5 Home Improvement DON’Ts

Fall is in the air and it’s nice outside. Perfect time to do some DIY home improvements to your house. But make sure you do them correctly. Here are the top five things to make sure you DON’T Do:

Don’t Ignore Safety

This goes for any home improvement project. Simple precautions like wearing safety goggles, not overloading outlets and turning off breakers will only take a few minutes or a few extra bucks, but these steps can save you from disaster.

Don’t Skip the Primer

The key to a successful paint job is always prep. A coat of primer will seal the surface, provide durability and create a solid bond for the paint to adhere. The only time primer may not be needed is when painting latex over latex and the colors have a similar intensity.

Make Sure You Get a Real Pro

If you need to hire a pro make sure they are qualified for the job. Never let anyone other than a licensed electrician repair or alter the wiring in your home. The same goes for plumbing — many states also require them to have a license or state certification.

Don’t Forget Ductless HVAC Systems

Don’t forget to consider an energy-efficient ductless heating and cooling system for an addition or if you’re remodeling. You won’t have to install or redo any duct work, which saves time and energy.

Don’t Forget About the Subfloor

Laminate flooring needs an underlayment/vapor barrier for almost any surface it is being installed upon. Not only will it protect it from moisture, it will also help with soundproofing. Hardwood floors need an even subfloor, so use subfloor compound to ensure a level surface. If laying tile in a bathroom, cement backer board should be used underneath.

Fall Door Decor

The calendar says that is is officially fall, and we’ve been enjoying our first pumpkin spice lattes of the season. So it’s time to take another look at all the ways you can decorate your front door for the season. (We couldn’t resist adding in a few Halloween ideas, too!) After all, it is the first thing guests encounter when they come to your home. Shouldn’t it be a reflection of what’s waiting inside? Check out our top picks.

1. DIY Pumpkin Wreath: You can never have too many pumpkins. And this DIY wreath proves that point. Plus, because it’s not too Halloween centric, you can leave it up through Thanksgiving. (via 320 Sycamore)

2. Balloon Spiders: Don’t worry these pumped up arachnids won’t bite! But they will make your home ready for trick-or-treaters! (via Martha Stewart)

3. Tulle Wreath ($55): The autumn colors in an unexpected tulle will make a statement on your door this fall. Of course, we’re fans of the fact that there’s a little sparkle involved, too.

4. Stained Glass Tree: This twisted tree is great year round, but we love the shades of brown for fall. (via James Witt)

5. Broom Garland: We’re betting if you hang up this broom garland you’ll sweep the competition for best Halloween outdoor decor—especially if you’re dressed as a witch. (via Martha Stewart)

6. Gourd Family: Think of this gourd family as the autumn answer to snowmen. They are perfect for kids to decorate. Just look for pumpkins with out stems so the stack more easily. (via Martha Stewart)

7. Pumpkin Totem: Another take on the stacked pumpkins, this totem is one of our favorites from our no-carve pumpkin roundup. The goofy faces give us a chuckle. (via HGTV)

8. Eyeball Wreath: If your front door gets full sun all day, this is the wreath for you. Each of the bouncy ball eyeballs glows in the dark. Trick-0r-treaters will be greeted by a group of ghoulish glowing eyes. Creepy! (via Country Living)

9. Mummy Door: You can make this spooky mummy door in less than 15 minutes. All it requires is white streamers and construction paper eyes. (via Honey and Fitz)

10. Monster Door: If monsters are more your style try this take on a Frankenstein door. Admittedly, he looks a bit more goofy than scary, but that’s best if you have young trick-or-treaters. (via My Life and Kids)

11. Chalkboard Door: Of course we saved the best for last! Chalkboard paint works great on the inside of the front door, but we bet it would work just as well outside, if your door has an overhang. (via Apartment Therapy)

12. Three-Story Spiders: Okay, this goes beyond just the front door, but we’re impressed with the dedication of these home owners. We can only imagine how intricate their Christmas decorations must be! (via Apartment Therapy)

Do you decorate your front door for fall or Halloween? Tell us what you do in the comments!

Yard Sale Tips

With the Celebration-wide Yard sale just around the corner, I thought it would be good to post some tips to help make your next yard sale a success!

 

1. Place Your Ad Here

Have your kid help you write an ad for your local newspaper and put signs up around town. Less is more when it comes to effective advertising, so skip the glitter (unless your kid feels really strongly about it) and make signs using bold markers with your address, the date and time of the sale and an arrow pointing in the right direction.

2. Enlist Some Helpers

Have your kid ask a friend to chip in for the cause, both by putting her stuff up for sale, too, and volunteering to help the day of. Not only will this double the selection of items for sale, you’ll have an extra pair of hands to help. In the days leading up to the sale, look over and clean all the items. There’s nothing worse than selling a pair of jeans for $3 and remembering there was a $20 bill in the back pocket.

