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7 Eco-Friendly Updates for Your Home

May 28, 2015 By

Sorry Kermit, it CAN be easy being green. There are dozens of ways that you can live a greener lifestyle at home. These changes may decrease your carbon footprint and they may even decrease your energy bill!

Here are seven eco-friendly updates for your home.

Adjust your temperature accordingly: Turn down your heat and air conditioning when you aren’t home. Close your blinds or curtains to keep cool air from coming in during the winter and hot air and sunlight from coming in during the summer. You may also choose to purchase a programmable thermostat and eco-friendly curtains. Although these updates will cost money, they are likely to decrease your energy use and, as a result, your energy bill!

Unplug electronics: Take some cues from the scandalous Olivia Pope and, “Shut it down.” Plug electronics that don’t have to be turned on during the day into a power extension and turn them all off quickly and easily when you leave the house. Turn off all electronics when you’re not using them to save energy and money.

Save water: There are a lot of simple ways to save water. For example: install shut-off valves and water-savers, run your laundry machine on cold, only use your dishwasher when it’s full, take shorter showers, and collect rainwater for watering your plants. These tips may lower your water bill.

Use eco-friendly cleaning products: Purchase eco-friendly cleaning products or make your own natural cleaning products. Keep your home clean with chemical-free products.

Start composting: Composting is good for the environment and your garden. Skip fertilizers and use your natural compost instead. Turn banana peels into a backyard full of beautiful flowers!

Have a “lightbulb” moment: Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. Light bulbs with an Energy Star certification may cost more money initially but it is likely that they will save you money on your energy bill. Don’t forget to turn off the lights when you leave a room!

After you make these simple switches call and schedule an energy audit. Someone can evaluate your home to let you know about any additional changes you can make to be energy-efficient. Start saving the environment and possibly some money!

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Essentials of a Happy Home

May 26, 2015 By

What we surround ourselves with may significantly affect our mood and outlook on life. Make a few simple changes around the house and you may instantly feel happier.

Here are five essentials that may make you happier at home.

Plants: Not only do houseplants draw carbon dioxide from the air and filter out toxins, they may also improve mental health. Studies have shown that when we care for living things, we’re more optimistic, calmer, and fulfilled. We recommend aloe, peace lily, or spider plants to de-stress your home.

Sentimental objects: Studies have also found that experiences may make us happier than material objects. Collect things that remind you of positive events and display them around your home to remind you of the good times, bring up positive emotions, and continue the cycle of happiness.

A well-made bed: It can be an annoying daily chore and even seem pointless (it’s just going to be unmade again by the end of the day), but making your bed can actually make a huge difference on your happiness. As Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, explains, this “keystone habit” acts as a catalyst for other good habits that will improve your life. Having a freshly made bed may leave you feeling more productive and motivated to conquer the day ahead.

A fresh coat of white paint: White walls may sound like a boring idea, but while colorful paint seems like the more cheerful choice, white does the best job of brightening things up. White paint will reflect light and transform the mood of a room.

A no-stress zone: Have at least one “refuge” space in your home where you can relax and clear your mind. Try to extend this to the rest of the house as well, whether it’s making a point to take shoes off before entering or clearing stacks of bills and paperwork from surfaces.

These little things in your home can make a big difference on your happiness.

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5 Books to Inspire You to Get Organized

May 5, 2015 By

It’s time for spring cleaning. The beginning of a new season is a great time to make your home look its best. Between clearing out clutter, packing up your winter items, and making every room shine, getting your home in shape can also be time consuming.

It may be tough to figure out where to start, but with these inspiring books, your inner professional organizer can come to life.

Here are five books to help you get started.

1. Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Doland: Expert organizer, Doland gives great advice and insights on how to quickly clean up your home…and clear your mind. She explains the best ways to part with sentimental items, something a lot of people struggle with, and offers advice on how to prevent procrastination.

