Real Estate Information Archive

- Now is a great time to prune dead wood and suckers out of flowering trees and shrubbery.  If you have plants that bloom in spring or bloom off old wood, wait to cut it back until after it flowers. Cutting them back now will take off the new flower bud.  
 

- After pruning fruit trees, spray with neem oil to help prevent any pests that have overwintered and can destroy your Summer harvest. 
 

- Rake leaves and other debris so your lawn can absorb as much sun as possible to look its best. Place debris in the compost pile. 
 

- Don’t wait to start mowing the lawn in a few months to find a mechanical problem.  Home Depot offers some tips for getting your lawn mower ready for the busy season. 
 

- Check your irrigation system for any cracks if the cold weather has been brutal this year. 
 

- Have your garden soil tested through your local cooperative extension service.  
 

- If you haven’t already, get your seeds ordered and started as soon as possible. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has some great advice for indoor seed-starting. 
 

If you see daffodils blooming, that means it’s time to get cold weather veggies in the ground:  onions, garlic, sweet peas, salads, carrots and potatoes are cold-hardy and will be ready for harvest first! 
 

- Cut back ornamental grasses and mow any natural wildflower landscaping you may have. 
 

- Don’t put away the bird feeders just yet--keep them full, because winter fruit is fading, and their favorite insects haven’t ventured out yet.  Clean your hummingbird feeders with a bottlebrush dipped in warm water with white vinegar, rinse, and allow to sir dry.  If you’re not sure when to fill them and have them ready, read this hummingbird Spring migration information from The Spruce. 
 

-Mulching now is a good idea, unless there has been a lot of snow and rain in your area.  Before you put down new mulch, make sure the ground has had some time to dry out. 

- A chain plant hanger is perfect for hanging shirts and blouses to save valuable room.  Chains also come in a variety of sizes and finishes, and is available year-round at most hardware stores. 

- Mount a short curtain rod on the inside of the closet door to hang scarves, and use clip-style curtain rings to hang hats and gloves in the Winter. 

- Tension rods placed at top and bottom of your closet can extend your hanging space for lighter items, like blouses and shirts. Or add shower curtain hooks to keep purses, scarves or ties handy.  

This use of tension rods for shoe storage is awesome and easy! 

- A large piece of sturdy wire mesh from a hardware or farm supply store, and even pegboard cut to fit any spare wall space in your closet can be installed virtually flat. S-hooks make perfect hangers awkward-shaped items, and ties and scarves can be stored flat. 

- Closet space can vary, and if you’ve already utilized every inch, consider a wardrobe.  Scan online yard sale groups, flea markets and auctions for inexpensive pieces, add some paint to compliment your decor, and you have a custom wardrobe! 

- A clean egg carton or small muffin tin is perfect for keeping things organized in the catch-all drawer. 

- If your cabinets make it hard to find pots and pans that you need, consider hanging them! Pot racks can be made from many things, and if you’re feeling a project coming on, here’s a great DIY pallet rack to try! 

- Use inexpensive dollar store baskets in your pantry for pull-out organization of cans, spices and baking items.  The baskets keep them neat, and easy to get to. 

- An unused cookie jar is perfect for keeping cooking utensils handy and out of a junky drawer. 

- A wall file-holder attached to the inside of a cabinet door is transformed into a plastic container lid holder. 

- Mount a long piece of magnetic tape to your backsplash to hold knives and other often-used utensils for easy access. (Make sure the kids can’t reach them, though!) 

- Use a bookshelf as a headboard to create space for books, (obviously), remotes, glasses, morning medicines or display items. 

- Under-the-bed storage is essential for seasonal clothes, shoes, toys, old photos--anything you don’t use daily.  Suitcases, old dresser drawers (with adhesive felt or wheels on the bottom), inexpensive plastic storage containers, and vacuum-sealed storage bags make the most of this space. 

- Is your makeup kept in a jumbled drawer or cosmetic bag? This DIY magnetic makeup board is a great way to keep it handy and easy to find. 

- The kids’ toys can stay better organized by using baskets in bookshelves, open shelving on their level, and benches with storage.  

- Decide on a budget, and how you’ll pay for the upgrade.  Consider hiring a financial planner who can help you choose which way is best. 

- If you decide to do this project yourself, and you’re not in the construction business, plan on taking much longer than a professional.  Be realistic about your skills and hire help if you need it. 

