How To For Owners – Page 5 – Mel Foster Co Blog

Winter Home Improvements Lead to Lower Utility Costs.

Posted on January 24, 2016

Save money on your utilities by tackling these smaller improvements this winter.

Appliances

January is a great month to buy appliances. Retailers are trying to move last year’s inventory before new models are introduced. For every energy-efficient appliance you add to your home, you’ll save anywhere from $50-$100 annually. Time your purchases right for deep discounts and save money on your utility bill. In addition to the cost savings, you’ll have reliable appliances you can depend on for many years.

Insulation

Make sure your insulation is in top shape, especially in the basement, attic and garage. Studies have found insulation purchases have over 100 percent price recuperation if you decide to sell your home. Not only will it add value to your home in the long run, your energy bills will be lowered almost immediately.

Landscaping

Winter months are the perfect time to start planning your outdoor designs. According to the Chicago Botanic Garden, in winter there is less chance of transmitting diseases from one plant to another or attracting insects to fresh pruning wounds. By planning your spring planting now, you’ll get a jump on your spring chores. By the summer, your pruned trees or new plantings will be shading your yard and padding your pocket in the form of lower utility costs.

How To Compile A Home Inventory.

Posted on December 14, 2015

Take an inventory of your home belongings

Creating an inventory of your home’s contents is important, not only for insurance purposes, but also for creating peace of mind. It helps verify what items you own in case you suffer a loss due to fire, a natural disaster or burglary.

Make a list of all the items you own that are important to you. Electronics, jewelry, artwork, family heirlooms and furniture are items you want to insure. Once you have the list, add the serial numbers, brands and estimated costs for each item to show proof of ownership. It’s a good idea to take photos of your items to show their condition.

Once you’ve collected this information, store it in several safe locations. One copy of the information should be sent to your Mel Foster Insurance agent, another should be stored on your personal computer. It’s also important to have another version stored on a USB drive kept outside of your home or use cloud storage. The cloud is highly recommended because there are free services accessible from any computer.

You can never have too many copies of this information. Physical copies are also a great idea because they’re so reliable. Getting a safe-deposit box at your bank, or investing in a fireproof safe are perfect ways to protect your information in case you can’t access the information anywhere else.

Click here to contact a Mel Foster Insurance agent for help in getting your home inventory started.

Fall Yard Work For A Winter Home Sale

Posted on October 20, 2015

It won’t be long before the seasons change and the first snow falls. If you have plans to sell your home this winter, now is the time to get yard work and home exterior projects completed. This checklist can be knocked out over a weekend and you’ll be glad to have these small tasks done so your home shows better in the winter.

Pressure washing

The fastest way to clean a huge surface area is with a pressure washer. Wash your home’s exterior, remembering to get the soffits and gutters. Your patio is probably also due for a good cleaning. While you have the pressure washer handy, spray down your patio furniture and cushions so they are clean and ready to be stored for the winter.

Paint Touch Ups

Grab a brush and walk around your home touching up chips and nicks. Once it gets cold outside, you’ll miss your opportunity to paint.

Check Lights

Replace burned out light bulbs and check your landscaping lights. If your light fixtures are dated or worn out, replace them now when it’s easier to complete ladder tasks.

Junk Piles

Every inch of your property will be under scrutiny once your home is listed for sale. That junk pile hidden behind the shed will be in plain sight to prospective homebuyers. Store or toss out the random items in your yard and remember how messy your yard will look if your junk pile is covered in snow.

Landscaping

The first frost is just around the corner marking the end of the growing season. If you typically wait until spring to pull out plants and cut down grasses, consider doing that work now so your beds and borders are bare. The snow will pile up in these areas uniformly, giving your yard a more clean appearance. Spent grasses and perennials poking out of the snow makes homebuyers think ahead to the clean up work that’s been left for them.

Grab a sunny fall weekend to get your home ready for a winter sale.

Stage Your House by Following the Golden Rules

Posted on September 2, 2015

You’ve decided to sell your house, but how do you make sure potential buyers see it at its best? Follow these golden rules to properly stage your house and get the top dollar when you sell.

1. Remove personal items from your home.

When someone is looking at your home, you want them to be able to see themselves living there. If you have pictures of your family and friends, it seems less like a blank canvas for someone to paint their own story on and more like a stranger’s home. You want potential buyers feeling all of the possibilities that come with buying your house.