2. Real Simple: The Organized Home by Real Simple Magazine: From the popular magazine, Real Simple, this book focuses on creating a more productive, clutter free, home and life. The authors dish out advice on everything from taking care of one room to giving your entire home an organizational makeover.

3. The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay: This is a book for the person looking to declutter multiple aspects of his or her life. It walks you through how to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. The book is divided into four parts: inspiration to get organized, a ten step process to pare down possessions, a room by room guide to decluttering, and how to declutter your life and be more productive.

4. Banish Clutter Forever: How the Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life by Shelia Chandra: Chandra explains that if everyone follows the “blueprint” that naturally neat people follow, organization will come naturally. Chandra also explains the “Toothbrush Principle” which states that even the most disorganized person doesn’t lose their toothbrush, it’s just in the midst of clutter. The author explains that a clutter free home will lead to a more productive life.

5. Home Organizing Workbook by Meryl Starr: Starr produced a straightforward handbook for home organization. The chapters are filled with questionnaires to make readers aware of their core organizational problems. The author also gives strategic solutions and tips for tackling projects, no matter the size.

Organizing your home can be fun—with the right inspiration. Whether you are taking on your refrigerator or your attic, decluttering your home and getting organized is the best way to start living a more productive life!

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Creative Ways to Hide Your Mess

April 30, 2015 By

You’ll feel happier at home if your home is clean and organized. Unfortunately, there are sometimes unexpected messes like laundry baskets, wires, and oddly placed items. Don’t worry, there are unique and creative ways to hide the clutter and create an even more organized home!

  1. Laundry baskets: Hide your laundry basket in a cabinet, deep drawer, or closet. It’ll make bedrooms look neater, and you won’t have to stare at overflowing baskets before laundry day.
  1. Wires: No one likes looking at a mess of tangled wires. Hide them in a decorative box! Tip: Do this simple DIY by Sweet Sanity.
  1. Printers: If you have a printer or scanner that is bulky and doesn’t have a proper place in the home, find a drawer to keep it in. Simply remove a few hinges from the drawer and “voila,” it’s hidden! Tip: Do this DIY from Apartment Therapy
  1. Light Switch: If there is an oddly placed light switch or outlet, create a gallery wall. It will distract onlookers from the random placement and add decor to your home!
  1. Pet Bowls: Turn a low drawer into a pet feeding hutch. Tip: Do this DIY from Fresh Home.

There are so many ways to hide little messes in your home. If you don’t like looking at these small eyesores, there is a way to fix it! Be creative, use your imagination, and you can create an even neater home.

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7 Essential Curb Appeal Tips for Sellers

April 29, 2015 By

With the spring real estate market heating up across the United States, it’s time to focus on curb appeal. You want your home to stand out from the others, and the exterior will be the first area buyers see. If it’s not in top shape, there’s a good chance buyers will move on to the next home. So make sure you’re trimming the lawn, washing the siding and shining everything else up in preparation for showings. Here are some essential areas to address:

 

#1 Wash the siding
Your siding probably looks a bit dirty and dusty after this last winter, so it’s time to wash it off and make it look shiny and new for the spring. Use soapy water and a bristled brush to remove dirt and debris. If the grime and dirt won’t come off easily, you may need to use a pressure washer or power washer to remove it. You can rent a pressure washer from a local home improvement store or hire a professional power washer. The cost for exterior power washing ranges from $200 to $400, depending on the time and square footage involved. You should also take this time to wash your garage door, as it will be one of the first things buyers see. Do not use a power washer to clean your windows and doors though, because it could damage them and lead to repair costs.

 

 

#2 Revitalize the paint job
Once you’ve cleaned off the siding, it’s time to look at the paint. There’s a chance your home’s exterior will have chips, cracks and other paint issues following winter. To increase the exterior appeal of your home, consider repainting it. You could use the same paint color as before or choose a whole new color.. For a job this big, you may need to hire a painting contractor. Then explore how you can accent the paint job, whether it’s with plants, trim or exterior window treatments.

