Real estate blog entries tagged with home improvement by Mullen Real Estate Team, Broker, Realtor, CPA, MBA (MA & CT) (RE/MAX Professional Associates)

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home improvement: You Only Think It’s True: 10 Myths Costing You Time and Money - 04/02/19 03:28 PM

You can’t swing a tool belt without hitting a website or TV network offering tips on taking care of your digs. Save money by watering your lawn at night! No, water it in the morning! No, dig it up and replace it with a drought-hardy meadow!
Throw in the info you pick up from well-meaning friends and there’s a sea of home care truisms out there, some of which can sink your budget.
Myth 1: Stone Countertops Are Indestructible
Fact: Even rock can be damaged.
Marble, quartz, travertine, soapstone, and limestone can all be stained. Regular household cleaners can dull their surfaces over time. And marble is maddeningly fragile … (1 comments)

home improvement: How to choose new windows and not worry you're wasting money! - 05/31/17 03:32 PM

By: Teresa MearsFind out how much windows cost — and whether you really need to spend the dollars.
You knew your windows weren’t in the best shape when you bought your home, but now they’re really starting to get to you. They’re making your home look — and feel — well, dumpy.
Not only that, you feel drafts coming from your windows in winter, then they jam shut when summer rolls around. Talk about frustrating.
Maybe it’s finally time for new windows, but can you afford it? And what if you make a mistake that makes your house look even worse? It can, and … (0 comments)

home improvement: Super-busy people reveal their habits for a tranquil home! - 05/25/17 04:13 AM

By: Amy Howell HirtThree young entrepreneurs give tips on staying organized and calm while living hectic lives.
Life is crazy. Cah-ray-zee. And while you wouldn’t have it any other way from 9 to 5 (OK, more like 8 to 7), the insanity should stop at your front door.
That’s why you bought your home, right? To have a place to rest, recharge, and come up with your next trailblazing idea. A few inspirational ideas for your home may be all you need to put it on the path to tranquility.
Three super-busy entrepreneurs — a brewery owner, website founder, and organic farmer — know … (1 comments)

home improvement: Lighting tricks designers use for awesome curb appeal! - 05/20/17 05:39 AM

By: Dave TohtEasy outdoor lighting ideas to bathe your home in a warm glow.
Think about it: most people you invite over, come in the evening, right?
So maybe they don’t see that lovely japanese maple, or that subtle pattern you just painted on your porch floor to hide the ugly gray concrete underneath.
Maybe it’s time to consider an outdoor lighting plan.
And come to think of it, that single porch light is a more of a bug attractor than a burgler deterrent.
But where to begin?
Hang around lighting designers long enough and you’ll hear a lot of talk about “moonlight effect.” That’s a … (4 comments)

home improvement: 5 reasons you'll regret painting your brick house! - 05/18/17 06:57 AM

By: Stacey FreedThe best paint for brick? No paint at all (in most cases). Here’s why.
Brick, brick, brick. All the homes in your neighborhood are brick. You’re itching to paint over that red-orange-brown color palette so your home’s personality can shine through.
Although painting brick is doable — and sometimes even necessary (more on that later) — it’s not an easy DIY paint project, and it can be a huge risk to your biggest financial asset.
In other words: Tread carefully, homeowner. Although painted brick might be aesthetically pleasing today, it could be a big, fat regret in just a few years.
Here are … (1 comments)

home improvement: Minimalist spaces that feel oh so luxe - 05/12/17 07:40 PM

By: Sarah Fogle
5 ways to get that sleek, Scandinavian look even though real life is messy.
This article was contributed by Sarah Fogle, a DIYer, self-professed power tool addict, and home renovation blogger, who writes “The Ugly Duckling House.”

