Synergy Articles » Heather

Tips For Staging The Exterior Of Your Home

Heather — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:20:00 +0000

When you are in the market to sell your home, there are many factors to consider when it comes to showing buyers what you have to offer, including the interior of your home. The purpose for staging is to improve your home’s appearance in the eye’s of potential buyers. This will sell your home quicker, and for the highest price possible. Here are some ways to spice up your home exterior.

First you should start by taking an objective look around your house and take note of some items needing attention. You could maybe even have a friend do the same and compare lists. This will give you an idea of what others may see.

Your lawn should be mowed and neatly edged if necessary. I nice lawn is great for curb appeal, so be sure to keep your yard looking great.

Check for weeds often and remove them if found. Mulch is a wonderful addition to any flower. Fresh mulch will spruce up the look cheaply and easily, and heightens the appearance of any plant beds.

Trim bushes and trees to give a neat appearance. Make sure you don’t have any blocking windows and doors. This takes away from the scenery.

If your home’s paint is chipped or dull, it is a good idea to give it a fresh coat. Make sure your shutters and doors are the same color.

If you have a large porch a couple chairs or bench is a nice touch. This will give people a nice relaxing area to think about.

If your home has dirt and grime around it, you should have this pressure washed. You should also do the walkway if needed. Make sure windows are sqeaky clean. It makes your house shine.

De-personalizing Your Home For Sale

Heather — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:24:25 +0000

When you are trying to sell your home, there are many steps to take to ensure that you have what potential buyers are looking for. One of the most important things you can do is de-personalize. This means getting rid of some things that make it your home, and give the illusion to buyers that it could be their home.

You can begin by asking yourself what you can live without. This is a good opportunity for you to begin packing, to get a head start on the process. Do you really need all those magazines, papers, bills, etc. that are lying around taking up space? Do you need so many towels in the bathroom or toys in your kids room? There are so many things that you can go ahead and pack away that aren’t used on a daily basis. This unclutters the rooms and makes things much more organized, giving the interior of your home more pizazz.

If you have big furniture that may take away from the space in a room, don’t be afraid to go ahead and store these things somewhere else. This makes a big room look smaller. Not exactly the impression you want to give. This may also make the buyer feel as though they could not fill the room as well.

If you have walk in closets, staging here is a great addition to showing your home. Many people need big closets, and they need to be able to see how their things may fit in here. I’m not saying take everything out, but I’m sure there are some items in there that are not being used.

Take down all your personal photos off the wall. It is okay to keep a few, but too much of a good thing can be bad. This can be a distraction for buyers.

Tips For Interior Home Staging

Heather — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:59:07 +0000

If you are in the market to sell your home, there a few things you can do so that your home will stand out among the others. You may not have the extra money for expensive remodeling, and you don’t always have to.

First impressions are lasting impressions, right? The entrance of your home is the first thing a buyer sees upon entering your house. These early impressions are prone to color the opinion of your home to a great degree. This is a good place for a small table and some decorative flowers or a plant. If this area in your home is small, it may be a good idea to hang a mirror or interesting picture above the table. This will widen and add a sophisticated look to the area.

If your living room is dull or your paint is lacking some luster, it is a great idea to throw a fresh paint job here. It is one of the most inexpensive things you can do, that will make a huge impact on the look of your home. You can compliment the color you choose with contrasting throw rugs or pillows. This brings interest and texture to a room very inexpensively and effectively.

Your kitchen should be clean and pleasant.This is a good spot for nicely scented candles and a low key centerpiece that can be very appealing if presented correctly. Kitchen remodels are usually very expensive and there is only so much you can do in this area to add that extra charm without spending a good deal of money. A healthy house plant will do a great job setting off your dining area and maybe a simple throw rug is just the touch you need.

Most importantly, avoid clutter. I cannot stress this enough. The rooms in your home need room to breathe, and potential buyers should be able to embrace the spaces the rooms in your home have to offer. Pack away and store all unecessary items during this time. Leave your house guests to imagine the way their own things could fill up these spaces.

Getting Rid Of Fleas

Heather — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:44:12 +0000

You can take all the precautions, but it happens. One day you come home and sit down to relax and the next thing you know a flea jumps on you. Not a great way to begin or end any day. For someone who has never had this experience you may find yourself wondering what you should do now. And the most important thing you can do is take immediate action.

Adult fleas are nasty little insects that feed on the blood of your pet, and their young feed on the dried blood left from that of the adults. Fleas live on their host (your pet) and their eggs fall off onto your pet and all over your carpet, bed, clothes and anywhere else your animal goes in your home. Once this happens you can be sure in less than two weeks these eggs will be hatching, and the fleas emerge as larvae that can live in carpets and bedding for up to 200 days before becoming legless pupae that can survive up to a year before transforming into an adult! This can be a big problem!

The first thing you need to do is quarantine your pet, and clean everything your animal has come in contact with. This will remove as many eggs as possible. All bedding, clothing, rugs, etc. should be washed with soapy water. The soapy water will kill the eggs, larvae, adults, and pupae.

Vacuum absolutely everything. Furniture, cracks in floors, behind doors, and anywhere else that dust collects. This will kill most of the eggs, but larvae latches on to the carpet and some will stick around. After vacuuming, seal the bag in a plastic bag immediately. You can put this bag in the freezer to kill any fleas.

