Taking Care of Your Home’s Exterior During the Winter

Why do we only think of the way our homes look when things are growing? We think about landscaping, watering, mowing, trimming and all those other things we do to keep our homes looking great during the spring, summer and fall, but our homes are on display year around.

Your home should still be beautiful in the winter time. Keeping sidewalks and other walkways clear of snow, ice and debris is important, of course, but there's more to it than that.

Trees should be kept neatly trimmed to keep branches from breaking due to heavy snow and wind. Not only is a broken branch unsightly, it can be dangerous if the tree is near a walkway, door, window, or car. Winter winds can blow branches back and forth for several feet before they break!

Other growth, such as bushes or tall grasses, should be trimmed for compactness during winter weather stress, too. If you live where you get a lot of wind, it's even more important to keep everything trimmed to minimize damage.

The door to your home is the main welcoming feature, so make sure to keep the entire area clear of ice and snow and put out a colorful and seasonal welcome mat so visitors can clean their boots or shoes before entering. This will beautify your home as well as keep it safe.

Windows can be cheerful assets to your home, but they're not always so nice if they’re old, worn out, or aren’t decorated nicely. What you put in them and on them makes a big difference between having a lovely, welcoming home and an empty and cold looking home. Plants or other decorative items on the windowsills, pretty drapes or curtains and windows in good condition makes a lot of difference in the way your home looks. Good quality vinyl replacement windows always look good and make it a lot easier for you to make your windows welcoming.

Some things stand out more after the growth of summer is done and leaves or snow is on the ground. If you keep your home in good condition and be aware of safety hazards, your home will be one of the most beautiful on the block, no matter what the weather.

Be Extreme When It Comes to Saving Energy Costs

Each year, more people struggle with the cost of heating their homes. The truth is that the costs are going to continue to rise and, if you do not want to end up in the cold, it is time to cut down on this expense. The following are some extreme things you can do to save energy costs. Many of them seem quite simple, but you would be surprised by how many people don’t do them.

Your Drying Habits

How easy is it to take your laundry out of the washing machine and throw it in the dryer? This is the habit of most homeowners. A drying rack can save you a ton of money. Simply hang up your clothes to dry instead of using the dryer. It may take longer, but it will save you money. If you are not ready to give up your dryer yet, at least make sure that the dryer-vent hose is as short as it can be. It will work more efficiently with a shorter hose.

Reduce Heated Space

The square footage of your home will have a lot to do with the size of your heating bill. Reduce some of the heated space in your home to save money. This means keeping closet doors shut, turning off the heat to bedrooms or rooms that you do not use, and even keeping cupboard doors shut. All of this could lead up to big savings each month.

Perform Maintenance on Your HVAC

Your heating and cooling system needs to be maintained on a regular basis in order for it to function properly. Filters need to be cleaned or replaced at regular intervals. A system that is not working at its best is going to use more energy. This energy is going to cost you. You may not want to invest in maintenance when your system is still putting out heat, but it is an investment with a great return. These three things may seem like minor changes, but they really add up and will save you money. Sometimes, it is a simple matter of changing habits to see the savings. Turn the thermostat down just a couple of degrees and put a sweater on or put an extra blanket on the beds. All of this is going mean that you spend less on energy and can put your money toward something that you and your family really want.

Making Customized Window Boxes for Your Home's Exterior

A great thing about windows is that you can look out and admire the landscaping around a home. If your home only has a small yard, then you might be unable to plant flowers in a backyard garden or along pathways that lead to the front door. Fortunately, you can still have those beautiful flowers and other plants in your yard by making customized window boxes. These boxes are placed outside your windows and provide an excellent place to plant beautiful flowers, delicious herbs, and other plants. Window boxes are also a great way to make your fantastic new vinyl replacement windows look even nicer!

Take Careful Measurements for the Window Boxes

First, you need to measure your home’s windows in order to make the window boxes. Measure the width of your window, then determine the height and depth you’d like your window box to have. Do not try to remember the measurements, write the numbers down neatly on paper so you buy the appropriate amount of wood. If you need to cut the wood down to the correct size but don’t have the tools or if you feel uncomfortable about cutting the wood planks, then have the job done at a local hardware store.