- Acquiring an architect or designer is a good idea if you’re making major changes.  You don’t want to run into major structural or electrical issues and not know what to do. 

- Think about how long you want to stay in your home before you invest in big ticket items, like a six-burner range for the kitchen, or expensive hardwood flooring throughout the house.  If your sole plan is to make money from a sale, or if you want and can afford the upgrades, go ahead. But if you’re not going to enjoy those items while you’re living there, consider a simple refurbishing or using what you have if it’s in good working order and won’t look out of place. 

- When looking for a contractor, price isn’t necessarily the important thing.  Ask for references, check their license numbers, and call the former clients and ask to see the work that was done, either in photos or in person. The research will be worth it in the end.  

- Once you hire your contractor, start getting your paperwork in order.  The contractor has their own responsibilities, and the homeowner has to take care of other items--check this list from realtor.com to see who is responsible for what. 

- Planning a timeline with your contractor is especially important, and make sure you leave room for possible unexpected issues. 

- Sit down with your family and figure out logistics, especially if you’re remodeling the kitchen or one of the bathrooms in your home.  Remodeling can cause a lot of stress, but if everyone knows what to do before it all happens, things can flow better. 

- As with moving, clean out the room before the renovation, giving away, selling or throwing out what you haven’t used in months.  Wrap and store any items you’re keeping in a spare room. 

- Before the construction team comes in to begin the project, sit down with your contractor to set location boundaries for the crew and your family, along with other logistics. The crew doesn’t want your children playing around with tools, and you don’t want your good bathroom towels used for grimy hands.  Everyone needs to know what is okay, and what isn’t.   

1. Pick your space, picture to hang, and gather measuring tool, chalk or pencil, level, hammer and nails or screwdriver and screws. Picture-hanging kits can be purchased at hardware and home stores as well. 

2. If the place you’ve chosen doesn’t have a stud for a nail, it is best to use an anchor and screw hanger.  These are inexpensive, and can be found in any hardware store.  Follow the easy instructions for installation for a strong mount for the picture. 

3. Measure up to approximately 57” on the wall; this is where the center of your picture should be--average eye height. The top of the frame will obviously be higher. 

4. Hold the frame up to the wall and use a pencil or some chalk to mark the approximate place for the nail/anchor screw. 

5. Install the hardware you’ve chosen, and hang the frame. 

6. Sometimes the frame doesn’t want to hang level.  Use self-stick rubber dots on the back corners of the frame; these will hold it in place, and protect the wall from damage. 

1. If you’re creating a gallery wall using several pieces, and include family snapshot photos, children’s artwork, art prints, and even fine art. 

2. Create a clean, modern look by using the same style and color frames, same color palette, or same theme. 

3. Use the largest picture for a focal point. Hang it first, using the 57” on-center idea. 

4. Make templates of your artwork with newspaper.  Lay your pictures down on the paper, and trace around the edge. Cut the templates out. 

5. Place the templates on the floor, or on the wall with masking tape, in any formation you like, changing the arrangement until it looks like a well-fitted puzzle. 

6. Not all large pieces need to be in the center; a pleasing arrangement would have the focal point hanging to the left of your display, with smaller frames hung on the right.  

7. Once you are satisfied with your mock-up gallery, hang the pictures using the first four tips. 

1. Renters or anyone who doesn’t want to bother with hammer and nails can use removeable sticky strips for framed pieces.  3M Command Strips are perfect for this easy display idea. 

2. Use an art ledge for an easy display. These can be purchased at home stores and painted or stained to suit your style.  Attach to the wall at the 57” level, or 12” above the furniture, and place your pictures and artwork on them--no other hardware needed! 

3. There are a multitude of free printables--seasonal and inspirational quotes--available on the internet.  Keep one or two spaces on your walls for a quick-change whenever you feel the need. 

1. Latex paint is best for walls, and oil paint is perfect for wood trim, because it seals stains.  2. Oil paint takes longer to dry, and has a strong odor, but if you add a tablespoon of vanilla extract per gallon, and open the windows, it helps keep the odor in check.  

3. Flat paint goes on easily, but doesn’t clean easily; glossy paint is great for cleaning, and comes in semi-gloss, and satin, but doesn’t cover wall imperfections. For a nice compromise, an eggshell finish is somewhat flat, but easy to clean. 

