House and Home

10 Tips for an Effecient Kitchen

Chances are pretty good that we will always require a convenient place to store, prepare and cook our food. That place — is the kitchen — and following are several ideas to make yours more efficient.

1. Lighting — This is very important, and in general, more is better than less. If you don’t have adequate lighting, try adding lighting under the cabinets or using higher wattage bulbs.
2. Hard Flooring — Both wood and tile are more hygienic and easier to clean up.
3. Outlets — You shouldn’t need to use extension cords in the your kitchen. A well-designed kitchen will have outlets installed about every three feet.
4. Clear the Clutter — Throw away or donate any items you know you won’t use. By getting rid of old and unused spices, food and beaten up pots and pans, you’ll make room for the stuff you actually use. The same goes for counter space.
5. Clean — Empty out all drawers and cabinets at least once a year and wash them with warm, soapy water. Replace with new liners if you use them.
6. Zones & Storage — Create a kitchen triangle with designated zones for various tasks. For example, you may like to chop vegetables near the sink, or mix ingredients on the center isle. Whatever the case, choose a zone, then store the utensils you’ll need for those tasks in the storage areas nearby. For example, pots and pans should be near the stove, while your Christmas plates could probably be stored on the top shelf.
7. Food Storage — Similar to above, everyday foods, like cereal or bread, should be in an easily-accessed spot. If you have kids, don’t make them climb on the counters if there’s a cupboard at a lower level.
8. Cutlery Trays — Simple trays make it easy to organize your daily utensils and maximize drawer space.
9. Sinks — If you do a lot of cooking (preparation), it may be wise to invest in a sink that fits your needs; e.g., single, double, deep, stainless steel.
10. Faucets — A person who hand-washes large pots and pans will want a different type of faucet than someone who rarely goes in the kitchen. If you like to cook, get a faucet that makes cleanup easier.

I hope these tips can help you make your kitchen more effecient. By the way, if you know someone looking to buy or sell a home in the Lewisville, Flower Mound, or Highland Village areas, I would greatly appreciate any referrals that you could send my way.

3 solutions to your closet nightmare!

Is your closet so full and disorganized that it has essentially become a useless waste of space? Do you have shoes or clothes from the last century stored away in there? Do you waste a lot of time looking for things in your closet because it’s so messy?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re not alone. For many people, the closet becomes a dumping ground for anything and everything, and soon becomes so disorganized you don’t even know what’s in there. Well, fortunately you can clean up the situation with these simple solutions.

But first, if you don’t have an adequate closet organization system — such as shelves, shoe stands, hooks, baskets or drawers — go invest in what you need. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just functional. Now, depending on the size of your closet and amount of clutter, choose the best closet solution for you and get to work.

1. Take everything out of the closet, slowly go through it, and after careful consideration only put back things you really want or need. If you haven’t worn clothing or a jacket or a pair of shoes in the past 12 to 18 months, you probably don’t need it. If it’s broken and you haven’t repaired it yet, take it to a repair shop or get rid of it. Sure, there are certain items you don’t use often but still need, such as a rain coat or umbrella, but for the other stuff — sell it, donate it or throw it away.
2. If you have a very large closet or storage room, tackle the problem in sections. Visually break up the closet space into four sections, and go through each section — one at a time — as described above. By using this method, you can take care of a big chore over several days and end up with a well-organized closet.
3. Make organizing your closet part of your house cleaning regimen, just like vacuuming, dusting and cleaning the bathroom. By adding “organize the closet” to your chore list, your closet will stay functional and won’t turn into a wasteland for the unwanted.

By keeping your closet organized, you will save time, get better use out the items you keep, and spare yourself the frustration that comes from a cluttered lifestyle. Just because something is “still good” or “barely worn” doesn’t mean it has to clutter up your closet. Just let it go now — and in a few short days, or less — you won’t ever think about it again.

If you have any friends or family that need a real estate agent in the Lewisville, Flower Mound, Highland Village , including the general Dallas area, any referrals will be greatly appreciated.

Choose a Neighborhood Before Choosing a Home

If you’re looking to buy a home, be sure to spend as much time — if not more — checking out the neighborhood as you do looking at the home itself. Picking the right neighborhood will determine your family’s safety, education and attitude. In short, the neighborhood you live in affects your quality of life.

