May
21
Moving Scam Alert!
Posted by robinjones under For Buyers, For Realty Professionals, For Sellers, General Information
Here’s a moving scam to watch out for if you’re hiring a professional mover. Your mover should give you a quote based on weight. If they try to give you a quote based on cubic footage, this is a huge red flag. In fact, if you are moving across state lines, it’s actually illegal for movers to charge based on cubic foot. The problem is that these bids will be very low – probably too good to be true. The real trouble begins when the movers get most or all of your belongings in their truck. That’s when they hit you with the real price of the move. By then it’s too late. Your things are on their truck, and they won’t get anything off of it without full payment in cash. They will probably even tell you that if you don’t pay up, they will take the truck and sell everything you own to cover the contract. Don’t let this happen to you!
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May
16
May’s Moving Newsetter
Posted by robinjones under For Buyers, For Realty Professionals, For Sellers, General Information
May is National Moving Month so this month’s newsletter is devoted to tips to making your move stress-free. Check it out here.
In this month’s issue:
Have a Stress Free Move
The Hidden Costs of Moving
Watch Out for Moving Scams
Plus a recently reduced 3-bedroom family home is this month’s featured property.
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Apr
22
The Recycled Garden
Posted by robinjones under For Buyers, For Realty Professionals, For Sellers, General Information
All of us are always looking for more ways we can conserve our resources. Maybe you compost or have a rain barrel. You probably use mulch wherever you can to reduce the amount of watering your garden needs. Here are some ideas to take your earth friendly habits to the next level.
Plastic takeout spoons are perfect for labeling your plants.
Egg cartons make great seed starters.
Toilet paper rolls are a good housing for delicate seedlings that need extra support when they’re transplanted.
Glass jars can be used to mix liquid fertilizers and plant food.
Plastic containers with lids are an ideal place to store seeds, growing pellets, and powdered fertilizers.
Plastic milk and juice jugs can be used as watering cans or cut in half and used as scoops for potting soil and plant food or cut in half and turned upside down and used as funnels.
Large plastic ice cream tubs or kitty litter containers become buckets for storing and hauling.
Tin cans are not only good for starting seedlings, but you could also get creative and paint them and turn them into decorative planters.
If you want some fantastic conversation pieces, you could go bold by converting items like bathtubs, wheelbarrows, fountains, or old grills into planters.
These ideas help the environment and save you time and money. Talk about turning trash into treasure!
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Apr
16
Home Staging Ideas Anyone Can Afford
Posted by robinjones under For Buyers, For Realty Professionals, General Information
Selling a home has become a wildly competitive thing in recent years. It’s not enough to simply clean up, mow the lawn, and patch holes in the walls. You need to take your presentation to the next level. Even if Tax Day hit you hard this year, there are some simple things you can do to stage your home for about $100. That’s right – there are only 2 zeros in that number!
1. Kitchen: Install sleek new cabinet knobs and drawer pulls.
2. Bathroom: It’s all about accessories. New towel racks, toilet paper holder, soap dish, and fresh, fluffy towels.
3. Bedroom: Hang an elegant wall mirror.
4. Living room: Paint the walls with a semi-gloss paint in a neutral color. Add a few colorful throw pillows on the couch and chairs.
5. Dining room: Set the table and add fresh flowers as a centerpiece. Hang an interesting piece of art.
A few final overall tips…
Open the shades/blinds and turn on lights to brighten up any space.
Make sure the lawn is mowed and any landscaping is trimmed and weeded.
Clear out clutter and personal items such as family photos. Use good ol’ elbow grease to make every nook and cranny sparkle. People will look in every closet and cupboard, so be prepared.
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Apr
9
Low-Maintenance Landscapes
Posted by robinjones under For Buyers, For Realty Professionals, For Sellers, General Information, Norfolk
While some of us find gardening to be a relaxing escape totally worthy of all our free time, many people find it to be one more chore. For those that want the beauty of a lovely garden, but don’t have time in their busy lives for all the work, I have some suggestions for creating your low-maintenance landscape.
Choose larger quantities of fewer varieties of plants. Select just a few plants that you really like. If you can choose plants with similar maintenance needs, that’s even better. The fewer varieties you have, the easier it will be to keep up with their care. Use small trees and shrubs to create borders and ground cover that not only look pleasing, but are low-maintenance. Color and coverage are key to your selection, particularly with a limited number of plant types. Consider variety in colors and don’t skimp on coverage. You don’t want what you do have to look skimpy.
Create a balance between plants and “hardscape” such as mulch, stones, and pavers. You can reduce the amount of foliage that requires constant care by adding hardscaping to your plan. If you already have areas that receive less sun or just don’t grow well, this is an ideal place to add these items to your design. Make a stonescape, put in a fountain, or add a container garden with a planters in variety of colors, styles, and sizes.
When designing your low-maintenance landscape, use your property as your guide. Plant in spots that have good soil, sun, and drainage. Put trees, shrubs, and planters in areas that have growth, but don’t need constant care. Cover bare areas that have bad soil or too much shade with rock gardens, paved paths, benches, and birdbaths. Only you know how much time you’re willing and able to devote to your gardening project. Since you have to live with it every single day, you owe it to yourself to make it something you can truly enjoy!
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Apr
3
April Showers Bring…Leaks?
Posted by robinjones under General Information
Spring is here and you’re starting to think about spring cleaning, planting your garden, and grilling out. Just make sure you add one more item to that list: looking for leaks in your basement.
We’ve had a lot of rain the last few spring seasons and we might be due for more this year. Those April showers could spell bad news for your basement. Over time, houses settle and foundations can weaken and crack. If you notice water in your basement, you might have a serious problem. The quicker you address it, the better chance you have of avoiding long-term damage to your home.
