are completely open and that the ladder is in good shape. A four-legged ladder is easy to transport and use for a single story home, while a two-legged extension ladder is the best choice for homes with multiple floors. A ladder can get heavy, so if you have a heart condition or other health issues, know your limits and ask for help moving it around your home.

Use a sand shovel

Don’t try to use metal gardening tools, as they’ll only scrape and potentially damage gutters. Instead, pick up a small plastic scoop or a kids’ sand shovel.The trick isn’t to try to remove all of the leaves and other debris at once, but remove a little bit at a time. This will lighten the load of each sco and save your back.

Flush out your gutter

When done clearing out the muck from the gutters, take a garden hose and finish the job by flushing them. They don’t have to be squeaky clean. Simply remove any debris left behind. Flushing out your gutter will also make any leaks obvious.

Repair leaks

Although it may be tempting to call a professional to repair leaks, it may be easier to take care of it yourself. Just snip a piece of sheet metal to fit over the hole. Then, using a large putty knife, spread roofing cement around the edges of the hole. Position the newly cut metal over the hole (from the inside of the gutter) and press its edges into the cement.

Although cleaning gutters isn’t a lot of fun, it’s an important job that needs to be done regularly. While some people advise cleaning them once a year, one of the best pro gutter cleaning tips is to clean them out at least twice a year, in spring and fall. Doing so will prevent clogging after storms and keep repairs to a minimum.

 

https://www.bhgre.com/bhgrelife/gutter-cleaning-tips/?pps=full_post

Sep 16 No Comments

Top 10 Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Home in Working Order: A Checklist

Author:timeharisova
Categories:Maintenance,news,Real Estate

Your home is likely one of your biggest investments. Taking care of it properly is essential. The chores and tasks necessary to maintain a home throughout the year can seem daunting, but they’re easier if broken down into seasonal duties.

Even if you don’t have the time or physical ability to tackle these must-dos yourself, refer to our home maintenance checklist below when you hire handymen.

Spring

At the start of spring, many homeowners are eager to do a little cleaning. This season is the perfect time to empty closets, wax floors, give carpets a deep shampoo and more.

Here are some good spring cleaning actions you can take to care for your home:

  1. Give the grounds an overhaul. Start cleaning by
  • raking up leaves
  • turning outside faucets on if you’ve turned them off for winter
  • inspecting trees for illness or dead branches
  • re-seeding your lawn
  • planting perennials
  1. Tend to your home’s exterior by
  • looking for and filling cracks in concrete
  • fixing broken rain gutters
  • giving your home a power wash
  • touching up paint
  • cleaning windows
  • repairing patios and decks
  • treating pool water
  1. Look after the inside of your home by
  • inspecting HVAC systems
  • draining your boiler
  • giving plumbing a once-over
  • checking your chimney
  • replacing batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

Summer

Summer is the time when you probably want to enjoy your home, not clean or repair it. Take a bit of time at the start of the season to tidy and patch up so you can spend the rest of the summer relaxing.

We recommend these summer home maintenance tips:

  1. Prepare your grounds by
  • mowing your lawn (but not too short so you expose weeds)
  • pulling weeds
  • watering plants
  • checking the functionality of sprinklers
  • cleaning your pool
  1. Make exterior home repairs and touch-ups by
  • painting or staining your porch
  • cleaning windows
  • hosing or sweeping your façade
  1. The inside of your home can be summertime-ready by
  • wiping down ceiling fans
  • cleaning air conditioning filters
  • repairing weather stripping
  • evaluating your family emergency plan
  • deterring and treating for insects

Fall

When leaves start turning shades of red, orange and gold, it’s time to begin preparing your home for crisp weather.

There isn’t a huge to-do list for fall, just some simple steps to make sure your home is prepped for the upcoming colder months.