It’s amazing how fast items can start to take up room in my house. Like most people, it’s not as though I intend to build up clutter; I just find it hard to get rid of things as fast as I accumulate them, both for sentimental reasons and because it’s so easy to procrastinate on getting organized.
But lately, I’ve been making more of an … (1 comments)

home improvement: 9 unexpected ways that paint can reboot your curb appeal - 05/11/17 06:58 AM

By: Scott SowersPaint your concrete porch, front door, and more for uber good looks from the street.
When it’s time to amp up your curb appeal, it’s easy to reach for your landscaper’s business card while overlooking the most affordable design remedy on the planet: the humble bucket of paint.
A simple splash of color can transform your home’s exterior and reboot your front yard, so rev up your imagination and try out one (or 10!) of these creative ideas.
#1 Turn Your Front Door Into a Work of Art:Here’s a front door painted by L.A. artist Allison Cosmos, giving the focal point of … (1 comments)

home improvement: Renovating? 4 ways to stay zen while living in a disaster zone! - 04/29/17 11:04 AM

By: Stacey FreedSimple ideas so you can enjoy your home despite the dust and chaos of remodeling.
Congrats! You finally got that fixer-upper you’ve been eyeing like you used to do to your high-school crush. Now it’s yours, but your budget’s tight, so you’re planning to move in and live there as you remodel.
Wow, that’s a stressful thought.
Just thinking about it makes you feel exhaused and excited at the same time. Sigh.
Well, you can let your excitement win that battle with these four strategies to ease the stress of living in the middle of a construction zone:
#1 Designate a Place for … (1 comments)

home improvement: 5 things that'll totally ruin your bathroom remodel! - 03/29/17 06:56 PM

By: Jennifer NelsonDodge any regrets by avoiding these bathroom materials.
A clean, well-planned, and stunning bathroom is every homeowner’s goal. But creating it can be a bit of a sticky wicket. All that water, humidity, and artificial lighting, and those tight corners make the space a real challenge. Don’t make it worse by wasting money on materials that won’t withstand the task or will need replacing when they don’t work out. Dodge bad bathroom decisions by avoiding these five things:
#1 Wallpaper:In a high-steam area such as a bathroom, wallpaper may start to peel in a few years, according to some designers. In … (1 comments)

home improvement: 6 materials to never use in your kitchen- - 03/24/17 07:18 PM

By: Stacey FreedDon’t get distracted by flash or price. Here’s what to avoid (and choose) for your kitchen remodel.
About to remodel that old kitchen? Unless you’re cool with treating the hardest working room in your house like a museum exhibit, resist the temptation to buy the cheapest or shiniest materials available and go for durable options that can stand up to regular abuse.
Trust us: Although it may be tough to leave that raised, tempered glass bar top (ooo!) in the showroom, repairing its first (and second, and third) chip will get old. Very fast.
Picking the right materials is easy if you … (3 comments)

home improvement: Thinking of taking the lowest bid? 5 tips from homeowners who did! - 03/15/17 05:41 PM

By: Stacey FreedHow to tell if that low remodeling bid is a bargain — or not.
All Ed and Sheila Dornan wanted was to create a gracious entryway in their modest Ypsilanti, Mich., home. And because they’d had a wonderful experience with a local contractor before, they assumed everything would go just fine.
But this time, they chose a contractor who made a far lower bid than the others. Any guesses where this story is headed?
They said they were in a big hurry, and they thought [my estimate] was too high,” recalls remodeler Debra Moore, owner of Custom Design/Build in Ann Arbor. The … (0 comments)

home improvement: Must vs. Lust: What do you really need in your new home? - 03/04/17 09:49 AM

By: Mandi Gubler
The super-simple (and fun) way to separate needs from nice-to-haves.
This article was contributed by Mandi Gubler, a DIYer and home decor blogger, who writes “Vintage Revivals” and believes “your house should look like you and no one else.”
When you embark on the home-buying process, your heart is filled with all the dreams in the world. It’s really easy to get caught up in the “I have to have ___________, so I’ll cut back somewhere else ” game, even when you don’t actually know where that somewhere else is or if you can realistically cut back there.
This post will show … (3 comments)

home improvement: 12 hidden renovation costs that can sink your budget - 03/02/17 10:40 AM

By: Jamie Wiebe
Some expenses are hard to anticipate. Here are a few that might surprise you.
You knew this renovation would be expensive. But you were smart. You accounted for everything in your budget.
Or, you thought you did.
Two weeks into your kitchen makeover, your wallet is weeping. Your Goldendoodle Sadie freaked out over the noise and needed doggie daycare. Your lawn is a disaster zone. And who knew one family could spend so much money eating out?
Surprises happen. Shelling out cash on unexpected renovation costs isn’t completely avoidable — but there are plenty of hidden renovation costs you can prepare for. Here … (2 comments)

home improvement: 5 things every loving homeowner should know about their own home! - 02/11/17 04:59 PM