3. Consider Your Layout

When it comes to rummaging through other people’s used stuff, presentation matters: Have your kids help you arrange all items by category, and make it easy to navigate between sections. Instead of throwing books into a box, line them up on a bookshelf for easy browsing. Hang up clothes on an old shower rod and order them by size. (No one wants to dig through piles of precariously stacked T-shirts, and you don’t want to be the one stuck folding and refolding them.) Place hot ticket items near the end of your driveway to lure in customers. If people driving by see something that catches their eye, they’ll stop to take a look.

The same goes for the kids’ stuff. Kids love shopping at garage sales almost as much as they love putting them together. So help your child go through all her goodies and separate out the really good stuff to make sure it’s properly displayed.

4. Create Ambiance

Just because you’re setting up shop in your front yard doesn’t mean it can’t have the vibe of a classy boutique. Play some nice background music so shoppers aren’t perusing in silence. If your kid is really into it, he could even open a lemonade stand and sell packaged snacks or your favorite homemade cookies to make some extra cash. Make sure to have a garbage can nearby to keep things tidy.

5. Advertise Each Item’s Value

Make sure all your items are clearly marked with price tags, which will discourage bargain-hunters from offering a bargain-basement price on items that aren’t marked. We recommend setting your kid up with masking tape or blue painter’s tape and letting him go to town once you’ve decided on the prices. After shoppers take their items home, they can remove the tape without the sticky residue that stickers usually leave.

6. Don’t Overprice

The main thing to remember is not to overprice. Although it’s nice to make money, clearing out that excess clutter should be your ultimate goal. A good rule of thumb is to sell things for one-half to one-third their original price. Your kid might be very attached to that old stuffed animal, but even though it’s super cute, it’s still a secondhand product to a new owner.

Also, try to price things with round numbers–25 cents instead of 15, $2 instead of $1.80. This way, you’ll avoid juggling loose change and making math errors when calculating totals.

7. Be Thoughtful About Checkout

Instead of putting all your money in a tin, both you and your child can tie on your cutest aprons with pockets so you have cash on you all the time (assuming she’s old enough to handle the money, of course). Have lots of small bills to make change for customers, and when they’re ready to pay, tally up their items and keep a ledger of what you sold for how much. Once your customers have selected their treasures, have your kid help them wrap up breakables in newspaper and provide bags for easy transport. As the day winds down, don’t be afraid to lower prices or offer everything half off.

Source: Real Simple Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, HGTV

Fall Window Displays

Get inspired with these 11 examples of beautiful Fall window display for your coming project this fall!

Fall Window Display, a photo by Display Window on Flickr.

 

ISETAN department store, a photo by LaLa-blue. (Fall Window display Isetan, Autumn, Tokyo)

6 well-dressed mannequins, a photo by wwward0. (dresses, intermix, mannequins, night, nyc, store front window)

Window Display on 5th Ave, a photo by Amberyz. (new york city, east coast, autumn, ,foliage, fall, leave, central park, outdoor)

Ragtag Shibuya Autumn Window Display, a photo by tokyofashion. (Ragtag, Shibuya store, shop fall window display, cute bear, Japan, Japanese, resale, fashion, Tokyo)

Window Display – DM Robinson – Autumn, a photo by c3imaging. (Fall Window Display – DM Robinson – Autumn, Leaves: Full colour digital printed – DieCut Leaf Shapes, Silhouette: Black SAV Cut Outline.)

Squirrels, a photo by maxnugget. (Cheltenham, Literature, Festival, Cheltenham, Squirrels, Shop Front, Fall Window Display, Autumn)

MCU032, a photo by mwbonney. (Apples, Autumn, Color photography, Corn, Customs and celebrations, Exhibits and displays, Food and drink, Foods, Fruits, Garlic,  Hazelnuts, Holidays, Indoors, Nobody, Nuts, Pecans, Photography, Produce, Seasonings, Seasons, Thanksgiving, Vegetables, Walnuts, Window displays)

Fall Window Display, a photo by Everyday People Clothing. (Leaves, Autumn, Fall, Mannequins, Clothing, Fashion, Display, Everyday People, Clothing Exchange, Window Display, St. Paul)

Rockefeller Center, New York, NY, a photo by anthropologie+you. (Harvest, Fall, Autumn, Anthro, Anthropologie, Windows Displays, Art, Craft, Project, Gourds, Color, Design)

Ralph Lauren Fall 2008 Window 3, a photo by Swell Dame. (Oval (“5′x4′) antler mirror made for the Fall 2008 window. Real deer antler (sheds) painted gold, antiqued with dark glaze and highlighted with gilding cream.)

5 Tips for Hanging Picture Frames

1. Don’t Use Wire 
Professionals who install framed art for museums and galleries never use wire or string. It’s too wobbly—a picture could easily be knocked right off the wall.

2. Use D-rings 
Two small D-shaped metal rings cost pennies. Screw one into either side of the back frame rails, then hang the D-rings directly onto two hooks on the wall. That way, a good bump won’t budge it.