Secure the Wood Pieces and Smooth With Sandpaper

After the wood sections are cut, secure the pieces together with strong screws. You may want to add caulking to the gaps in order to keep soil and water inside the window box, and this should also keep the flowers or herbs’ roots from escaping through crevices. If the wood seems rough, use sandpaper to smooth it before painting, staining, or varnishing the surfaces.

Fill the Window Boxes with Flowers or Herbs Use a stud finder and sturdy screws to fasten the window boxes to a home’s structures beneath the windows. You may need to touch up varnish, stain or paint after this process. Make sure to complete this part of the installation carefully to avoid damaging your home’s siding or window frames. After the window box is installed on the outside of a home, you can choose to fill it with potting soil before planting herbs or flowers. Alternatively, you might prefer to place potted flowers or herbs in the window boxes in order to change the plants frequently.

Improving Your Home’s Curb Appeal in the Winter

If you are hoping to sell your home this winter, the best thing you can do is work on your winter curb appeal. Giving your home’s curb appeal a boost is much easier to do in the spring and summer, when interested buyers can see your home’s green lawn and beautiful garden. Winters can feel much more drab and dreary, making it a little more challenging to make your home more appealing to people passing by. However, there are some great ways to spruce up your home during the winter that prospective buyers will appreciate.

Add Some Color to Your Yard

While the sun gleaming off the newly fallen snow can make for a beautiful picture, there are some winter days that the snow is going to leave everything dull. By adding some color to your yard, you can attract buyers to your home. Painting a fence with bright colors, giving your door a fresh coat of paint, adding some colorful garden decorations, or planting some shrubs that bloom in the winter can make all the difference to a buyer.

Add Some Lights

Outdoor lighting doesn’t have to be limited to the holidays. Highlight your landscaping with some outdoor lights all winter long and you will notice potential buyers stopping to admire your home. You do not want to overdo it, but highlighting certain features of your home and landscaping will certainly increase its appeal. A great tip on lighting is to make sure you use white or clear lights as colored lights may take away from its appeal.

Snow Scenes

While the snow accumulating in your yard may be in the hands of nature, you can keep your walkways and your driveway clear to your home. For further appeal, consider creating small paths throughout your landscape to help prospective buyers get a better idea of the layout of the area. Most buyers have trouble buying a home in the winter as they really don’t have an idea of what is actually under the snow. You can also take pictures of your landscape during the warmer months so they can see it during other seasons. A home buyer really is at a disadvantage in the winter time, but so is the seller. It’s up to the seller to make their home as appealing as they possibly can, which can sometimes be tougher in the dreary winter months. However, by following some of the above tips, your home will stand out from the rest of the homes in your area.

Selling Your Home: Why For Sale By Owner Isn’t a Good Idea

According to statistics from the National Association of Realtors, in 2014, only 8% of homes sold in the U.S. were sold by their owners without the assistance of a real estate agent. As a homeowner who wants to keep as much of their profits as possible from the sale of your home, you have to ask yourself if it is actually worth it. The truth is that selling your home as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) is not always a good idea if you need to sell quickly or want the most money.

The statistics show that the homes that were sold by a real estate agent sold for a much higher price than homes that were listed FSBO. Of course, you have to take into account for the actual differences in the quality and location of the homes. However, the difference in the average price sold between the two was over $39,000. Even if you had to pay your real estate agent 7% of this, you would still end up with just over $36,000 in your pocket.

Another 18% of those who sold their home themselves did not sell their home within the amount of time they had anticipated. A real estate agent, upon getting a new listing, immediately places the home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This places the home in front of every real estate agent in the state. It provides the seller the opportunity to sell their home quickly. FSBO homes will stay on the market much longer.

You also need to remember that selling your home comes with a lot of paperwork and legalities. A real estate agent is trained to handle all aspects of the sale. Their education and training allows them to create a smooth transaction for both the buyer and the seller. As more than 12% of the homeowners who sold their homes FSBO in 2014 stated that the paperwork was hard to understand, it just stands to reason that using a real estate agent is the wise choice.

If you need surgery, you go to a surgeon. If you need a contract written up for you, you go to a lawyer. If you have a house to sell, it just makes sense that you would go to the professional. While you certainly have every right to sell your home yourself, you may actually find that it is more beneficial to list your home with a local real estate agent.