May 9, 2014 | Uncategorized
When it comes to creating a play house for your kids, you are limited only by your time, imagination, and to some degree, your budget. Most play house designs are constructed out of affordable wood products, and the plans are generally box-like in appearance. If you have the appropriate tools on hand, the project can take only a couple of weekends to construct.
Whether you choose a simple “look out” fort or a fully gable-roofed design, your kids will thank you for years to come.
Of course, the benefit to you is that they will have something to do to occupy their imaginations and get them away from the television. Instead of running out to the big box stores for pre-made forts, consider building one yourself.
Create Your Kids’ Home Away From Home
You can enhance simple playhouse designs by incorporating a climbing wall, a rope swing or even a slide (if you are able to build high enough.)
You can place a rubber climbing apparatus on the outside as long as there are some safety features installed as well, such as a soft area of wood chips or rubber pellets placed at the base of the wall. Also remember that climbing on the roof can be a falling hazard, so consider adding railings.
If you’re hoping to create a play house with some functionality, why not add some shutters and quaint furniture? Just remember to use furniture that is intended for outdoor use in order to prevent mildew and rot.
Play House Designs For The Cold Months
Outdoor fun doesn’t have to be restricted only to the summer months. It’s not impossible to simply run an electrical extension and attach a heater so your fort can be used all year round.
It’s an important cautionary note to be sure not to use any heating equipment that is powered by propane or gasoline. These heaters can emit toxic carbon monoxide that can build up inside a small space, which is an extreme health hazard. Instead, consider safe methods to install and insulate electrical heating devices, especially those designed for outdoor use that are resilient against water and snow.
Backyard Play House Designs: No Construction Needed
If you’re all thumbs when it comes to picking up a hammer, why not make a teepee? Simply by purchasing some six-foot long, wooden sticks (bamboo works best) and some twine, you can create a teepee form in less than 5 minutes.
Once your form is complete, dress the top with sheets held on with clothespins. While this won’t withstand the elements nor last through seasons, it can quickly provide a shaded play area that comes down as quickly as it goes up.
In many ways, having your kids help to design and build their “dream home” is the main goal of any DIY project, so first and foremost: enjoy the process. While this “addition” to your home doesn’t have a tangible economic impact on the value of your house, it prepares your home to be viewed as family friendly, if nothing else.
For more great home project ideas, call your trusted real estate professional today to discover how easy and fulfilling building your youth-oriented dream home can be.
May 8, 2014 | Uncategorized
When making plans for a fun-filled vacation, you shouldn’t forget implementing certain home security measures to ward off thieves. Nobody wants to return home only to find that intruders had ransacked the residence from top to bottom.
If you’re going away on vacation, make sure you protect your home against break-and-enters with these five tips.
Alarm Intruders With Audible Deterrence Measures
Installing a professional home security alarm is one of the most cost-effective ways for people to protect their homes when they are away.
Buying and setting up the right system will ensure that the proper authorities will be notified if thieves break in or attempt to force their way in.
While determined crooks will be hard to discourage, most would-be intruders will look for easier targets if they inadvertently trigger a loud, piercing alarm that attracts too much attention from anyone who could call the police.
Make Forced Entry Difficult With Solid Doors
Some thieves will take a very direct approach to break-ins by simply trying to force their way through a locked door. If the exterior doors are hollow, thieves will have a pretty easy time getting through. This is why it is important to install solid doors rather than hollow ones; solid doors are much harder to break through.
If you’re concerned about intruders forcing their way through your hollow doors, your best recourse is to upgrade to solid doors. Upgrading will cost a pretty penny, but the added protection they will provide will be well worth the investment.
While getting solid doors installed, you can go one step further by investing in good locks, deadbolts and reinforced strike plates.
Do Not Advertise Your Departures
A pile of newspapers at the front door or a mailbox full of mail and flyers will be proof positive to crooks that no one’s home. Homeowners who are going to be away on vacation should ask neighbors or other people they trust to collect their mail while they are away.
If having a neighbor collect your mail isn’t an option, go to the post office and request that mail service to your home be suspended until you get back. It is also best to suspend newspaper deliveries for the vacation period as well.