By: Matt Christensen

Your relationship with your home is one that will hopefully last a long time, so it pays to learn its most intimate details. And not to be weird, but we really do mean intimate: what turns it on (or off), what makes it hot (or cold), and its delicate inner workings.
Because, after all, your home takes care of you—it keeps you warm, safe, well-fed—so it has every right to act a little high-maintenance and demand some TLC in return. Neglect your house, and there could be hell to pay later in the form of floods, electrical outages, and worse.
So … (2 comments)

home improvement: 12 hidden renovation costs that can sink your budget! - 02/04/17 08:54 AM

home improvement: Drawers overfloweth? 7 ideas to solve the problem once and for all! - 01/25/17 07:06 PM

By: Jamie WiebeIf your home lacks storage, these drawer solutions can help.
Messy junk drawers. Unorganized spices. Your overflowing dresser. Drawers and cabinets are supposed to keep you organized, not hide what you need.
Don’t despair.
Whether you choose a DIY solution, an inexpensive store-bought fix, or even a custom-made splurge, solving your organizing disaster is totally doable. Here’s how.
#1 Boxes for Your Bathroom Drawers:You might have pristine quartz countertops, a shiny rain showerhead, gorgeous oak cabinetry, but if opening the drawers in your newly remodeled bathroom destroys the illusion you carefully crafted, you need some help to restore your dream of neat and … (0 comments)

home improvement: Organize your home by February 1st in just 1 hour every day - 01/19/17 04:59 AM

By: Jamie WiebeJust follow this list for an easy path to organized spaces.
Happy New Year! Have you noticed most of your resolutions are action-oriented? Walk 10,000 steps a day. Fix that leaky faucet. Register for VolunteerMatch.But “get organized”? It’s a goal so broad that just trying to figure out what action to take makes you wonder what you were thinking in the first place. It’s like you need an organizing plan for your organizing.Ta da!Here it is. Follow these steps, spending less than an hour day (sometimes just a few moments), to a better organized home by Feb. 1:1. Do That … (2 comments)

home improvement: 5 inspired storage ideas! - 01/13/17 08:42 AM

By: Stacey FreedA little shelf here, a big shelf there. You’d be surprised where they can fit.
Finally, you get to take that beach vacation in the dead of winter. But where is your beach towel?!? You know it’s somewhere in that linen closet, but (sigh) it’s so crammed you can’t find it.
One of these days, you’re going to have to figure out how to get more storage space so you can find this seasonal stuff faster. But the last thing you want to do is go out and buy more stuff to put more stuff in.
There’s a better way — shelves. … (3 comments)

home improvement: Pet odor chasing buyers away? 8 ways to clear the air! - 01/04/17 02:23 PM

By: G.M. FiliskoYou might be nose blind to your pet’s aroma. Potential buyers won’t be.
Having pet odors inside your home can turn off potential homebuyers and keep your home from selling. Ask your real estate agent for an honest opinion about whether your home has a pet smell.
If your agent holds her nose, here’s how to get rid of the smell:
#1 Air Out Your House:While you’re cleaning, throw open all the windows in your home to allow fresh air to circulate and sweep out unpleasant scents.
Once your house is free of pet odors, do what you can to keep the smells … (2 comments)

home improvement: Why spending money on fancy bath salts can help sell your help! - 12/30/16 05:29 PM

By: Natalie Burg
You’re not just selling a home, you’re selling a lifestyle.
We get it. You’re pragmatic. You’ll buy that deep cleaning and decluttering your house are important steps in a comprehensive home staging process that could help your home receive higher offers and sell faster. But what’s up with those staging recommendations like making your bathroom feel like a spa and your kitchen smell like Rachael Ray just stopped by? Is that froufrou stuff really worth your time?
It is. Actually, the fact that you’re a pragmatist is the reason you’re going to want to shell out for some luxury staging items. … (0 comments)

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