Location — This one is first and to some degree affects all the others. How close are you to your  jobs, schools, shopping, restaurants, parks, museums, freeways, public transportation and medical facilities?

Crime/Safety — Check with local law enforcement to review crime statistics. In addition, visit local shops at different times of the day to see what they’re like, especially at night. It’s amazing how the feel of a place can change once the sun goes down.

Schools — If you have, or plan to have kids, see how the area schools rank. If they are not that good, are there alternatives, public or private? Schools affect values.

Social Life — Is the neighborhood close to your family and friends? Keep in mind if you have to drive an hour for a social visit, you won’t do it very often. In addition, is there a neighborhood activity center, coffee shop or pub — a place where locals gather?

Property Values — Are prices going up, down, or what? Make sure you know.

Open Space — Are there parks, trails or other open spaces where you can walk, jog, bike, or take the dog for his morning … exercise?

Traffic — Drive by schools, shopping and other hot spots during prime time to see if you can live with the pace.

Future Construction — Check with the home owner association or city agency to see what plans they have for the future. Things change; make sure you know what to expect.

Neighbors — Go ahead and knock on a few doors. Simply introduce yourself, tell them you’re looking to buy in the area, and ask for their input. Do they have positive things to say. Are they friendly?

Of course there are many other considerations, but this covers most of the important ones. While your realtor should be able to answer many of these questions, be sure to check for yourself. After all, you’re the one that will be living there. Once you’ve identified your perfect neighborhood, it’s time to move on to the next step and start looking for your dream home.

Check out this staging video. Good Info for sellers!

Here is a new Home Office Makeover

4 Easy Steps to Installing Weather Stripping

Applying weather stripping around doors and windows is a low-cost way to stop drafts and cut down on heating and cooling costs. Here’s what you do:

1. Learn the different kinds of stripping — adhesive-backed V strips that can be cut with scissors or a utility knife; compression strips; tubular gaskets; magnetic stripping for metal- or steel-clad doors.
2. Measure the length of all seams to be weather-stripped, add a couple of inches for each seam and add the numbers together to determine how much you need.
3. Cut the weather stripping to fit each seam. Apply the stripping all the way around a window by using adhesive, nails or screws. Attach the stripping to the jamb or the stop.
4. Apply the stripping to the sides and the tops of doors. Use a weather-tight threshold or door sweep to seal the bottom. (A door sweep is a metal or wood bracket with a plastic or vinyl flap that hangs to the floor to stop airflow.)

Other Tips

* Choose the weather stripping best suited to your needs. Ask store personnel for recommendations.
* Clean the surface to which you’re going to apply adhesive-backed weather stripping (if it’s dirty or damp, the adhesive won’t stick for long).
* Foam and felt varieties of weather stripping don’t apply easily and don’t seem to last nearly as long as alternatives.

5 Tips to Staging Your Home Like a Professional

Are you considering putting your house up for sale, but not sure where to start? Afraid it will take too long to sell, or that you won’t get the price you want? If this is the case, you should definitely think about “staging” your home — or in other words — setting the scene for immediate buyer interest. Following are five tips to get you started:

1. De-clutter — This is one of the most important things you can do. It might be easier to think of de-cluttering like this: You’re moving anyway, so why not start packing now?
2. Storage — Pack up everything you don’t need and store the boxes out of sight in the garage, or better yet, an offsite storage facility.
3. Organize Your Closets — Put similar colors together, pants together, skirts together, shirts together, etc. Why? Because an organized closet looks bigger, and you want your closets to look as spacious as possible.
4. Make It Look Like a Model — You want to de-personalize as much as possible so potential buyers can imagine themselves and their own belongings occupying the space in your house. That means minimizing – putting away everything you don’t need or use. Clear off the kitchen counter and stash all appliances you don’t use on a daily basis.
5. Your the Buyer — Imagine yourself as a potential buyer looking at the property for the very first time. What impressions are you getting? Would you buy the house? What would you like to see changed before you put an offer on it?