Neighborhood Watch To The Rescue
One great home security solution that won’t cost a penny is having neighbors who look out for you. Homeowners would do well to ask trusted neighbors to keep an eye on their property while they are away on vacation. Tell those trusted neighbors to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and to call the authorities if necessary.
Protect Sliding Doors With This Simple Trick
Before heading off on vacation, you should safeguard the sliding glass doors in your home by putting something like a metal rod in the track. This way, thieves will not be able to force the door open.
Vacations are a time to unwind and to have some fun. However, responsible homeowners will do what it takes to make their residence less attractive to would-be thieves while they are away.
For more information on how to safeguard your home, or to get answers to your pressing real estate questions, contact your trusted real estate professional for prompt and practical advice.
May 6, 2014 | Uncategorized
If you’re a homeowner, your backyard is probably a space where you look forward to spending private, quality time watching your children play or entertaining dinner guests.
The privacy you and your family treasure could suddenly be put at risk if your neighbors finish renovations allowing them to see into your backyard, or if a tree that once hid your backyard from view needs to be removed. If you’re looking to reclaim the privacy you’ve lost in your yard, here are some options you will want to consider.
Your Property Line Is A Natural Barrier That You Can Use To Reclaim Your Family’s Privacy
The first option you might consider if you’re looking to reclaim your yard’s privacy is probably building a fence – but depending on your budget, your relationship with your neighbors, and the look you want in your yard, a fence might not be the best option.
Consider planting a fast-growing hedge or other greenery along your property line instead. Italian cypress, for instance, will look great, grow very quickly, and will eventually give you all the privacy you need.
Break Up Your Nosey Neighbors’ Line Of Sight By Installing Raised Beds Or Berms
If you already have a green thumb and love nothing more than working on your backyard garden, you can have your cake and eat it too by replanting your current backyard plants in raised beds or berms.
Raised beds will add up to two or three feet of height to your plants without taking away the area or square footage in the rest of your backyard, making it an ideal option for homeowners will smaller backyard spaces. Installing raised beds or berms could also be a great solution for your garden if you have trouble planting due to the presence of clay or simply poor soil.
Lumber Isn’t Your Only Fencing Option
Though fencing seems like an obvious and possibly boring option to liven up your backyard and improve the aesthetic of your space at the same time, there are ways you can get creative with fencing that you might not have considered. Putting in latticework can alleviate the claustrophobic feeling that might come with enclosing your space fully with a solid fence, giving you some visibility through the lattice.
You can spice up the look of your enclosure by weaving plants through your lattice, or if you have the patience, get some ivy growing through your enclosure.
Maximizing the privacy of your outdoor space is easy if you’re creative and you enjoy working outdoors. If you love nothing more than pruning and shearing, then try to reclaim your space through planting rather than installing a fence or another permanent structure that you can’t change and therefore might regret later.
If you’re worried about how your backyard transformation could affect the value of your home, or if you’re looking for more privacy options, contact a real estate professional that you trust for the backyard design help you need.
Apr 29, 2014 | Uncategorized
Even the most aesthetically pleasing homes can have mold issues. A type of fungus that thrives on moisture, mold can trigger symptoms such as itching eyes, asthma attacks and bouts of sneezing or coughing.
As a result of the possible health issues, mold is the sort of problem that should be dealt with prior to listing a home, and people who are in the market to buy a home would do well to have a licensed professional conduct a mold test on any home they’re seriously interested in buying.
What follows is a rundown of five places in the home where mold could be hiding.
The Unwanted Basement Tenant
If climate control measures are not implemented, basements can end up becoming breeding grounds for mold. Most basements get little or no direct sunlight, are often more humid than other areas of the house, and get scant ventilation, which can pose a problem should water somehow get into the basement.
Mold can go undetected for years in such spaces since it can grow behind walls, baseboards and insulation. Fortunately, detecting mold is possible not only by sight, but also by scent. A moldy or musty smell should not be ignored since it could be evidence that there is a mold problem.
The Air Conditioner’s Chilly Reception
Unfortunately, mold can take root in places that people cannot easily access and monitor such as on the inside of their air conditioner units. Mold can grow on the coils and, when moisture enters into the picture, a small problem can become a big one quickly.
People who find themselves coughing or sneezing whenever they turn on their air conditioners ought to be suspicious since mold could be the culprit.
