Getting the Best ROI with your Renovations and Upgrades - 04/30/12 02:21 PM
"So what will give me a high return on investment?" The answer is usually "it depends!!"
Remember that while some home improvements might improve your quality of life they might not increase the value of your home.
There are many factors that affect the return you can get when you upgrade. Where you live, province, city neighbourhood, socioeconomic status, economic conditions such as interest rates and jobs in the area, perceived value, fashion, weather (very hot, very cold), number of kids in area, age of your home.
Sometimes the answer is easy. Renovations such as painting almost always give good return, … (1 comments)

Feng Shui Gardening - 04/27/12 12:39 PM
Photo by Marpa Landscape Design Studio
 
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy of form and placement that helps to improve the flow of chi (also qi)—the universal life force. In the Western world, we’ve mostly heard of feng shui in home design, but the Chinese use feng shui first and foremost for landscaping. In fact, the exterior is far more important than the interior. If you have feng shui problems outside your home, no amount of cures inside will remedy it.
A feng shui garden strives to achieve balance and harmony, and raise auspicious energy levels. The landscape is … (1 comments)

Clever Organizing Tricks and Storage Ideas - 04/25/12 03:09 PM
 
Use Jewelry Boxes
Those little boxes are so sturdy and trim that you hate to throw them out. So don’t. Instead, clip them together to create tidy divided storage for pens and pencils, lipsticks, plastic flatware, whatever it is that clutters your drawer (maybe jewelry?).                       
James Baigrie
Use Glass Jars
“Grandpa’s wood-shop solution of attaching glass jars underneath a table or a shelf is tried-and-true,” says Ted McCann, a Brooklyn-based custom woodworker. This trick works in the garage, the basement, and the craft room (or even possibly the home office, if you have an appropriate area): Nail or superglue the … (1 comments)

How to Properly Vent a Clothes Dryer - 04/24/12 04:16 PM
For savings and safety, don't neglect ducts                               
Your clothes dryer is one of the hardest-working appliances in your home. It's also a fairly basic appliance in how it operates, and if it's properly vented and maintained, it should give you years, even decades, of reliable service.
 
But "properly vented and maintained" is the catch. Because a dryer is such a simple appliance to install and operate, many people don't give it much thought. They set it in place, plug it in, vent it through that pipe coming up out of the floor -- typically with the wrong type of vent … (1 comments)

Which Home Decorating Trends Should You Follow into 2012? - 04/23/12 02:30 PM


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You may have collected your fair share of antler-inspired decor last fall. Or you might be thinking about finding a spot for that bold tangerine color of the year or even adding one of the woodland-themed pieces expected to be popular.
Stop thinking and start organizing. Blindly following home decor trends can result in a home that's an eclectic mess.
 
<!-- Module starts: a-body-after-first-para (ArticleTextWithAdCpc) -->With spring cleaning right around the corner, now is the time to assess and redefine your style. That means knowing what hot items to display, what … (0 comments)

How to Recycle Everything Wrong - 04/20/12 02:17 PM
 
Recycling is not all that tricky, but some people waste a lot of time doing stuff they shouldn’t. For example below are some surefire ways to recycle incorrectly…
Crush all cans carefully – waste o’ time. Nowadays you don’t need to do this step. Recycling centers take un-crushed cans happily. Toss greasy and food ridden cardboard into the recycling bin. Sadly, this can mess up an entire load of recyclables. Recycling center machines are fit to take on grease and grime. If you’ve got sticky, messy, greasy paper you need to toss it not recycle it. Don’t sort the … (0 comments)

Guide to the 2012 Home and Garden Tour in the DC Area - 04/18/12 04:28 PM
Open this week
 
 
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens offers docent-led garden tours with the price of admission. Tuesday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and April 15, April 29, May 13 and May 27 at 2:30 pm. Through June 9. 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. www.hillwoodmuseum.org. Tours are first come, first served at the beginning of each day and are included as part of the suggested donation: $15, seniors $12, college students $10, age 18 and younger $5, age 5 and younger free.
  <!--/quick-comments --> Week of April 15 Washington National Cathedral’s Olmsted Woods Walks will … (0 comments)

