Uncategorized

If youre moving to a new home, chances are youll still have plenty of windows that need to be fancied up with shades, drapes and curtains. But that doesnt mean you should take your window treatments from one house to the next.

After all, the odds of the windows being the same size are low and youre probably going to want a different color scheme in your rooms anyway. Whats the use of moving to a new home if everything looks the same?

The problem is, youve probably spent a lot of money on these items over the years and parting with them will be hard. Some people even get them custom-made, so the cost was even higher, but again, custom for one set of windows is not the same as custom for all.

You might offer them up to whoever bought your home, thinking that could help if any negotiations need to happen at closing, however, even if your curtains are beautiful, the new owners probably want to buy their own and decorate how they see fit. Still, its worth trying, especially for first-time homeowners who may not be able to spend much on these window treatments right away. After all, people always like getting things for free.

Never leave broken blinds or shades in the home. If you notice your items have tears or are broken in some way, fix them so the new owners arent faced with a problem right away. And cleaning everything is always a good idea. Even old curtains and drapes will look brand new with a nice cleaning.

Maybe youll decide you do want to take everything with you. If this is the case, make sure your REALTOR” explains this to those looking to buy and list it on your selling documents. You dont want a misrepresentation over something so minor holding up the sale.

In these cases, some agents will suggest you take everything down and replace them with cheaper options that you can leave. This way, at least the new owners have something when they come in. The downside here is that your curtains and drapes will most likely be more eye-catching and could even help in someone deciding to buy your home over another.

If you do go this route, choose neutral colors or sheer curtains so they will work with any decorative style a new homeowner may have.

If you decide to take your window treatments with you and a buyer comes along wanting to buy the house, but wants the curtains included, be flexible. In most cases, it will be worth giving them up rather than waiting for another interested party to come along. Plus, youll have the fun of shopping for curtains all over again for your new home.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Maybe you just downsized from a larger house to a smaller one, or to an apartment in the city from a house in the burbs. Or maybe youre just looking to give your existing space a refresh. In any case, youll want to keep in mind a few key points when decorating a smaller space. From scale to color, here are some tips to help you create rooms that will stand the test of time.

Clear Out Any Clutter
With an expansive home, you can get away with a bit more stuff. When youre trying to make a smaller space feel more put together, clutter is the enemy. Before you bring in anything new, take out anything thats not adding to your aesthetic.

Look for Furniture That Does Double Duty
If a piece of dcor can serve more than one purpose, its a good bet. For instance, an ottoman that is a coffee table can also create additional seating when guests are over. That’s just perfect for a small apartment.

Think Big with Rugs
It can be tempting to buy small rugs to match a petite space, and also save money. But investing in slightly more oversized rugs that help fill a space can actually make it feel bigger.

Install Shelving
Beautiful shelves can serve as both dcor and storage, allowing you to keep things off the floor. This is key, because you can have more things in your space without it feeling cluttered and youll be able to walk through your space more easily.

Blend Big Pieces with the Wall
Matching big items like a sofa to the wall color can help them blend”creating the illusion of a bigger area as your eyes skim over it.

Hide Appliances and Office Supplies
As best you can, invest in cabinets, drawers and smart furniture choices so the unattractive necessities of everyday life, from blenders to printers, arent front and center. Or, choose items (like a beautiful espresso maker, for instance) that can moonlight as dcor.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Whether you love to clean or hate it, everyone can agree that when it comes to keeping your home sparkling, nothing is more exciting than finding the perfect cleaning product. A good cleaning product or tool will lessen your load while offering a deep clean that you can be pleased with. These home cleaning tools certainly deliver, and you wont regret getting them for your next deep clean.

Steam Mop
Perfect for most hard floors, but ideal for use in the kitchen and bathroom, steam mops can offer disinfecting power that a regular mop fails to deliver without additional chemicals. Though a steam mop is a larger investment than a traditional sponge mop, their ability to loosen stuck-on grime is unparalleled and makes it a must-have item.

Magic Eraser
The name doesnt lie with this product”these infused sponges truly do feel like magic. With the ability to remove stains like few other tools or cleaning solutions on the market, keep a box of these around for the next time your toddler decides to create their next masterpiece on the wall or counter.

Sonic Scrubber Brush
For cleaning small areas of grout or caulking full of grime, nothing works better than a toothbrush. If you are tired of using only your elbow grease to ensure a clean bathroom or kitchen, it might be time to invest in a sonic scrubber brush. With a body and design nearly identical to your traditional sonic toothbrush, these are electric powered brushes designed to boost your cleaning power. If you have any title in your home, this is a no-brainer.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Old wallpaper can make a house look dated. If a room in your home could use an update, you should be able to remove the wallpaper yourself. The steps will depend on the type of wallpaper you have.

Before You Get Started
Cover the floor with a tarp and use painters tape to secure it. Cover any electrical outlets with painters tape and turn off the electricity before removing the wallpaper that surrounds them. Have one or more large trash cans ready to toss in sheets of wallpaper as you remove them.

Which Type of Wallpaper Do You Have?
Use a putty knife to loosen a sheet of wallpaper at a bottom corner or seam. If it pulls away easily, its strippable wallpaper that should be easy to remove without water or chemicals. You may be able to simply pull entire strips off the walls. If you encounter some stubborn pieces, you can use a knife to cut them into horizontal strips.

In some cases, you will need to mix a liquid stripper concentrate with hot water. Brush it on the wallpaper, working in sections from top to bottom. After the mixture has had a few minutes to soak in, start using a scraper to peel off the wallpaper. If the wallpaper is old and wont absorb water, use sandpaper or a scoring tool to scuff the surface. Then spray the mixture again and let it soak in until you can remove the wallpaper.

Peelable wallpaper has a top coat that can be removed in the same way as strippable wallpaper, leaving behind a layer of backing. Remove the backing with the stripper concentrate/water solution and follow the same steps.

Since washable wallpaper has a plastic film designed to stop water from penetrating, you will first need to use a scoring tool to cut holes in the paper. Spray water into the slits, wait 10 minutes or so to allow the water to soak in, then remove the paper with a putty knife.

If you have wallpaper that just wont budge, you may need to use steam to loosen it. Rent a steamer and ask someone to help you. Pour water into the machine and wait for it to boil. Place the steamer pad on the wallpaper, wait about 30 seconds, then check to see if the wallpaper is loose. If so, the other person can peel it off, using a scraper if necessary.

Update Your Home
If youre tired of looking at wallpaper from a bygone era, you should be able to remove it fairly easily. Figure out what kind of paper you have, assemble the necessary supplies and get some help so you can modernize and transform the room.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Unlike a second home, where a homeowner lives for a portion of the year, an investment property is property that the homeowner uses to generate income, and in most cases,is not occupied by the homeowner at any time. Trying to figure out if your next home falls under second home or investment home status? Ask yourself: are you using it to make a profit? If the answer is yes, it’s an investment property.

A few examples of investment property include:

A condo at the beach that you rent out to vacationers
A house that you rent to long-term tenants
A home you purchased to flip (buy and resell in a short period of time)

Financing
If you need to finance your investment home, expect higher interest rates and a larger down payment. Most lenders find investment properties riskier, and your rates will reflect that.

Multi-Unit Homes
A popular investment home model is a split-family home or an apartment building; this allows the owner to live on the property and make a profit from renting out additional units. These properties are often eligible for traditional financing and do not necessarily require an investment property loan.

So long as you use one of the units in the home for year-round living, you should be able to finance the property through a conventional loan, receiving lower rates and a lower down payment.

Published with permission from RISMedia.