Reduce Clutter – Get Organized
Filed under: Archives, At Home, At Work, Home Improvement, Organizing, Parenting, decluttering
Reducing clutter will aid in getting yourself organized. But how we reduce that clutter is the first challenge.
If your home or office has a lot of clutter, to avoid becoming overwhelmed, start small. Whether it’s a drawer or closet, getting started is half the battle. You’ll find that the act of decluttering becomes contagious. Now only for ourself, but often for other family members, as well.
If children are involved, make it a game. Set up boxes or totes and let them determine that which can be donated, or maybe later sold in a garage sale. If children are taught charity (the gift of sharing and giving to the less fortunate), they will soon learn how to easily give up toys they are not playing with.
As you declutter, you may encounter some items to which you have an emotional attachment. If you’re not willing to let go of these items, think about packing them up and putting them in storage.
On thing I learned from reruns of the “Home Made Simple” show on TLC (The Learning Channel , is to have either a “path” or a “home” for everything you own.
A home for your clothes would be a closet or drawer
A home for dishes, pots or pan may be in a cabinet, drawer or hanging off of a pot rack.
A home for books would be a bookcase or shelf
A home for a family heirloom may be a curio cabinet
A path for excess toys, clothes not being worn, or decorator items not being used may be…”to our favorite charity”
A path for broken or worn out items would be ….to the garbage
A path for seasonal clothes or sports equipment would to …..to storage
A path for important papers would be……to be filed.
I now use this technique when I go shopping. If I see something, and I think of buying it, I ask myself, “Do I have a home for it?” Often the answer is no. By using this technique, I’m not only saving money, but reducing excess clutter.
Some say, if you bring one new item into your home, you should remove two like items. Although this appears to be a great system to declutter a home, I haven’t tried it yet.
Photo Credit: ifindkarma’s photostream
Tags: decluttering, decorator items, emotional attachment, excess clutter, family heirloom, garage sale, half the battle, photo credit, pot rack, rerunThe Secret To Selling Your Home Faster Than The Competition
Filed under: Archives, At Home, Home Improvement, Selling A Home
If you are trying to sell your home fast, you may need to invest some money and time prior to putting it on the market.
The latest “secret” to selling a home faster, is called home staging. Home staging could be compared to making your home look like a model home.
In times when the real estate market is slow, staging may not equate to extra dollars, however, a quick sale is often what sellers need.
Earlier I wrote an article about how to stage your home. Here is a link to that article:.How to Stage A Home For Sale
With home staging, you must get creative and show potential buyers how spaces can be used. Spaces must be defined.
A junk room, is not a space, nor is a garage that is filled with boxes, sports equipment, and miscellaneous stuff.
Turn that junk room into a bedroom or home office.
Clean out that garage, so buyers can envision parking their car in it.
Nothing will turn off a buyer faster than massive junk, dirty kitchens and bathrooms, or clutter.
Do not assume that they can “see past it”. Most can’t.
When buyers see uncleanliness, they may also assume routine home maintenance has also been neglected.
It’s not uncommon for a buyer to tell their Realtor “I’ve seen enough”, and move on to the next property.
Many individuals are not creative with space planning.
It becomes your mission to give buyers ideas. Now is the time to dredge up those creative juices and turn your home into an oasis for family time and relaxation.
Let buyers envision living in your home, sitting in a nook with a good book, eating at a small cafe table on the patio, or relaxing on a rocking chair on the porch.
Here’s a short list of simple ideas that can be used for home staging:
1) Use an upholstered chair, small table, and lamp for a reading area. Place an open book on the table, with a pair of glasses sitting on top of it
2) Get a pretty throw to lay across the corner of a bed.
3) Use a small cafe table and two chairs to create either an indoor or outdoor intimate eating area. Set the table with pretty linens, dishes, and maybe a vase of flowers
4) Use a vase of fresh flowers on an end table, sofa table, or bedside table
5) Place a large bowls of lemons, limes, oranges or apples on the kitchen counter or table
6) If you are short of artwork, find pretty pictures in books, tear/cut them out, and frame and mat them.