 

#3 Fix up the lawn
Given that winter was likely harsh on your landscape, it’s time to get it back in shape for the spring market. You should trim and prune any trees and bushes that took a beating or look overgrown. Add mulch to your flower beds and around trees to give them a professional, well-kept look. Aerate and dethatch your lawn so it can breathe and absorb nutrients more easily. If you have any barren spots in your lawn from snow and ice, add seeds or sod to help renew and cover those areas. If you have the time and budget, think about new spring garden colors in the form of flowers and shrubs.

 

 

#4 Add a fence
Another nostalgic, yet high selling point for buyers is a fence around the front of your property. It doesn’t have to be a highly secure fence like those you would add around the backyard. Rather, you could install a picket fence or a short chain link fence around the front yard. This can be especially appealing to families with young children because it helps keep kids safe and enclosed near the home. Installing a fence can range from $1,500 to $4,000, depending on the material you choose and the square footage of the front yard.

 



Tuscan Patio by MJ12 Corp. in San Jose, CA

 

#5 Renew the front door
Once people pass through your fence and renewed landscape, they have to open your front door. If your entry door is beaten down, rotting and in bad shape, it sets a bad tone for the rest of the walkthrough. So look at how you can revitalize the door, whether it’s with a thorough cleaning or a paint job. Start by washing it down and then look for chips and cracks in the paint. Depending on the age of the door, it might be time to replace the door. Steel doors are noted as the safest and most effective doors for homeowners, but they are expensive. You might consider an affordable alternative like wood that you can personalize with knobs, windows and colors that complement your home’s interior and exterior design.

 

#6 Add landscaping lighting
For night walkthroughs, a great addition to your landscape is outdoor lighting. Landscape lights can increase the appeal of your home’s exterior and add security. You can accent trees, shrubs and flower beds at night to attract the buyer’s eye. That way, even though it’s dark outside, they’re still noticing the high points of your landscape. You can use solar fixtures that soak up sunlight during the day and light up at night. Otherwise, you can buy light fixtures that draw on power from the house or use batteries. These decisions depend on your budget and what works best for your landscape design.

 



Traditional Home Exterior by Cody Property and Handyman Services in Northborough, MA

 

#7 Update the mailbox
Mailboxes may seem like a nostalgic idea, but they can add definite appeal to your home, especially if you live in the suburbs. You can get mailboxes at a local home improvement store, and they come in various styles to match your home design. You can also fix up the mailbox you already have, whether it means painting it a new color or adding numbers to the side in the form of stickers or metal decals.

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These Gadgets That Will Do Your Housework For You (Yes, Seriously)

April 2, 2015 By

April 7th was No House Work Day and it was nice to take a break from the daily tasks of cleaning and organizing your home. In reality, housework is an ongoing item on your to-do list and sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to complete everything.

 

Wouldn’t it be nice and convenient to have gadgets that actually do your work for you?

 

 

 

Here’s some gadgets you need to know.

 

  1. Automated vacuum: This is the original hands free housework device, and for good reason. All you have to do is turn it on and let it get to work. Within minutes your floor is clean and you didn’t even have to lift a finger. Vacuuming just became your new favorite chore!

 

  1. Automated mops: Automated mops are now on the market. These trusty devices work just as a mop would, only you don’t need to lug around a bucket of water. The brush heads and cleaning solution work together through a three part cleaning process. Most models work on a variety of floors including hardwood, vinyl, and tile.

 

  1. Window cleaner: Goodbye are the days of step stools and spray bottles. Small window cleaners are now available; they attach to your windows and are able to clean any size or thickness.

 

  1. Hands free mower: Taking care of the lawn may not be a daily task, but it sure is a task that can get tiring. Take the work out of landscaping and invest in a hands free mower. It works just as the vacuum and mop and automatically cuts the grass. When the grass is evenly cut, the mower will return to its station.