First, you need to determine if your leak is an exterior or an interior problem. To see if the water is coming from outside, tape a 12-inch square of aluminum foil to the wall where you see the most water. Secure it tightly around the edges. Check it after a couple days. If it’s got water on it, the water is coming from outside. Don’t wait – call a professional who specializes in foundations to evaluate the problem.
If the foil is not wet, then you need to check your pipes for any signs of leakage. If you don’t see any apparent leaks, you can try shutting your water off for a couple hours. Check your meter before and after you do this. It shouldn’t change. If it does change, then you may have a leak in one of the pipes behind your walls. Time to call a plumber.
If you don’t address a leak early, you can end up with mold and mildew problems as well as unsightly water damage. These are expensive problems and, if you’re ever planning to sell your house, these are problems that are a very tough sell.
So, I’m going to stop writing this right now and head down to my basement and check for leaks. I suggest you do the same.
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Mar
28
Early Spring Curb Appeal
Posted by robinjones under General Information
If you are selling a home, now is your chance to improve the curb appeal of your property. First impressions are critical. The experts agree that curb appeal is one of the most important factors in selling your home. The appearance from the street will often determine whether potential buyers stop to look inside or keep driving by. Right now, your grass isn’t very green yet and your flowers aren’t blooming. So what can you do quickly to create curb appeal into spring has truly sprung? Remember two things: Clean & Colorful. First, clean up any old dead plants and leaves, clean or replace outdoor furniture, clean windows, and power wash your exterior. Next, add some color. Colorful containers can instantly create curb appeal that buyers will notice. Place a variety of planters in different sizes and shapes around your porch and front walk. Fill them with hardy plants until your landscape is green and growing. If you’re feeling especially bold, try a new color for your front door. This is an awkward time of year for creating curb appeal, but you can overcome any obstacles with just a little time and effort
Mar
26
Spring Planting Tips
Posted by robinjones under General Information
Last week marked the first day of spring and the weather is definitely cooperating with all of us green-thumb types. It’s time to dig your hands in the dirt and bring the earth back to life.
Flowers are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to make your home look inviting and lively. Without expensive landscaping, flowers can transform a homely front yard into one that is colorful and lush. You don’t need a green thumb. Your local nursery will help you find the best flowers for your purpose.
There are two main things to keep in mind: Color & Coverage. First, for the most eye-catching display, create a color scheme. Select a few key colors and buy large quantities of them to maximize their visibility from the every angle that people see your home. Second, make sure you plant enough to do the job. Empty spaces and patches of exposed dirt make a sloppy, unfinished appearance.
These tips are equally useful whether you’re selling your home, you’ve recently purchased one, or you’re planning to stay put for a long time. If you want a yard that shows your personality and style, try these ideas and see how quickly you feel more at home.
Mar
20
Spring into Spring with this month’s All ABout Spring Newsletter
Posted by robinjones under For Buyers, For Realty Professionals, For Sellers, General Information
In this month’s Spring newsletter:
Spring Cleaning: Smells Don’t Sell!
Spring Home Maintenance: Get Your House in Order
Spring Planting: Plan & Prep
Spring Curb Appeal
Check it all out here for tips and tricks to Spring into Spring!
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Mar
14
Smells Don’t Sell
Posted by robinjones under General Information
One of the first impressions buyers will have of your house is how it smells and, let me tell you…if your house has bad smells, it can kill the sale FAST! With spring cleaning on a lot of our minds, it’s a good time for some tips on handling some household odors. The best part is that you probably already have everything you need right in your cupboards.
1. Garbage disposals can fill your kitchen with foul odors and are really tough to clean. Pour vinegar an ice cube tray and freeze. Then drop the vinegar ice cubes into your disposal and run it.
2. To battle musty closet smells, put a few scoops of fresh ground coffee into a clean sock and hang it in the back of the closet.
3. If you smoke in your home, you probably don’t notice the smell, but it does linger. A good scrubbing with a mixture of bleach and water will get rid of that odor. Use it on your walls, baseboards, windowsills, blinds, and wood furniture.
4. Carpets and upholstery can hold all kinds of smells. A couple easy household remedies are spraying with vinegar or spraying with a mixture of water and baking soda. You may have to do this a few times. It’s best to do it on a day when you can also open the windows and turn on a fan to really help air out the room.
5. For more stubborn pet odors in your carpet, combine 1 cup peroxide vinegar, 1/2 cup vinegar, and a tablespoon of dish washing liquid. Sprinkle in a tablespoon or 2 of baking soda. Make sure you use a big container because the baking soda will make the mixture bubble and grow. Scrub this into your carpet with a hard bristle brush. Vacuum after it dries. This mixture is also great for cleaning linoleum, bathtubs, appliances – pretty much anything.
6. Basements are often a haven for moisture-related smells. To eliminate both the odor and the moisture, sprinkle the carpet with baking soda and vacuum and then leave an open box of baking soda out. Another solution is leaving a container of charcoal, with several holes poked in it, in the room to absorb odors.
7. If you like to fry food, you know that old, stale fried smell can linger for a long time. Once again, vinegar is a great go-to item. Put a few spoonfuls in a pot of water and let it boil for a few minutes.
8. For kitchen counter odors, try wiping them down with lemon juice.
As you can see, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on expensive cleaning products or air fresheners that just mask smells without tackling the source. For the most part, you can get rid of any odors with basic household items that you probably already have in your home.
Realtor Robin Jones' Blog is authored by robin jones
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