8.) Candles are an inexpensive decorating item. Simple white candles, of different heights, grouped together on a charger, with some rocks, makes a very pretty accessory.
9) Remember to keep things to a minimum. The less furniture and/or clutter your home has, the larger it will look.
Concentrate on boxing up excess items. Or, this may be a great time for a garage or yard sale.
10) In the kitchen, keep clutter and appliances off of the counter tops. Many home stagers suggest to only have one appliance on the counter top.
11) Wall mirrors (those attached to the walls) are now “dating” a home. Consider removing them.
12) Remember, buyers do not want to look at your home, and start making a list of projects they will have to do. This can turn off some buyers, and/or encourage a buyer to offer a lower price.
If your goal is sell your home fast, now is the time to complete those unfinished household projects, clean your house from top to bottom, and get busy staging your home.
Tags: clutter, home maintenance, home staging, junk room, look like a model, model home, Selling A Home, space planningHow To Save On Energy Costs – 30 Ways
Filed under: Archives, At Home, At Work, Home Improvement, Saving Money
Energy costs are on the rise.
How to save money on energy costs, is partly common sense, but can also be time consuming, and may involve a monetary investment.
Using some of the following ideas will help to reduce your energy costs, and put more money in your pocket.
1) Install or increase insulation in any part of your home that needs it.
2) Replace air filters in your furnace. Dirty filters will reduce the efficiency of a furnace.
3) Have your furnace professionally cleaned and serviced on an annual basis.
4) Seal air leaks in doors and/or windows. Replace caulk and/or weather stripping, as needed.
5) Buy energy star appliances
6) Use compact florescent light bulbs
7) Turn lights off when you leave a room
8.) Turn your computer off when it’s not in use. Unplugging it, will save even more.
9) Unplug small appliances when not in use
10) Dress warmer in the colder months, to avoid turning up the thermostat
11) Lower your thermostat to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, at night. With a programmable thermostat, you can have the furnace come on shortly before you get out of bed.
12) Install an energy star programmable thermostat
13) Have blankets and/or throws handy to use when sitting, watching TV, and/or reading.
14) Use styrofoam vent “plugs”, to keep cold air from entering the crawl space of your home. When spring arrives, remove the vent plugs to allow air movement under your home. Save the vent plugs, as they are reusable for the future. (The can be purchased at most home improvement stores)
15) Use LED lights where ever possible, e.g. Christmas/holiday lights, under the counter lights, etc.
16) Close heat vents in rooms that are not being used. Then, close the door to avoid heating an unused room
17) Use ceiling fans to push warm air down….heat rises.
18) Close window blinds when the sun sets. Open them in the morning to let the sun shine in, which will produce more light and natural heat.
19) Install storm windows, or use a protective barrier on older windows
20) Wash clothes in cold water
21) When you are shopping for a new washer, consider a front loading HE (high efficiency) model. They use less water, less detergent, and energy.
22) When drying clothes, use the automatic sensor, that will shut the dryer off when the clothes are dry.
23) Turn down the temperature of your hot water heater
24) Insulate your hot water heater with a hot water heater “blanket” (they can be bought in home improvement stores)
25) Use heavy drapes in the winter months to avoid cold air from “seeping in” from windows
26) For the summer months, lower the thermostat on your air conditioner
27) Planting shade trees will also help to keep your home cooler.
28) Keep the filters in your air conditioner clean, and/or changed often.
29) Have your air conditioner professionally cleaned and serviced on an annual basis.
30) Close window blinds in the summer to keep your home cooler.
Using these tips could potentially lower your energy costs, and result in substantial savings. That, is also something, that is great for the environment.
Do You Need Replacement Appliance Parts
Filed under: Archives, At Home, Home Improvement
If you are looking for replacement appliance parts, I have a great place to recommend.
Just recently, I needed to replace a tray on the door of my refrigerator.
I automatically turned to RepairClinic.com
I had used Repair Clinic.com. years ago when I needed to replace two drawers in my refrigerator. I remember being impressed with their service, so I turned to them again for my door tray.