  1. Tend to your grounds in fall by
  • planting perennials
  • re-seeding the lawn
  • inspecting trees for dead branches and illness
  • watering plants
  • raking leaves
  1. The inside of your home will be fall-ready after you
  • get the central heating serviced
  • check the furnace and ductwork for energy efficiency
  • call a plumber for a radiator and boiler check-up
  • sweep the chimney
  • make sure all doors and windows are draft-free
  • inspect smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Winter

Winter is usually the time to hunker down. Ensure your home is ideal for getting cozy by tackling to-dos you’ve put aside during summer and fall. Anticipate how harsh weather will impact your home.

Start with:

  1. Winterizing your grounds by
  • making sure the snow blower is working
  • stocking up on supplies like ice melt and shovels
  • looking for signs of potential ice dams
  1. Batten up the inside of your home by
  • putting a new filter on the heating system
  • inspecting pipes
  • having a backup generator
  • stocking supplies

Throughout the year, check stocks of batteries and light bulbs. Give rugs and furniture a good vacuum and do periodic checks for mold and insects. Each year, refer to this home maintenance list.

 

https://www.bhgre.com/bhgrelife/home-maintenance-checklist/?pps=full_post

Sep 09 No Comments

How to Prepare Your Home for Winter

Author:timeharisova
Categories:Maintenance,news,Real Estate

Thoroughly checking your home indoors and out, from pipes and eaves to heaters and trees, is a must-do when preparing for winter.

Your house is an investment and a place to be comfortable and safe. To get the most out of where you live through all seasons, make sure to plan.

Fall is the perfect time to start thinking about winterization. While the weather is relatively pleasant and stable, tend to maintenance tasks and consider how you can avoid emergencies and damage by being proactive.

To get ready for cold weather, take a look at these ways to winterize your home.

Give your HVAC system a checkup

Heating and air conditioning systems don’t last forever. They’re good for about 15 years, but some have a shorter lifespan of about 10. If your system is going on 10 years (or older), fall is an important time for a yearly checkup.

At the very least, you should change the filters monthly. However, it is recommended to get a comprehensive inspection annually from a licensed HVAC contractor. This professional should check the entire system to ensure you’ll have heat and avoid hazards like fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Seal your walkways, driveways and patios

All cracks in masonry surfaces, like concrete walkways, driveways and patios, should be sealed to avoid expanding. Find a reputable mason who will take time to strategically insert control joints where needed so further cracking doesn’t occur.

After control joints are placed, the mason will seal any cracks so that water doesn’t get in and freeze. Don’t overlook this necessary step in the winterization process. If you check it off the list, your masonry will last a long time.

Clean out your gutters

Aside from leaves and branches, gutters accumulate dirt and other debris. When they’re full of material, there’s no room for rain so the water will run in undesirable places, such as over the gutters or into your home.

To keep gutters from backing up, get rid of any new or deteriorating material you find. Take a day to purge your entire gutter system so water properly channels away from your home’s façade, foundation and basement.

Check your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors

Winter fires in fireplaces and the use of heating units can poison inside air. Check carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they’re working. If you don’t have carbon monoxide detectors in each room, consider buying them.

Install new batteries in smoke alarms. While a peaceful winter is the goal, you never know when a holiday baking project will turn into an emergency. Be prepared by making sure your home is properly vented and ready to alert you to any potential danger.

Seal exterior wood trim and paneling

All exterior wood surfaces need to be sealed or painted so they’re protected from rain, sleet and snow. You’ll also want to treat exterior wood to ensure it lasts during extreme temperatures. Check for wood that needs replacing and tackle that task first. Then seal doors, window casings and paneling.

A good carpenter can take on this job, but many homeowners prefer to do small tasks like this themselves. Whether you want to seal wood yourself or hire a professional to do it, keep an eye out for cracking paint and chipping wood. These are signs that extensive winterization is necessary.

Clear out your chimney

Winter fires indoors are a cozy delight. Keep safety a priority by clearing out your chimneys. Having them cleaned and inspected by a licensed company is the best course of action. A chimney sweep can tell if it’s safe to use the fireplace and alert you to problems that need to be addressed.

