FSBO Jane

This quick tip of mine is not my way of saying get rid of your air-conditioning unit altogether, turn on your fans, open your windows, strip down to your underwear, sweat to stay cool and live with it! Oh, and eat popsicles. No, we live in a society where using a/c is totally acceptable, probable and expected. Even the greenest, energy-saving leaders use air conditioning in their homes.

So when I say turn off the a/c, I mean turn it off while you’re not home. That’s a good place to start. When no one is home in your house (this only works for people without pets), set your programmable thermostat (a smart purchase) to turn off once you leave the house and to turn back on before you get home. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, write yourself a reminder to turn it off manually before you leave. It won’t take long for your house to cool off once you return home and turn the a/c back on.

To take it one step further, this article from The Daily Green suggests you turn your thermostat off 10 minutes before you leave the house or five minutes before you get out of your car. This allows you to still enjoy a cool atmosphere that will not heat up while you remain indoors, and it’ll save more than 24 hours of a/c usage per year! Just a few minutes without a/c usage really add up to energy savings.

There are plenty of ways for you to cool your house and reduce your air-conditioning usage at the same time. Close your drapes when the sun is blaring through a particular window. Turn your ceiling fans on, which use very little energy. Plant trees near your windows to provide your house with shade. Cover your air-conditioning unit and keep it as cool as possible. But when it comes down to reducing air-conditioning usage, an article from HomeTips.com states that insulating the attic is the number one energy-saving, cooling upgrade you could make, and it comes at a low cost.

Choose the insulation that is right for your particular attic setup, such as batt or loose-fill. Also include caulking and weather-stripping to prevent air leaks. The quickest step you could take is to staple a foil radiant barrier to the attic roof between the rafters. When choosing insulation, make sure you choose a type that includes a rating suitable for your weather conditions. For mild conditions, choose R-19, for moderate climates, R-30, and for intense weather, from R-38 up to R-49.

For more information on attic insulation, visit the Department of Energy’s website here.

If you still think all kitchen and bathroom faucets turn on with a knob, think again. The faucet industry doesn’t even design faucets with knobs anymore. Now, faucets look futuristic, sleek and curvy.

For example, there is the single-hole lavatory faucet that displays two square handles and a smooth, enclosed disc cartridge that curves down from the handles and toward the sink bowl. Then there’s a lavatory faucet that displays a popup handle and a flat plate where the water flows from. Some of these faucets produce a rounded, more direct flow of water, whereas others produce a wide, flat waterfall of water. Aside from the actual faucet, some of the sinks that come with the faucets contain a bowl that rests above the countertop instead of inside of it.

According to the senior product manager of Kohler, the shift came from the shift of how people view water. Instead of homeowners viewing a sink as a place to wash dishes or teeth, they now see a sink as a source of water, which can be soothing and tranquil. The modern style of faucets displays sleek, smooth surfaces and curvy, sculpted shapes. The water flows with more elegance and calmness, offering a sense of peace and tranquility.

Don’t believe that a faucet could create all that? Take a look at these “modern and luxury faucets” from FaucetLine.com, Kohler and Signature Hardware, and decide for yourself.

I found this article from the Chicago Tribune to be interesting, but from a different perspective than it meant to portray. According to the article, one-fourth of all people with mortgages find themselves to be underwater, or in other words, paying mortgages higher than what their houses are worth. That’s approximately 27 million people. Because of this, online sites are starting to accommodate for buyers and renters. Apartments.com, a rental site, said they have seen a significant increase of traffic to their sites and follow-through calls to landlords. With so many people “underwater,” why wouldn’t more people opt to rent rather than own right now?

I found this to be interesting from the landlord point of view. If so many people are underwater, out of work, struggling financially, etc., why not take advantage of this surge in rental interest? Why not fill this up-and-coming market? I say go purchase a home at an exceptionally low price and then rent it out to tenants! It’s the perfect time for that, and your opportunities are seemingly endless.

Buy Owner is a good place to start searching for affordable property that you could purchase and then rent. Not only can you search for cheap houses, but you can also search for apartment buildings and multi-units for sale, vacant land, manufactured homes and more. You can choose your budget and stick to it. You can choose a location that is surging in rental interest and search only in that location. It’s never been so easy to purchase a cheap home, and then decide to rent it out.

I found this article to contain valuable insight on where real estate is heading in the future. My job is complete in sharing this insight with you. It’s up to you now to decide your next move!