Don’t worry about spending a few hundred, even thousands, of dollars to get your house ready to sell – you’ll likely get it all back, even more, when your home sells. Proper staging helps you sell your house in a shorter time and at the price you want.

4 Hardwood Floorings Tips

Hardwood flooring remains a popular choice for home owners because it’s durable, easy to clean, and offers a classic beauty that’s hard to match. Originally introduced in medieval times, hardwood flooring today has evolved into a superior choice due to improved installation techniques and innovative sealants and finishes. Even though there are literally thousands of choices, some basic guidelines to selecting hardwood flooring remains fairly simple.

1. Know the Room’s Purpose — In most cases you wouldn’t want to install wood floors in a bathroom because of potential moisture problems, but other rooms may have mixed uses. A den may be a place to study one day, and a toddler’s playroom the next. This is important to know before you select a hardwood.
2. Traffic — A busy room is going to require a different hardwood and finish than a room that is seldom used. For example, hallways and kitchens get lots of traffic so you’ll want a more durable wood with a tougher finish than a guest bedroom with little use. Note that wood flooring with very dark or light finishes don’t wear well in a kitchen environment.
3. Installation Options — Certainly you can install hardwood flooring yourself, but like most projects — do your homework and strictly follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions. If you contract a professional, get references. Common hardwood flooring installation problems include moisture, unprepared sub-floors, improper planning, bad racking and under-nailing.
4. Color and Style — For most people, choosing the flooring is the best part. Just keep in mind that hardwood flooring is expensive, so unless you plan to live in the house the rest of your life, make sure you choose a flooring that won’t go out of style too quickly.

How Much Should You Invest to Prepare Your Home

Most home sellers realize how important it is to properly prepare their home before putting it on the market, but with all the TV shows emphasizing cleaning up, remodeling and home staging, it might leave you wondering how much you’re going to need to spend.

The quick answer: Invest as little as possible to prepare your property for sale. Of course you should de-clutter, clean up and repair everything that needs fixing, but what about remodeling the bathroom? Or, putting new flooring in the dining room? Or landscaping? Yes, those upgrades will make your home stand out and help get it sold, but will they put more money in your pocket at close of escrow? Probably not.

The idea is to make your home as presentable as possible without spending any money that you won’t get back. If you invest $50 to thoroughly clean a bathroom, put new fixtures on the cabinets, and paint it, you’ll likely get that back plus some.

But, if you spend $15,000 on a bathroom remodel, only to get $12,000 back, that’s a losing proposition. You not only lost money, but you wasted time and effort with the remodel. And, even worse, a potential buyer may not like the choices you made.

When the time comes to sell your home, keep in mind you don’t have to spend a ton of money to make your home presentable. Just make each dollar count!

Make an Effort to Know Your Neighbors

As the population continues to grow, and technology changes the way we interact, it seems that our neighbors are less “neighborly” than a few decades ago. Sure, times have changed. But, that doesn’t mean we should isolate ourselves. Following are several things you can do to improve the relationship with your neighbors:
* Make an effort to welcome new neighbors when they move in. Whether it’s a friendly note, a plate of cookies or a quick introduction, this gesture gets the relationship started.
* Keep your home and yard well maintained. Most people take pride in their home and you’ll be a better neighbor if you keep yours looking good.
* Be courteous. If you’re throwing a big party, inform your neighbors; better yet, invite them. If you’re doing anything that makes a lot of noise, do it at a time least likely to disturb them.
* Be helpful. If you have a neighbor that needs help raking, taking out the trash, or carrying groceries into the house, offer to give them a hand.
* Repair anything your family breaks (pets included), or pay to have it fixed as soon as possible.
* Return anything you borrow the same day if possible.
* If you have neighbors that own or operate a business, frequent their establishment and become a customer.
* Take an active role in any issues affecting your community and chip in when it’s time to help.
* Offer to watch your neighbors’s pet, water their plants, or collect their mail when they go out of town.
* Control your pet. If your does anything to annoy a neighbor, put a stop to it.
* Address any problems as soon as possible. Don’t let a little issue fester and become a roadblock to a good neighbor.
* Get to know your neighbors. Whether it’s having an occasional cup of coffee or throwing a block party together, you’ll find many of your neighbors are good friends too.

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