The remaining larvae can be dealt with by having your carpet steam cleaned. The steam will kill every stage of a flea except eggs. If you have someone come in professionally, be sure to warn them about the flea infestation and remember to remove infested animals if still in the home.

It is important to treat your animal the same time you are treating your home, this eliminates the fleas from jumping back onto your pet while they are trying to get away from you! You have to be very careful to only use treatments that are meant for your animal. Flea treatments for dogs and the environment can easily kill cats!

If you must purchase any flea sprays for your home be sure the product contains IGR’s (Insect Growth Inhibitors). These products will prevent pupae, larvae, and eggs from becoming adults.

This may be a good time to start your pet on a montly treatment provided by your local animal hospital or pet store. Even if your pet stays inside other animals that may come into your home may be infested and it is better to be safe than sorry.

Choosing The Right Patio Furniture

Heather — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:43:11 +0000

Buying patio furniture can be intimidating since there are so many types to choose from. Your patio is an extention of your home, as well as a relection of the taste and preferences of you and your family. The fact is, having patio furniture is just a great way to enjoy a nice summer day or night. When you are choosing your patio furniture, first, of course, you must consider the space available to you. There are many pieces you can choose from including coffee tables, small drink tables and side chairs for you to just sit and enjoy a beautiful day. But what type of material should you get? Here are some ideas of different types of patio furniture that may be right for you.

If you are looking for something traditional, use wrought iron. Wrought iron has a very distinct and comfortable look. It is incredibly durable and solid, and will remain in place even in strong winds. While this choice isn’t much for color, you can decorate using colorful cusions and umbrellas. Wrought iron works well in any garden setting. The new powder coat method used today keeps it looking elegant and beautiful for years to come. Wrought iron is practical and low key. Although with time all iron will rust, and may need a little touching up in the future.

If you want something a more contemporary, you can choose aluminum frames with colorful cushions, slings, and straps. This style of furniture works well with pool side settings because of the fact that it can float, in case your furniture finds its way into the pool. Aluminum frame furniture has generally wider feet and comes with replaceable nylon glides. These glides will prevent scratching from your deck material. Just in case your furniture does get scratched, most manufacturers provide touch up paint to repair minor nicks. Cleaning and maintenance of aluminum furniture is easy and inexpensive, since there is no sanding or refinishing involved. Just a little soap and water is all you need.

Teak wood patio furniture is particularly known for its durability. Much easier to maintain than other materials, it has the potential to last for years without becoming worn and rotted. Teak furniture is reminiscent of an old English garden, and is comfortable with or without cushions. Wooden furniture is typically light weight and easy to move around if need be. A perk of teak wood furniture is that it doesn’t need to be covered or stored in threating conditions.

No matter what look you are going for, whether it be a small setting or possibly even a whole new room for your home, be creative. The choice is yours.

Patching A Hole In Your Drywall

Heather — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:40:21 +0000

Having a hole in your wall can be quite annoying to look at. The first thing you might think of is how expensive it will be to hire someone to come in and fix it. For one, they cost money you do not have. Secondly, you would rather not have strangers in your home making a big mess. If you feel this way too, read on to learn how to do it yourself. It’s not very difficult, actually, and can be quite handy to know how to do, especially if you have children. Believe me, they can put a hole in the wall before you know it.

If the whole is small, grab some self-adhesive plastic mesh tape, a putty knife, some sand paper, and a spackling compund or fast drying patching compound. Don’t forget your prime and paint. Sounds easy so far, right?

First thing you do is rub the sand paper over the hole just to clear away any loose paper or edges around the hole. If your hole is 1 to 3 inches big, apply the self-adhesive mesh tape over the hole. (A smaller hole can go without the tape). Use your putty knife to apply a generous amount of patching compound and smooth it out around the hole. If the spackling shrinks, apply a little more if necessary. Allow the compound to dry. After the compound is dry, sand the area until it is smooth. Put a little prime and paint on it and your done!

Now, if you have a larger hole you will have to do a little more work, but still simple to do. You will need these things: stud finder, drywall knife or saw, a sheet of drywall, sand paper, a joint compound, paper joint tape, a putty knife, drywall nails, a pencil, and of course your prime and paint.

First you will need to find the stud closest to your hole. Then you have to cut out a rectangle of drywall around the hole, including half of the width of the stud, using your drywall saw or knife.

Use your sand paper to roughen up the wall several inches all around your cut. Now you need to use the drywall you cut out of the wall as a patch to cut out a new piece of drywall. Draw a line shaping the size you need out of the drywall, and use your drywall knife to cut it out. Drywall is very easy to break apart, so just cut a slit and pop it off.

Attach your new piece of drywall to the stud in your wall with drywall screws or nails, whichever you prefer. Be careful to set the heads just below the the surface, but not too deep. You don’t want to break the paper.

Using your putty knife, apply a thin coat of joint compound along the seams. Softly press the paper joint tape into the joint compound with your putty knife. Make sure that the edges of the tape are embedded in the compound. Scrape any excess compound from the tape.

Now you must allow the compound to dry. Once it is dry spread a two or three additional coats of compound over the tape, extending about 4 to 8 inches on each side of the seam so that it blends in with the surrounding wall. Lightly sand between coating to smooth things over.

Last you paint primer over your new patch. In case the seams are still visible after it dries, simply apply more joint compound before your final painting.