I first did a search on their website for the part I needed, however, I got confused when I found two parts that looked very similar.
Since I didn’t want to risk ordering the incorrect part, I called their 800 number, and spoke with a gal by the name of Sharon.
She patiently took down my information, and in less than a minute, knew which part I needed.
I chose to have the door tray shipped via FedEx, and Sharon assured me that I would have it by the following Tuesday.
Sure enough, on Tuesday, FedEx delivered my door tray.
It was packaged in a large box, which was filled with air filled “pillows”. Inside of that box, was a second box. That box contained my door tray.
I took it out of the box, washed it with warm soapy water, dried it, and placed it onto the slots on the door of the refrigerator. A perfect fit.
Again, the Repair Clinic, delivered what they said they would.
I give them two thumbs up. 
An added bonus to visiting their site…they also have a “repair help” section, for all of you, do-it-yourself, types of people.
No tags for this post.Best Home Improvements To Make
Filed under: Archives, At Home, Home Improvement, Projects, Selling A Home
If you are remodeling your home, for yourself, or with the thought of resale in mind, making the right home improvements, can add value to the price of your home and attract more buyers.
Approach home improvement project on an “as needed’ basis. Some homes won’t require any remodeling, but may need something as simple as a coat of fresh paint either inside and/or outside.
If your home is older, the following are possibly some of the best home improvements you can make, to receive the biggest return on your money.
1) Repair or replace the roof – Use reputable roofing contractors
2) Repair, replace or repaint the siding – Call for quotes from licensed siding contractors
Kitchen remodeling often gives you a good return on your money. Stick with a budget. Overruns are easy to encounter.
3) Replace or repaint the kitchen cabinets. Painting is the least expensive option, followed by replacing or refacing the doors and drawer fronts of your kitchen cabinets. Home improvement stores offer many choices for new kitchen cabinets. Obviously, custom cabinetry will be the most expensive option.
4) Replace the kitchen counter top. Laminates are the least expensive. Other alternatives include concrete, granite, butcher block, tile, solid surfacing, glass, plus many other stone products.
5) Replace kitchen appliances. Currently stainless steel is popular, however, using white appliances provides for a clean look. Colors can”date” your kitchen. Choose carefully. Look for appliances with the energy star label.
6) Replace kitchen flooring. Vinyl is the least expensive. Other options include hardwood or tile.
7) Perform either a major or minor remodel to the bathroom(s). Check with a local bathroom contractor, hire a handyman for simple repairs and upgrades, or even do it yourself.
Homes with more than one bathroom are more desirable.
8.) Repaint, all rooms, as needed. Painting contractors may offer a discount if more than one room is being painted. However, painting is a fairly easy project so it could be added to the do it yourself list.
Keep in mind, if a buyer is looking at a new home, it will have a coat of fresh paint. Painting is an inexpensive way to update a room, and give it a clean look. Consider painting rooms that need freshening up, or rooms that are not painted in neutral colors, especially if you are thinking of selling your home.
Be aware, that following the current trends in major home improvement projects, can be risky. Trends can “date” a home. Neutral colors will appeal to most buyers. If you like the trendy colors, keep it to your decorating items…i.e. bedroom comforters, bathroom towels, rugs and/or window treatments, etc. These are items you can easily, and inexpensively change, in the event you decide to sell your home.
Anytime you are doing a remodel or making improvements to your home, take time to do research, and find out what buyers are currently looking for in a home. Most home improvement stores offer brochures which show what’s popular.
Even though you may not be thinking of selling your home anytime soon, try to take on your projects by keeping “resale” in mind. We never know where life will take us, therefore, it is wise to spend those remodeling, home improvement dollars on timeless projects.
When contemplating a home improvement or remodeling project, prior to selling your home, consider the current real estate market. Will your remodeling project reap extra dollars for you, or will it only help you to sell your home faster. In a slow real estate market, the competition is great. Be an informed seller. Talk to a real estate agent. You may even consider getting a home inspection, and avoid “surprises”. Do research online.
Want to know how to “stage” your home for potential buyers? Read my previous article, titled: How To Stage A Home For Sale
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