Fall Fix-Up Solutions For Your Home
October 7th, 2011 categories: Home Life, Seller Strategies
Chantilly and Northern Virginia home sellers and home owners will benefit from this short Today Show video called a “Fall Fix-Up Checklist”. You will get very practical tips on how to:
- Clean up leaves. limit grass damage, and keep pests under control
- Unclog gutters so that you prevent house damage this problem can cause
- Turn off outside water sources and remove water from pipes and hoses
Also helpful is how to find air leaks in your home, and how they can be fixed. You can save a bundle by reducing or eliminating these leaks.
If you are a little handy, you can do this on your own. But if not, consider hiring a handyman. Some of these fix-its will pay you back many times over. If you need a few references, I can provide that. And of course, if you are doing fix-ups in preparation to sell, and would like a quick analysis of your home’s current value, let me know. We are here for you!
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Weatherizing Your Home With Caulk
September 13th, 2011 categories: Home Life
It is a good time of year to do a little caulking so you can have more comfort and savings during the winter months.
You can lose a huge amount of of heat through those gaps and openings around doors and windows.
This brief tutorial from Lowe’s will give you some very useful information on simple preventative measures to take. It is worth your time to check it out.
To weatherize your windows and doors you simply follow this 3-step process:
- Find the air leaks
- Clean the surface of existing caulk and debris
- Seal surface with new caulk, and clean-up
As you will see, this is not a big technical job.
If you’d like professional help weatherizing your home, let me know and I will provide a few referrals.
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Chantilly Home Safety: Be Careful With That Home Project
August 5th, 2011 categories: Buyer Strategies, Home Life, Seller Strategies
According to the BuildFax Remodeling Index, people are doing lots of remodelling projects.
They report that for the 19th straight month, their May index rose.
If you are doing projects on your own, do be aware of safety. Many preventable accidents happen because basic safety precautions are not taken. Some of these accidents can be very serious…like falling off a ladder.
Check out this 5-minute video from NBC’s The Today Show. Being aware of the basic precautions mentioned could save you a lot of trouble.
The insights include:
- Use “expandable” earplugs to prevent hearing loss from power tools.
- Don’t wear sneakers or sandals. Wear construction boots.
- Never stand on the top 2 steps of a ladder.
Also, don’t forget the safety glasses. Eye problems are the number one injury as reported by home remodelers, and it is important to realize they can happen anytime.
Here is the video from the NBC website.
As always, if you need a referral for professional help to do a project, contact me and I will provide a few names.
Whether you are buying or selling, or just considering either or both, we are always here for you!
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Remove Furniture Scratches With A Walnut?
December 21st, 2010 categories: Home Life
If you are getting ready to sell your Chantilly home, or even if you have no plans to move, this 50-second video from HowCast, will give you a quick and easy way to remove scratches and dings from your furniture.
Do remember to wait 3 minutes before you use the soft cloth, so that the oils can work their magic.
If you are fresh out of walnuts, give almonds or pecans a try. Of course, you can always use a traditional product (see Amazon.com).
If you have something more than a surface scratch, you will need pro help, or at least advise from someone who does this kind of thing.
We can’t repair your furniture, but if you need to buy or sell a home in Chantilly or Northern Virginia, we can sure help you get that done. We have been doing so for over 23 years now, and we invite you to watch our video in the voices of people we have served. Just click on the “OUR STORY” icon when you get to our VIDEO CENTER and feel free to CONTACT US if you’d like more information.
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Video on Motion-Detector Lighting On Your Home
December 15th, 2010 categories: Home Life
If you have thought about having a motion detector lighting system in your Chantilly or Northern Virginia home, this video from Lowe’s is worth watching.
Note that this involves what Lowe’s calls an “intermediate” skill level, and it does require dealing with your house electrical system. So stay cautious, and if the idea of working with anything electrical is enough to put you on hold with this project, check out a handyman service. We can provide a few referrals in our area, so call us if you need that.
Motion detectors serve many useful purposes, safety and security being at the top of the list. They sell for as little as $25 so you can get their benefits without spending much.
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Improving Home Energy Efficiency Before Selling in Northern Virginia
November 29th, 2010 categories: Buyer Strategies, Home Life, Seller Strategies
If you are a Chantilly or Northern Virginia area homeowner thinking about the sale of your home in the Spring season, check out this video that gives some easy tips on one aspect of your home’s appeal: the “tightness” and energy efficiency of your windows.
Windows that are not sealed well can account for 30% of a home’s heat loss in winter. It pays for anyone to get them sealed and if you are selling your home, it is one more benefit to your prospective buyers, and one more competitive advantage to you.
By the way, for a more detailed discussion on ways to make your home energy efficient as a selling strategy, or even if you plan on staying right where you are, listen to our Chantilly Radio podcasts on this topic.
But in the meantime, this 4-minute video is definitely worth your time.
And if you do have that home sale upcoming, by all means take advantage of our MARKET SNAPSHOT email service. You will get actual sold prices of homes in your Northern Virginia neighborhood.
As always, if you need help or have questions on any buying or selling issues, or if you are relocating into the Northern Virginia area, we are here for you!
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Chantilly Home Owners: An Easier Way to Clean Window Blinds
October 26th, 2010 categories: Home Life
Do you have a least favorite household chore? Nearly a third of home owners say it is cleaning blinds.
To make this part of your life a lot easier, check out this 2-minute video from HowCast. You will get blind-cleaning basics that you can do with just a few simple items you already have in your home.
Here are the steps:
- Use the dryer sheet to get the dust off.
- Remove blinds from window.
- Go outside, or use the bathtub.
- Wash, rinse, and dry with the towel.
- Put the blinds back up.
The process will make this chore a good bit easier. And if you have bigger chores, like shopping for your next home, or an investment property, call us for that one!
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Reduce Home Energy Costs: Seal Those Leaks
September 1st, 2010 categories: Home Life
Your Chantilly or Centreville home may not be drafty now as September begins, but Fall is just about here.
Pretty soon the cooler temps will be kicking in. It is a good time to consider doing something to reduce air leaks in your home.
The first thing I’d recommend is to listen to our Chantilly Radio series on home energy efficiency. Very informative series. If you are planning on getting serious about saving dollars on energy costs, you will want to listen to this set of podcasts on the topic of home energy efficiency.
You really can save a lot. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, up to 30 percent can be cut from a home’s energy costs just by reducing drafts.
That’s a lot of wasted Chantilly air.
And you don’t have to be a Super Handyman. There are some pretty easy things you can do. Check out the DIY Guide To Sealing and Insulating a home, for a government resource.
Additionally, you can get a 13-page PDF with detailed images, instructions, and recommendation to help you with the work.
If you are talking more than small fixes, of course you may need to hire help. But given the amount you can save, it may be one of the best home improvement investments you will make.
And if you are doing improvements in anticipation of putting your home on the market, take advantage of MARKET SNAPSHOT. And of course we are always here to help you with an analysis of your home’s current market value.
(Image courtesy: US Department of Energy)
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