2. Maximize the space in your home.

You want your home to appear as large as possible. You want to present a clutter free home that looks taken care of, and capable of holding someone else’s possessions. You want buyers to imagine their things in the home, which is difficult to do if it looks cramped. A major mistake people make is trying to hide everything in closets, which makes it appear as though the home has no closet space. Consider renting a storage unit for nonessential items while your home is on the market.

3. Make sure your home is clean and sanitized.

This may seem like a no brainer, but you want to be sure your house is sparkling clean. Clear off and wipe down counter tops, and make sure bathroom floors are cleaned. A simple trick to make your home seem more open and clean is to hang up small white bath and hand towels to create a spa like feeling to your home. You want your home to look spotless so potential buyers know it has been taken care of.

4. Modernize your home furnishings.

You want your house to look up to date so there is less work for a buyer to do after purchase. Update your older cabinets with a fresh coat of paint and new silver or stainless steel handles. It’s a quick, affordable switch that can make your home look more modern. Don’t neglect your floor either. Something as simple as adding a new rug may really tie the room together.

5. Use neutral colors in your home.

You may love your daughter’s bright pink room, but it may alienate potential buyers. It may clash with their furniture and be seen as an additional project that might deter them from buying your home. Try to stick to more neutral colors such as grey or white so anyone can be pleased by the color scheme. You can also use this strategy for setting a table or kitchen island, so it creates a nice calming feeling when you enter the room.

Fix Up Your Home for Energy Savings

Posted on August 13, 2015

Now that summer is here, home improvement projects are in full swing. Take advantage of the warmer temperatures to improve your home’s energy efficiency throughout the year.

Keep the cool air inside your house this summer by making siding repairs, checking for gaps or cracks and adding or replacing insulation. Repairing any damage will help your home be more energy efficient. You’ll save on heating and cooling costs in the long run.

Another popular project with year round utility savings is roofing. Not only will installing new shingles help keep your home dry during storms, it will also insulate your home and once again help you save on heating and cooling over time.

Lastly, cleaning your HVAC system is easy to do when your hose is hooked up for summer watering. Make sure any part with visible buildup or dust on it is cleaned. This will help extend the life of your cooling system and ensure it is running properly. Taking some time to clean it every summer may save you hundreds in potential repair bills.

From Vanilla To Va Va Voom.

Posted on March 26, 2015

Help make your new construction home stand out among the sea of vanilla by adding a little color and style to the front of your home.

Paint the front door

If you got a boring builder’s special door, a little color will make your house pop. Make the job even easier and take the door off the hinges and paint the door while it’s laying flat.

Accentuate your address

It’s inexpensive to buy decorative house numbers and it’s fast to swap out the old numbers with new.

Dress up the porch

Just two chairs in a bright paint color or with bold accent pillows will make your porch stand out and serve as an inviting gesture to your new neighbors.

Pot some plants

You can go bold with colorful annuals or more sophisticated with urns and greenery. If you don’t have a green thumb, opt for a small shrub or dwarf evergreen. It’s hard to go wrong with something hardy that doesn’t require daily watering.

Welcome mat

Let your neighbors know you’ve now moved in with a colorful welcome mat.

Top Three Tips For First Time Buyers.

Posted on January 31, 2015

Buying your first home is an exciting adventure. However, there’s a lot of your money on the line, so you’d better be prepared. Avoiding mistakes and getting guidance from seasoned professionals will ensure the process goes smoothly. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your time and efforts when starting the home buying process.

Know What You Want and Do Your Research

This is one of the most important steps. What are your must-haves in your new home? What are you willing to compromise on? The more prepared you are before you start to look at properties, the easier it will be to pinpoint the perfect home. Also, with the power of the Internet, you have a wealth of information at your fingertips. Focus your search on the neighborhoods you are interested in and learn as much as you can about the surrounding area. Use the interactive search map to zoom in on neighbors and see what’s for sale.

Get Preapproved

Talking to the bank prior to getting a mortgage will give you a leg up when you start looking at homes. Your lender will be able to assess your finances and let you know how much house you can afford, and give you an idea of what percentage rates you might expect to receive on your loan. Making an offer with a bank’s preapproval may give you the upper hand if it’s a competitive offer situation.

Work with a REALTOR^®

Your agent can be your right hand man or woman when it comes time to start your search. Your agent can help you narrow down your options so you aren’t wasting your time with homes that don’t fit your needs. Their job is to help you find the home you want, and help you negotiate a fair asking price. Your agent can also help you navigate the paperwork, which can be overwhelming for first time buyers. Click here to find a Mel Foster Co. agent to start your home search.