Not On The Kitchen Menu
Leaving leftovers in the fridge for too long can create conditions where mold thrives. The mold can then get into crevices where it will have even more places to grow. The problem can become even more serious if contaminated food and appliances transfer the mold to other areas in the kitchen.
Furthermore, kitchens that are insufficiently ventilated can also have negative implications as far as food safety is concerned,
The Chimney: Where There’s Smoke…
Leaky chimneys can cause mold problems that, if not fixed, may end up infecting other areas of the house. In a leaky chimney, moisture can seep into crevices and create mold areas that may eventually make their way down to the walls. Therefore chimneys that are in need of repair should be fixed promptly so that problems don’t pop up later.
If Walls Could Talk
One of the most common places for mold to form and grow is behind walls. Humid air behind the walls can be problematic, particularly if water finds its way back there as a result of things like flooding.
It’s also possible for mold to form behind wallpaper. People can determine whether or not they have mold behind their walls by having an inspector come in and check.
Mold is no laughing matter. Before listing, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to address any mold issues. People who are planning to buy a home should have an inspector conduct a test to ascertain if there are any problems.
Taking the proper steps will help to remedy any mold situation that may be present. Whether you’re looking to sell or looking to buy, the right real estate agent can make all the difference. Call your trusted real estate professional today for more information on how to deal with mold when buying or selling a home.
Apr 25, 2014 | Uncategorized
If you’re looking to lengthen the life span of your clothing without always needing to purchase something new to wear, consider the following five easy steps every time you do a load of laundry.
It’s a little bit of effort that goes a very long way; and who knows, you might just enjoy doing laundry again after seeing such great results!
Button, Zip, Turn Inside Out, And Separate
Spend a little bit of extra time making sure your buttons are buttoned, your zippers are zipped, and clothes are turned inside out.
Doing so will ensure that your garments are less likely to snag one another in the wash, prevent pilling, and keeping your colors from fading. It’s an extra step, but completely worth your time. Wash your colors in cold water, and separate from your whites when you can.
While it’s tempting to wash everything together, a little separation can go a long way – especially when you’re dealing with delicates as they should always be in a separate load (or hand washed and laid flat to dry).
Hang Those Clothes Out To Dry
Stop in the name of shrinking, pilling, fading, and unraveling! Is the garment in your hand made of a delicate fabric? Is that sweater made with mainly wool or cotton? Is that t-shirt your favorite? Better hang them all to dry.
Consider purchasing a clothes drying rack, as they fold beautifully and can be tucked away in the corner when not in use, and generally range between 10 and 50 dollars. If you’re concerned over the softness of your hang to dry clothing, there are always detergents you can buy with built in softeners, but often, the quality of the water in your area may be enough.
Shorten Your Cycle
If you are washing regularly, and your clothing isn’t heavily soiled, then there is no need to set the washer to a longer cycle. The longer your clothes wash for, the more damage is done. A quick wash, believe it or not, is more than you need if you are just looking to wash out the general scent and small stains of everyday wear.
Whiten And Brighten Naturally
Stop bleaching if you don’t need to! Bleach, while it may be useful for extremely soiled clothing (do you work and play in the mud regularly?) is not needed for your everyday garments. Bleach is harsh on your clothing, and using something as simple as baking soda can have the same effect as bleach on your clothes in the wash.
A spoonful of baking soda naturally brightens your clothing by boosting the effects of your detergent. For treating specific stains, try sprinkling and rubbing some baking soda into the stain and let it sit for a bit before your wash to maximize the stain lifting action.
Soften And Scent Naturally, Too
Softening with fabric softener is great, but often fades your clothing at a faster rate than you’d like. So when it comes to softening, a dryer sheet or two will do the trick. If you’re not a fan of/ have sensitivities to strong fabric softeners or detergents, a spoonful of fresh squeezed lemon juice is a beautiful natural option for giving your laundry a fresh, pleasant scent.
Keep your laundry looking like new, and spend some time filling your laundry room with some essentials that you feel would help you become more efficient with some of the steps above. After a few loads, you’ll quickly begin to see the difference.
So on your next laundry day, don’t forget to congratulate yourself for a job well done on extending the life of your garments!