If you have children, this blog is for you. No matter what age your children are now, eventually, they will grow into teens and will want to eliminate anything that reminds them of childhood. Why do most children go through this transitional phase of suddenly hating all their cuddly stuffed animals and Disney princess décor after years of idolizing them? Maybe they’re afraid of their friends making fun of them if they don’t destroy childhood idols fast enough, or maybe they want to prove to themselves (and their parents!) that they aren’t kids anymore and they deserve a grownup bedroom. Whatever the reason, you might as well prepare yourself for this day that brings a hardcore remodeling job to your duties as a parent.

What should a teenage bedroom look like? The Better Homes and Gardens website explores different color schemes and decorating ideas to help you down the right path. Here are some major areas of the room to consider:

Colors

You and your teenager should decide what colors he or she enjoys now and will continue to enjoy for years to come. A female teen might opt for a bright room full of orange hues that coincide beautifully with maroon and plum shades, or she might opt for a softer, more neutral room with lavender or pastel pink walls, chiffon curtains and a white bedspread to counteract the colors. A male teen might want to stick with white walls and deep blue or black furniture (black is not a bad thing!), or he might want to paint his walls the color of his favorite sports team, along with some framed player photos or hanging jerseys.

Accessories

The room should still be fun, just not childish. Some accessories that could add to the fun factor might include a canopy over a girl’s bed, a sports logo stenciled onto a boy’s wall, a modern shelving unit to help organize and show off framed photos of homecoming and prom dances, a cozy corner with chairs and bean bags for friends, movie posters, vases of flowers, a desk with computer space, a full-length mirror, a miniature TV and more. You don’t want to include so much in the room that the teen never feels the need to leave (is a mini fridge really necessary?) but you want to include enough so that the teen feels comfortable in his or her private space.

Furniture

You don’t have to toss all the old furniture. Chances are you can spruce up what’s already in the room with some fresh paint and accessories! Paint a wooden dresser white and paint the drawers or knobs an accent color found on the walls or bedspread. Have fun with it. This is a job you and your can do together! Also, to add colorful oomph, add pillows and throw rugs to the room’s ensemble instead of replacing furniture. Allow for one drastic change, like replacing the twin bed with a double bed, switching carpeting for hardwood, or adding a computer desk or TV.

The most important thing to remember is that each teenager is an individual. Just because your son or daughter no longer finds cartoon wallpaper appealing, it doesn’t mean that he or she doesn’t appreciate all the time you spent creating that themed bedroom. Changes are necessary as children age, so make the most of this time with your teen as you together come up with a renovation plan!

Already been through the process of altering your child’s room to a teen-appropriate room? Share your stories or advice below!

When it comes to buying a house, have you ever felt torn on whether you should buy old or new? There’s the one side, with the thought of purchasing a brand-new home that no one else has lived in. No hidden stains, no rusted pipes, no lingering odors. Then there’s the other side, with the thought of purchasing an old home where others have made memories, created a homey atmosphere and left a piece of history behind for you to become part of. It’s a tough decision, so to help you make it, I am offering this article from TheDailyGreen.com.

This article suggests that you should purchase old homes in order to save precious wilderness that would otherwise be torn apart for building homes on. With so many homes available for purchase right now, why ruin extra land to buy new homes? It even suggests that you purchase old buildings that would otherwise be torn down. They could be renovated into museums, bed and breakfasts, offices, home businesses and other interesting entrepreneur ideas.

Take a look at the article and then decide what you think about purchasing old homes and buildings. Would it be worth the renovation? Do you agree or disagree with the idea? Let me know!

Are you looking for ways to boost buyer interest right now? Seasonal changes allow you to revive your home selling techniques with fresh approaches.

Now that we’re right in the heart of spring, use seasonal perks to your advantage!

For example, create a garden by digging up a square of grass and planting seeds from local farmers or florists. That way, a new buyer can move in, water the garden and enjoy watching it grow as they start a new life in a new home!

Too much? If you’re not into digging up your immaculate lawn, that’s okay. You could also just buy potted annual flowers from a local florist to display on your front porch or back patio. Flowers attract attention, and you want to attract potential buyers! What could attract buyers more on a dreary, rainy April afternoon than pots of bright yellow flowers?

Those are my ideas. Luckily, there are far more ideas out there than mine alone: This article from the Buy Owner Blog offers more tips on how to boost buyer interest in spring, this one offers tips on how to prepare your yard for spring and this one offers tips on how to spring clean your way to a sale. Once you finish reading these refreshing home selling tips, get out there and revive your selling strategies this spring!