Winterizing also means storing firewood in a location where it will stay out of the elements and be convenient. You won’t be able to build a safe and warm fire with rotted wood.

In addition to these ways to prepare your home for winter, shut down the sprinkler system, make sure trees nearby are healthy, audit for energy efficiency and winterize your lawn.

 

 

https://www.bhgre.com/bhgrelife/winterization/?pps=full_post

Aug 26 No Comments

Pick the Perfect Color for Your House

Author:timeharisova
Categories:Maintenance,news,Real Estate

Whether you’re buying a new house or planning a makeover of your existing home’s exterior, picking the right paint color is essential. The secret: matching the shade of paint to your home’s design. These tips will help you find the right pairing.

 

Cottage: Natural Charm

This charming cottage-style home is partially shielded from the street by an attractive gated fence and landscaping. The color of the house is a fresh blue-green backdrop for the lush array of bright flowers. The reddish-brown door blends nicely with the brick accents on the fence posts and walkway.

Colonial Revival: Pleasing Mix

Colors and textures blend effortlessly on this Colonial Revival house. A warm blue-gray color on the upper half contrasts beautifully with white below. Exposed wood shingles on certain standout features create a nice focal point, while white trim ties everything together.

Craftsman: Fresh Earth Tones

This attractive home displays a fresh spin on the earth tones that help define the Craftsman style. Arts and Crafts homes typically look good with paints that reflect the style’s emphasis on natural materials and organic colors. Here, well-coordinated greens with cream trim add to the home’s relaxed, timeless curb appeal.

Tudor: Rustic Charm

Classic red brick walls lend rustic charm to Tudor-style homes. Historically accurate, the stucco cladding the center gable is painted creamy white and paired with brown framing.

Victorian: Sophisticated Accents

The warm, sophisticated neutrals and red accents blend beautifully in this Victorian-style house. The brightly painted door provides the scheme with a deep contrasting color that’s picked up again on the trim below the cornice.

Ranch: Warm Neutrals

A pleasing beige-and-brown scheme works particularly well on this sprawling ranch-style home because so much surface area is exposed to the street. Natural stone adds texture to the facade, while the roof, front door and garage door match the trim.

Traditional: White and Bright

This classic home features a typical white field color with bright accents. Pale blue shutters and a sunny orange door are a fresh and unexpected break from tradition.

Georgian: Rich Blue

The deep blue of this Georgian-style home is a strong and inviting color. White trim adds contrast, and a wooden door acts as a focal point for the perfectly balanced architecture.

Eclectic: All in the Details

A neutral palette is perfect for this eclectic-style house because of the many details—such as divided-light windows, a columned portico and abundant texture. The brick walls are painted a slightly darker shade of gray than the shingled gables, offering subtle contrast. The welcoming red door provides a pop of color.

 

Cottage: Earthy Textures

This charming cottage-style home features a pleasing mix of earthy colors and textures. Dark-stained shakes siding blends nicely with the natural stone chimney, while small doses of white provide contrast. Interesting shutters painted dark green add color and detail.

Farmhouse: Classic Combo

Why fix what isn’t broken? The classic white-and-black combination on this traditional farmhouse sweeps you away to another place and time. A break from tradition, the dramatic black door is a nice, unexpected touch.

 

Dutch Colonial: Warm Neutrals

The sophisticated combination of gray, black and white on this classically handsome Dutch Colonial-style home creates a feeling of harmony that is restful to the eye. White trim and a dark front door and shutters partner effortlessly with the warm gray walls. The gray works well against the natural stone chimney because it offers contrast while still blending beautifully with the grout.

English Cottage: Contemporary Colors

This English country cottage is updated with a contemporary color scheme of warm neutrals. The home shows how opting for a light field color and dark trim can have a pleasing effect. The welcoming entryway is painted the same color as the trim, and the door adds a splash of color.

 

https://www.bhgre.com/bhgrelife/choose-a-palette-that-matches-your-homes-exterior-style/

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