1. Choose a color for the room/s you’re updating, and don’t be afraid of using a bold color.  2. This adds character and some wow factor to your home. Neutrals are great for quick-change decorating, or if you’re thinking of selling soon. 

3. Using pint-can paint samples, apply a 2x2 foot area of each color on the wall you’re planning to paint, allow to dry for 24 hours, and look at them at different times of the day.  4. You’ll get a more accurate feel for the color in the different lights, and whether you can live with it or not. 

5. Don’t forget the ceiling! You can change the feel of the room’s height by going a shade darker (for a lower ceiling feel), or go a shade lighter or use a lighter color to give the illusion of a higher ceiling. 

1. Measure your room for square footage, and make sure you buy enough paint--about one gallon per 400 square feet. 

2. Purchase good painter’s tape, drop cloths, putty, a good putty knife, caulking, and any tools you may need for removing hardware from any doors or walls. 

3. Protect light fixtures, trim, or wall sconces with painter’s tape.  Move furniture and put down drop cloths. Use wall putty or caulking to fill and smooth any holes or other wall damage. 

4. Clean, sand, and dust walls, using a vacuum to make sure all of the dust is off the walls. 

5. Priming the walls is really important if you’re covering a dark color, if there are stains on the walls, or if you’re painting paneling or new sheetrock. Tint the primer with a little of your new wall color before applying. 

1. Paint mixing isn’t 100% perfect. Professionals mix all of the gallon cans together in a five-gallon bucket for color uniformity.   

2. Paint in corners and close to the ceiling with a good brush before you paint the walls, working your way down to catch drips. This process is called “cutting in.” 

3. Working in an overlapping W-pattern, apply paint until you need to reload the roller.  If you notice paint drying quickly, work in 3-4 foot sections of wall, but a whole wall can be accomplished in the case of a slower drying process. 

4. Smoothing the paint is important and is done by using what paint is left on the roller to paint as close to the ceiling and corners as possible, where you’ve already cut in. This gives a smooth appearance to the finish. 

5. Clean your equipment as soon as painting is done:  latex paint can be washed off with dish detergent and warm water, but oil paint should be cleaned off with paint thinner.  

6. Once the paint is dry, after about 24 hours, move your furniture back in, but hold off hanging anything on the walls for a few days, and don't wash them until the paint has cured, usually two weeks to thirty days. 

1. When you mulch plants, keep it from piling up against the house’s foundation. Insects can use the mulch for overwintering, but if you could add a border of rock or stone between the mulch and the house, or even use cedar mulch, it would discourage pests. 

2. Inspect your foundation carefully for cracks or holes, as well as places where utility pipes and wires enter your home.  Cover or fill them with wire screen mesh, cement, or metal flashing. 

3. Outside lights, when left on, draw flying insects, but if you can change the bulbs from incandescent to halogen, they are less attracted to the glow.  

4. Check doors and windows for openings and seal them with caulking or weather-stripping, and repair any holes in your screens.

5. Keep trash cans and surrounding areas clean, and make sure lids fit tight. Recyclables should be rinsed well, and container lids put back on before tossing them in the recycle bin. 

6. If you have anything that can retain water, empty it as often as possible, and use a larvicide in your landscape’s water features.   

7. If you use firewood, store it away from your home, at least thirty feet. 

8. Gutters should be cleaned periodically, not only for their efficiency, but to help keep pests from making a home in the debris. 

1. The most important pest prevention tip for the inside of your home is cleanliness.  Keep crumbs off the counters and floors, clean food messes immediately, and keep food consumption limited to the kitchen. Wash up dishes before going to bed at night.  

2. Storing open food in plastic containers with lids or plastic storage bags will lessen the chances of pests finding it. 

3. Check stored grains, (flour, sugar, cornmeal), often, and discard it as soon as the expiration date passes.  Storing these in a sealed container is best. 

4. Pet food is best kept in a storage container with a tight-fitting lid. 

5. Keep inside garbage in a trash can fitted with a bag, and keep the lid closed. Remove the bag to the outside can as soon as it’s full. 

6. Vacuum carpets frequently, especially if you have pets.  They can bring in little hitch hikers when they come in from being outdoors. 

7. Inspect all baseboards, and replace or repair them if they’re broken, and walls should be checked for holes, and repaired as soon as possible.