As much as I despise cleaning snow off my car in the wee hours of the morning, there’s something calming about the winter months. Sipping on a mug of tea while curled up in front of the TV isn’t too stressful. As summer approaches, however, my to-do list gets longer along with the hours of daylight. My goal, starting now, is to find to ways to relieve stress while I’m at home, so that even when I’m not curled up in front of the TV, I still feel calm and collected. Join me in this goal, won’t you?

These are quick, minor ways to strip away stress in the home. Incorporate one at a time into your lifestyle, perhaps one per week, and see if it helps:

• Lay plush throw rugs by your kitchen sink, your bathroom sink, your vanity, below your computer chair or anywhere that you stand or sit often. This will relieve your feet of extra stress, which will relieve your whole body of poor posture and stressful joints.
• Ditch the home exercise equipment that looks bulky, out of place or just plain in the way. Opt for exercise videos, such as dance or yoga videos, which either get your blood flowing or strengthen your muscles using your body weight.
• Create a view to enjoy. You don’t have to visit a spa or an ocean-view hotel room to score a premium view. In your own house, plant flowers or trees right outside your windows and keep the blinds open. Inside, plant herbs for the windowsills, and buy stalks of bamboo that are nearly impossible to kill.
• Keep bath salts and bubble baths in your bathroom for a rainy day. We don’t have much time in our lives, but why not have the ingredients around for when you have a second to spare in the bathtub? For busy days, use lavender-scented body wash to calm your nerves.
• Play soft meditation music while you pay bills or while you savor a meal. It will automatically calm you down and relieve tension. While you clean dishes or dust, turn on upbeat music that’ll get your body moving.

Cleaning the house, working out and showering don’t seem like daily chores if you add these stress-free qualities to them! And when you decide to host that open house, potential home buyers will take notice at how clean your house is and how calm you are.

This nifty article from TheDailyGreen.com offers you recipes for homemade cleaning supplies that are all-natural, leaving no toxic chemicals or pesticides in your air or on your surfaces. Plus, they are made with products already found in your home! So even if you’re not into the whole green-living movement, these eco-friendly options will also save you oodles of dollars and cabinet space. It doesn’t get much better than that! Here are some examples that I pulled from the article:

For kitchens and bathroom surfaces:

• Brush baking soda onto a surface and wipe with a wet sponge or rag. For extra-tough stains, sprinkle kosher salt on first.
• Mix lemon juice or vinegar with water inside a spray bottle.
• Mix two cups water, three tablespoons liquid soap and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil to make a disinfectant. Beats the smell and accidental stains of bleach!

For mirrors:

• Use your white vinegar and water mixture inside a spray bottle to spray onto a mirror, and then use newspaper to wipe instead of paper towels. This prevents streaking. (I tried this to make sure that the ink wouldn’t spill onto your mirror. It didn’t.) Lemon juice or baking soda works too instead of vinegar.

Carpets and rugs:

• Pour club soda onto a spill to prevent staining. The carbonation resurfaces the spill and the salts prevent staining.
• Dump cornmeal onto big stains and wait five to 15 minutes before vacuuming. Club soda and cornmeal also work for deodorizing rugs.

Silverware:

• Line your sink with aluminum foil, drop in tarnished silverware, pour boiling water and a cup of baking soda into the sink and let sit for a few minutes.
• Rub silverware with toothpaste and a soft cloth, and then rinse in warm water. If you’re not comfortable using toothpaste, you can also use three parts baking soda and one park water.
• Rub ketchup on copper pots and pans for a polished look.

Strange, isn’t it? To think that we spend so much money on cleaning supplies when items we already own will do the trick just as well, if not better. And, for green enthusiasts, they are safe and friendly for the environment. Try one out and let me know how it works!

GET PAPERWORK IN ORDER
Ask ahead of time what documents, if any, the appraiser will want to see. Some that may be included are the survey, certificates of occupancy, applicable permits, recent tax bills, list of appliances and copies of recent inspections.

GET THE HOUSE READY

1. Declutter: It’s important to make sure all rooms and areas of your home are easily accessible, including storage spaces and closets.
2. Clean: True, the appraiser isn’t coming to inspect your home’s cleanliness; but on the other hand, getting your home into its best appearance can’t hurt anything! Make it easy for the appraiser to see your home’s features!
3. Repair: If you’ve been putting off a repair, now’s the time to do something about it. Fix broken locks, leaky faucets, etc.!

WHAT TO EXPECT
After you’ve gotten paperwork in order and prepared your home for its appraisal, all that’s left for you to do is be available on the scheduled day. Give the appraiser space to look around, but be available to answer questions.