Outdoor Oasis - Enjoy a relaxing summer in your own backyard - 04/16/12 08:14 PM
Enjoy your summer relaxing in your own backyard.
When it’s cold outside, many of us dream of endless summer days relaxing by the water, maybe swimming laps in a pool. If you start planning now, you can create your own backyard oasis—complete with a pool and spa—and begin enjoying yourself by spring.
Hampton Roads doesn’t get cold enough to put a halt on pool construction, says Gary Sharpe, general manager of Polynesian Pools in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. “We keep building through the whole cold season,” Sharpe says. “The cold weather might slow us down a little bit but we don’t … (0 comments)

Green Home Remodel - Where do I Start and How Much? - 04/13/12 01:46 PM
Green remodeling involves "design and construction of projects that reduce the environmental impacts of remodeling, including energy, water, and materials consumption; waste generation; and harmful emissions" (ReGreen Residential Remodeling Guidelines, USGBC and ASID, 2008). One of the more important aspects of green home renovation - also called "retrofitting" - involves integrating your home's operational systems.
 
These preparations can help you assess operational systems prior to beginning your green home remodeling project.1. Examine Existing Conditions: Environmental hazards, such as asbestos, lead, or mold; lack of closet space; and antiquated room configurations are concerns worth examining prior to starting any green home … (0 comments)

6 Simple Energy-Saving Home Fixes - 04/12/12 03:30 PM
Seal Sneaky Leaks Seal electrical outlets in the exterior walls of your house. Foam insulating gaskets (less than $1 each) “act as a barrier so conditioned air stays in, rather than leaking out,” says Jonathan Passe of the EPA. Just unscrew the outlet cover, install the gasket, and replace the cover.    
 

 
Go With the Flow Install a high-performance showerhead. This uses 1½ gallons of water per minute (gpm) rather than 2½ gallons, the federal upper limit for new showerheads. By switching from a 2½-gpm to a 1½-gpm model ($20 and up), a family of four (each person taking … (0 comments)

How to Enhance the Curb Appeal of Your House - 04/11/12 03:16 PM
  Maximize Your Home Value It's a back-to-basics economy, but that doesn't mean you should let your house be anything less than a pleasure to come home to. A welcoming exterior can put a spring in your step each time you climb the stoop. Adding the right elements can increase your daily comfort, too. Fixing up a front porch to lounge on during the hot summer months or swapping a failing roof for something new that's also maintenance-free makes your space more enjoyable—and shortens your to-do list.Quality upgrades continue to add value. Home prices may have dropped, but the return on … (1 comments)

Spring Cleaning Made Easy - 04/10/12 02:29 PM
  If you need something "to-do" here is your "to-do" list!  There are some great tips and advice of things that you may not even think about.  Tis the season of Spring cleaning!!   Around the HouseWash windows inside and out. Wipe down the sills. To clean window screens, rub them with kerosene on both sides, and then rinse them with soap and water. Make sure to do this in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside.
To revive drab drapes, take them down, remove hooks and run them through an air-fluff cycle in the dryer with a damp towel (to attract the … (1 comments)

429 Willow Bend Dr. Chesapeake, VA 23323 - 04/07/12 02:03 PM
… (0 comments)

What Your Paint Color Says About You - 04/06/12 02:49 PM
Look around the rooms in your home and you’ll probably pick up on a theme (or two). Perhaps you’re gazing out at a sea of blues and greens—or a spectrum of sunset shades.
  If You Gravitate to Soft, Warm Shades…
Associated with sunshine and roaring fires, yellow and orange (and close cousins peach and pink) have a cheerful, welcoming personality. And most likely, so do you. “People who use warm tones tend to be friendly and nurturing—they love having others over,” says Eiseman. The fuzzy feeling we get from these colors isn’t just symbolic. Because of their brightness, warm shades … (1 comments)

Half of U.S. Households Own at Least One Apple Product - 04/03/12 05:34 AM
As I still debate over the iPhone or Droid - I come across an article like this.  It is amazing how far Apple has really come over the past few years.  I'm a little afraid to make the switch to Apple, but apparently there are a lot of people that have gotten over that fear a long time ago!
    The overall ownership rate is 1.6 Apple products per American household, according to a new survey.     At the turn of the 21st century, Apple was in rough shape. It had narrowly avoided bankruptcy, and Steve Jobs' return as CEO … (0 comments)

 
Donnabest Rainmaker_large

Donna Bosze

Chesapeake, VA

More about me…

Realty Executives Top Producers

Address: 316 Office Square Lane, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462

Office Phone: (757) 338-5334

Cell Phone: (757) 338-5334

Email Me



Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog