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Displaying blog entries 51-55 of 55

Getting Organized on a Budget for New Castle County, DE

by Tucker Robbins

Your dream closet comes complete with drawers, shoe shelves, a complete vanity and a hefty price tag. Other organizational organizing gadgets and pieces can cost quite a bit as well, but there are a multitude of ways to get organized without spending a lot 

 

Closets 

  • - 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! 

 

In the Kitchen 

  • - 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!) 

 

Bedrooms 

  • - 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.  

 

Getting organized is on many New Year resolution lists, and if you’re serious about it, start by decluttering, and using what you can afford or DIY to make it happen.  Putting the home in order can be pretty, practical, and even cheap! 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

Photo credit: care2.com

Preventing Pests in Your Home

by Tucker Robbins

We normally associate pests and insects with Summer time, but now is a good time to think about what you can do to prevent creepy crawlers coming in to your home. It’s a simple matter of checking the outside as well as the inside, and staying ahead of them. 

 

Exterior 

  • 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. 

 

Interior 

  • 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. 

 

 

If you see pests in or out of your home, it’s best to call a professional to address the problem, and do it quickly so you don’t suffer an infestation.  Once you know you’re clear of bugs, it only takes a few minutes each week to keep them from feeling at home in your home.  

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

 

Photo credit: www.gopherthekill.com

 

Home Maintenance Tasks & Shortcuts

by Tucker Robbins

Let’s face it, there isn’t a better time of year to get some home maintenance taken care of in and around your house than now.  The days are a little bit longer than they were and the temperatures are almost perfect, not too hot and not too cold, unless it’s raining of course.  Below is a list of a few home maintenance tasks you might want to tackle along with a few shortcuts to help you get them done more quickly. 

  1.  The task of planting flower beds and adding mulch can sometimes be an overwhelming one but if you take the shortcut of planning a day just for flowers and mulch it won’t be as bad.  Have mulch delivered to your house on a particular day making sure to have it put in a spot that will be easily accessible.  This is better than not having things planned out then ending up with a pile of mulch at the tip top of your driveway where you have to go back and forth to retrieve it as you work on your landscaping.
  2. Window washing is no one’s favorite home maintenance task but if you take the shortcut of having someone wash the inside of the window while you’re washing the outside of it, your time will be cut completely in half!  Have a little fun with it and be silly with your window washing partner.  Make sure to look out for streaks on both sides as you go taking care of them before you move on to the next window.
  3. Repairing your old wooden deck or fence can many times be a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be.  Take the shortcut of using a cordless nail gun to get those loose boards back into place quickly. 
  4. Brick or stone patios and walkways can many times become damaged during the winter months.  A quick shortcut to fixing this problem is to push around a wheelbarrow filled with sand to help smooth out any unevenness that has occurred. 

These few home maintenance shortcuts should help you get things done around your house a bit quicker this year than they may have taken you in years past.  Sometimes by simply thinking a bit outside the box you can come up with ideas to get tasks done in a more efficient manner than you previously have.  These shortcut ideas will get you started in the right direction.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

Tips for Adding a Fence on Your Property

by Tucker Robbins

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owning a home is a wonderful thing, but you should always be really careful to make the best choices if you make changes to the outside of your home and this includes putting up a fence of any kind.  There are a few tips for adding a fence to your property that you might want to take into consideration before doing so and some of those are listed below. 

  1. Before putting up a fence on your property be sure to talk with your neighbors about it.  You need to keep in mind that you are not only putting up a fence in your backyard but you are also adding a fence to your neighbors land as well.  Talk with the neighbors that your fence will directly affect and discuss such things as property lines and types of fencing etc. 
  2. Another thing to consider when adding a fence on your property  is the color of the fence and also the style.  Will the color and style of your fence match your home?  If you need ideas of what style fence will look good with your house consider looking online at some ideas.
  3. You may want to consider planting trees to use as a fence if you decide you can’t find a style of fencing that will look good with your homes style.  Cypress and pines are great for this type of privacy fencing and they never go out of style. 
  4. If you decide to add a wooden fence, be sure that you know you will have to take care of it and paint or stain it every so often.  If you want something that has less maintenance than that you may want to purchase a vinyl fence.  
  5. You may want to consider cost as well when deciding what type of material you want your new fence made out of.  Keeping within your budget is always a good idea when adding to your home.
  6. Longevity of the fence material is another thing to keep in mind when choosing fencing for your property.  You don’t want to purchase a material that will need to be replaced sooner than you wish for it to. 

These are just a few tips for adding a fence of any kind to your property.  Once you have gone over these tips you should be able to choose more wisely than you would have without them.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

4 Compelling Reasons To Own Your Own Home

by Tucker Robbins

The majority of articles advocating home ownership center around financial benefits—fixed monthly expenses, tax benefits, accruing equity, etc.—and indeed these incentives do propel many people to purchase a home.  According to two recent polls (Gallop and the Allstate / National Journal survey), however, other more intangible factors also motivate the purchase of a piece of real estate.

  • home buyerSense of community:  As a homeowner, you’ll be centered in a strong community of like-minded people, which can be a valuable asset for you and your family.  Homeownership brings a sense of pride in both your home and your community.  Various studies suggest that a higher homeownership rate brings lower crime rates, higher property values, better educated children, and ultimately closer communities.  Investing in a home may also mean investing in your family and your community by getting involved.  Once you own a home, you feel more attached to the area in which you live. You're more interested in what happens in your neighborhood, to the roads, schools, and shopping areas.

     
  • Renewed belief in the American Dream:  Although confidence in that dream has faltered in recent years, the desire to own a home is rebounding, especially among younger buyers and members of diverse ethnic groups.  Pride and family stability are important factors in today’s dream. Your house is the physical manifestation of your years of hard work and financial responsibility. And nothing says “success story” like owning your very own piece of the American dream.
     
  • Higher academic achievement of childrenConsistent findings show that homeownership does have a significant positive impact on educational achievement.  Some studies find that homeownership brings residential stability, and it is this stability that raises educational attainment.  Another asserts that while homeownership raises educational outcomes for children, neighborhood stability further enhances the positive outcome.  Additional research has shown that there is an increased chance of success in many areas for the children of homeowners.
     
  • Freedom to “do your own thing.”  If you own your house, the home improvement store is your oyster! You can paint, remodel, remove, or restyle just about anything in your home to meet your individual needs and/or reflect your tastes and personality.

Owning a home is certainly a wise investment—in so many ways!

Information courtesy of New Castle County Realtor Tucker Robbins.

Displaying blog entries 51-55 of 55

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Photo of Tucker Robbins Real Estate
Tucker Robbins
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
3838 Kennett Pike
Wilmington DE 19807
(302) 777-7744 (direct)