 

With all of these gadgets, you’ll  never have to lift a finger again!

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House Hacks for the Vertically Challenged

March 23, 2015 By

You have high hopes. You aim high. You just can’t reach that high. Sound familiar?

 

 

You may be vertically challenged but, fear not, there are strategic solutions that will work for you.

 

  1. Built in step stools: Install a pull-out step stool on the bottom in a hidden drawer or cabinet below hard to reach areas like high cabinets. This will make it easier to quickly get into high places without roaming the house for a step stool.

 

  1. Sliding ladder: If you’d like to get really fancy, install a sliding ladder similar to one you’d find in a beautiful library or bookstore. Add one to your pantry so you can always reach the extra sugar.

 

  1. Automated cabinets: It may seem like something only available to the Jetsons but automated cabinets exist in 2015. With a push of a button, the cabinets open and the shelves slide down to a level that’s easier to reach.

 

  1. Customized counter and cabinet heights: If you’re redesigning a bathroom or kitchen, build counters and cabinets that are customized to a height that is better for you. Yes, this might make it harder to sell in the long run, but if you don’t plan on selling soon it could make daily activities more convenient.

 

Being vertically challenged doesn’t have to put a damper on your everyday life! Reach for the stars (or at least the cleaning products on the top shelf) with our tips.

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How to Organize Your Kitchen

March 23, 2015 By

Organization is key to keeping your home neat and tidy. When everything in your home has a specific place, it’s much easier to find what you need in a pinch.

 

One room in the home that can really benefit from a good organization system is the kitchen. Between plates, glasses, silverware, and food, getting a good system in place can help create better flow.

 

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home, why not make it better?

 

  1. Lazy Susan: Incorporating a lazy Susan into your kitchen cabinets or on your countertops allows you to organize similar items neatly in one place. It also helps you find things much faster.

 

  1. Hang things up: Hang pots and pans on the wall or from a ceiling organizer to free up space in your cabinets. It’ll be much easier to organize pans by size and use if you can see them! You won’t have to dig through a mess of metal every time you want to cook dinner.

 

  1. Store items by use: This is an easy way to quickly organize your kitchen items. Whether it’s in your cabinets, drawers, or refrigerator, keeping like items together makes it easier to grab what you need, when you need it. For example, store everyday dishes on a lower cabinet shelf and special use items on a higher shelf. Put each type of food together – like cereals and breakfast food, snacks, pasta and grains, and baking ingredients.

 

  1. Filing System: Tupperware is an item that a lot of people have trouble storing. It takes up space and putting matching tops and bottoms together sometimes seems impossible. The tops and bottoms might be disappearing to the same place as the matching socks that always seem to get lost in the dryer. Instead of storing them in cabinets, put a dish organizer in a pull out drawer and store the Tupperware tops and bottoms with no problem.

 

  1. Over the Door Organizers: If you have a large pantry in your kitchen, consider an over the door organizer. You can store your most used food items in a clear organizer to eliminate search time and keep things neat.

 

The kitchen is the heart of the home. If you develop an easy, simple organizing system for your kitchen, it’ll pull everything together, make it easier to prep and cook meals, and set the tone for a more organized home.

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Organization 101: The Best Home Organization Inspiration on Instagram

March 17, 2015 By

Have you ever heard the saying, “An organized home is a happy home?” When your home is organized, life can be calmer. Everything in the home has a place, but sometimes finding that place isn’t so easy. Get inspired instantly by these expert home organizers on Instagram.

 

 

 

One look at these Instagram accounts and you may want to reorganize every room in the house. Seriously.

 

  1. MindOverMatter: There is something so motivating about watching a ‘before and after.’ LeAnn Wolf gives you unique ideas and tips that help make organization easy and fun.