How To Lower Your Taxes With Upgrades

Posted on January 20, 2014

When you prepare your 2013 taxes, you can use your recent home improvements to get energy-efficiency tax credits. In addition to helping you lower your energy bills, energy-efficient products eligible for the new federal tax credits actually lower the amount of federal income taxes that you pay.

Eligible home improvements

Exterior windows including skylights and storm windows

Insulation, exterior doors and roofs

Central air, heat pumps, furnaces, hot water boilers, water heaters, advanced main air circulating fans or biomass stoves

How to claim your credit

Your tax preparer can help determine your credit. There is a cap of $500 for fiscal years 2006-2013 combined. You will need to keep receipts to provide proof of purchase and have a copy of the manufacturer’s certification for the product you purchased. If you file taxes on your own, you will need to file IRS Form 5695 with your taxes.

Add A Little Bling To Your Kitchen

Posted on October 3, 2013

A $40,000 kitchen makeover is out of your reach, but there are small things you can do to update your kitchen and give it that fresh, new look.

Replace your pulls and knobs. It’s like jewelry for your cabinets. You can get something whimsical and fun or go with something traditional to change the style of your entire kitchen. Count up how many pulls and knobs you’ll need and hit the home improvement store. If you can’t decide which style you like best, buy a few and see how they look with your cabinets. If you are adding hardware to cabinets without pulls or knobs, purchase a drilling template for a few dollars to make sure you position the hardware in the right spot.

Paint your cabinets. This might be a job better left to the professionals if you have lots of cabinets. All cabinet fronts will need to be removed, sanded, and painted with several coats of paint. Accounting for drying time, this project may take several weekends. The work can be tedious and a professional may be the right answer. It’s still an inexpensive way to update your kitchen, as cabinetry is typically a major expense in a renovation project.

Change your light fixtures. Colorful pendants or a craftsman style chandelier can change the personality of your entire kitchen. You can pick a single style and get matching light fixtures or go for a more eclectic feel by picking what you like and mixing and matching. Be sure to shut off the power at your electrical panel before you install new light fixtures. If you don’t know where your electrical panel is, or have no clue what that means, call an electrician or a friend with the right experience.

Paint the walls. It’s cheap and almost everybody can paint successfully. Consider a paint specially formulated for kitchens and baths. They are often easier to clean and can withstand grease and grime that can accumulate around the stove. Take the time to wash the walls first and tape the edges of your cabinets to avoid mistakes. A good paint job starts with good preparation.

Get new window treatments. Curtains, blinds and shades all work well in a kitchen. If your kitchen opens to a family room or dining room, replace all of the window treatments to create a cohesive look among the connecting rooms.

If you need to start your kitchen renovation small, remove all the clutter from your refrigerator and invest in a good degreaser for your stove. These easy and cheap steps might inspire you to tackle more in your kitchen. If you have a little money and time, consider installing a tile backsplash, replacing your faucet or selecting a new countertop. These are not first time DIY projects and you’ll want to call in reinforcements.

Shedding Light On The Situation

Posted on March 18, 2013

That gold chandelier above the dining room table and the globe light bulbs around your bathroom mirror need to go. Breathe some new life into your home with updated lighting fixtures. Over a weekend your home can go from frumpy to fabulous.

Kitchen
Think about some funky colored or shaped pendant lights above the island or sink. Pendants give you a chance to bring some personality into your kitchen. Don’t get hung up on how many inches your light needs to be from the surface. Just eyeball it with somebody’s help and do what looks right to you.

Living Room
The track lighting that accents your fireplace can be replaced with recessed lights, angled to still cast light on your artwork or family photo. Recessed lighting bulbs are much smaller now and LEDs are efficient and long lasting.

Bathroom
Who says a chandelier only belongs in the entryway or dining room! Add some bling to your bathroom with a sparkly chandelier. Options that are glass or even plastic are less expensive than crystal options and much lighter.

Bedroom
Install a dimmer on your main overhead light to set a romantic mood or help you unwind before bedtime. A light with an adjustable level is also great in the morning so you aren’t blasted with bright light as soon as your day begins.

If you’ve never installed a light fixture, count on a friend to show you the way or read the instructions all the way through before taking down the old fixture. And always be sure to shut off the power at the electrical box before you start.