 

mind

 

  1. NeatMethod: This account is run by a professional organizer who posts daily organizing tips and pictures of beautifully organized rooms. We hope that it will make you feel inspired to color coordinate a closet or two.

Neat

 

 

  1. A Bowl Full of Lemons: When life gives you lemons, get organized. Toni Hammersley’s covers everything from how to clean and organize a bathroom to how to pack lunch. Help simplify your life by doing the tasks she describes almost daily.

abowl

 

 

  1. Simply Organized:  As a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and owner of the blog “Simply Organized,” Samantha Pregenzer is more than qualified to offer organizational advice. Her Instagram account is filled with beautiful photos of perfectly placed binders, baskets, gorgeously organized closets, and much more.

simply

 

What are you waiting for? Get some inspiration then start organizing!

 

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Top 5 Best Home Improvements for Sellers in 2015

March 5, 2015 By

As sellers look to attract buyers in 2015, it’s important to focus on improvements that can increase value in addition to buyer appeal.

According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2015 Cost vs. Value Report, there are a number of home improvements that attract buyers more than others — projects that can increase a home’s potential sales price and help decrease its time on the market. If you’re planning to sell your home this year, focus your budget and energy on these five recommended home improvement projects:

#1 Steel Entry Door (101.8% Return on Investment)

Replacing a front door with a steel entry door reaps many benefits. For one, if your old entry door is worn down, broken or ready for a new coat of paint, a steel entry door will save you the trouble of repairs. While the cost to install a new entry door is high — $920 to $1,300 on average for steel — steel doors are durable and resilient against break-ins, weather and time. Steel doors will last for decades; and they are attractive to buyers because they require little to no maintenance.

#2 Manufactured Stone Veneer (92.2% Return on Investment)

Manufactured stone veneer is appealing, sturdy and reminiscent of brick or masonry. It works beautifully as siding or around a fireplace or tub — and can offer lasting appeal at a fraction of the cost of other materials. If you use it for siding — simply to cover the foundation or your entire home — it can withstand the elements; however, this siding can chip and crack more easily, making it harder to fix with spackle. Repair may require replacement of an actual piece and something to consider.

#3 New Garage Door (88.4% Return on Investment)

Over time, your garage door can wear down with climate conditions and repeated use. While you can sometimes repair a garage door or add a new coat of paint, some damage can’t be fixed. The Cost vs. Value Report shows high resale gains from replacing an old garage door with a brand new one. This not only pays back, but it also attracts buyers who will not have to make the investment down the road. There are various types of garage doors — sliding, rolling, and flipping, for example — and many different materials and designs to choose from. Choose a door that matches your garage and can endure the local climate.

#4 Siding Replacement (84.3% Return on Investment, Fiber-Cement; 80.7% Return on Investment, Vinyl)

Hiring a siding contractor to replace an aging exterior with fiber-cement or vinyl siding can yield a high resale value.

If you decide to install fiber-cement, some facts to know include:

●     There are two types: clapboards or shingles

●     Can last between 15 and 25 years

●     Finish and trim in will need to be added to the siding

●     Regular maintenance and upkeep is needed

In comparison, vinyl siding:

●     Mimics the look of wood siding

●     Can last between 15 and 20 years

●     Has been linked to health concerns because of the PVC materials

●     Needs regular maintenance because its color fades over time

Either option comes with regular maintenance and care, but both can be cheaper to install than other types of siding material — metal, brick or stone, to name a few — and they come in a wide variety of colors to match the rest of your landscape and help increase curb appeal.

#5 Adding a Deck (80.5% Return on Investment)

Although less appealing in colder parts of the country, adding a deck has seen widespread resale value for sellers in 2015. Most parts of the United States have enough of a spring and summer for homeowners to enjoy a backyard deck. The average cost to build a deck is between $6,800 and $9,700, depending on square footage and the materials used. You can also enclose the deck with a roof and add a fire pit if you want make it more useful year-round.

Photos courtesy of DesignMine

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