3. Get Hooks That Attach to the Wall with 2 or 3 Nails 
They’re sturdier than the ones that use one nail at an angle.

4. If You Must Use Wire, Hang It On Two Hooks

If you’re lazy and your frame comes with wire on the back, install the hooks about a hand’s width apart so the frame’s more stable.

5. Think About Hiring a Pro 
Call your local gallery or frame shop and ask who does their hanging. Pros can hang five or six small frames in an hour, usually for $40 to $75.

Sources: Women’s Day, Better Homes and Gardens, HGTV

How to Puppy-Proof Your Home

Bissell cleaning products and ASPCA team up to present these tips for puppy-proofing your home!

Pets are like children—they’re curious about everything! And just as a new parent would child-proof their home for a toddler’s safety, pet parents should be concerned with the safety of their four-footed children.

 

Consider this – most parents spend nine months preparing for the arrival of a new baby, taking classes on child safety and child proofing the home. But how many “pet parents” prepare the same way for the arrival of a new cat or dog?

 

An Ounce of Prevention

 

Whether you are thinking about getting a pet, or already have one, take the time to implement some safety precautions both in- and outdoors. A bit of forethought may save your pet from trouble, and can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in emergency veterinary costs.

 

With kids as well as pets, most injuries occur where you and your family feel safest—at home. While you can’t prevent any and every danger, you can minimize the possibility of your pet getting hurt or sick by always being aware of his in- and outdoor surroundings and regularly examining his body for injuries.

 

To truly pet proof your home, you should start by literally getting down on “all fours” and pawing your way through the house and yard, looking for possible pet hazards. If something looks interesting, a child will investigate—if it looks or smells vaguely interesting, a pet will investigate!  By exploring your home from your pet’s perspective, you’ll be much more likely to spot dangerous conditions such as sharp branches or broken wire on fences.

 

Steps to Protect Your Pets

 

While kids remain inquisitive for many years, they eventually learn to avoid potential hazards like a hot stove or broken glass. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for our pets—they will remain childlike for all of their life! So be prepared to look for possible pet hazards on a regular basis.

 

Here are 10 simple pet proofing tips to get you started:

1. Plants and pets don’t mix. Many common house plants are poisonous to pets when chewed or ingested, and almost all lilies are toxic for cats. Eliminate toxic house and garden plants or move them to a safe area. Because they’re usually very easy to knock over, place house plants up high to keep them from fallingon your pet (and creating a big mess!).
2. Secure your toiletries. Keep medications, lotions and cosmetics off of accessible surfaces and well out of your pet’s reach. These items may contain ingredients, dyes or chemicals potentially harmful to pets if swallowed.
3. Check your cabinets. Use cabinet locking devices, like those used to keep young children from opening doors, to keep your pets from getting into food or household and lawn chemicals. Evaluate all lower shelves to make sure there are no unsafe items within easy reach.
4. Set boundaries. Keep doors closed or install toddler safety gates to keep animals out of rooms you don’t want them to sniff around in. But be sure to consider the type of gate you are installing with respect to its intended location.  For example, you wouldn’t want to install a pressure mounted gate at the top of the stairs where a pet might lean on it and topple down the stairs.
5. Hide trashcans. Unless you want garbage scattered all over your home, it’s a good idea to hide your trash receptacle in a cabinet or large drawer, or at least keep it tightly lidded. While most food is not hazardous, wrappers can be. Most pet owners know that chocolate and anti-freeze are harmful to pets, but many probably don’t know that grapes and raisins also can be deadly for dogs.
6. Check your curtains. To avoid the risk of strangulation, make sure cords from blinds and curtains are well out of your pet’s reach.
7. Beware of wires. Tuck away electrical wires and cords from lamps, DVD players, televisions, stereos and telephones so they’re out of the reach of chewers. Consider installing electric cord shorteners, outlet covers and window cord safety locks.
8. Protect your knick-knacks. Remove any precious or valuable items from tail wagging level to prevent them from being accidentally toppled by an enthusiastic wagger.
9. Clear the floor. Keep children’s toys and games and everyone’s shoes and clothing off the floor unless you want Fido to have a field day with them.
10. Eliminate temptation. If you want to be extra-cautious, consider keeping your pets in a crate when you have to leave the house.

Sources: Bissell cleaning products, ASPCA

Forbes tips for selling your home fast!

In a declining real estate market where supply outstrips demand, a person can generally sell a house faster by lowering the price. But there are other ways to enhance a home’s attractiveness besides lowering the asking price. If you’re looking to sell your home in a cooling real estate market, read on for some tips on how to generate interest and get the best price possible.

Differentiate From the Neighbors

In order to attract attention and to make your home more memorable, consider custom designs or additions, such as landscaping, high-grade windows or a new roof. This can help improve the home’s aesthetics, while potentially adding value to the home. Any improvements should be practical and use colors and designs that will appeal to the widest audience. In addition, they should complement the home and its other amenities, such as building a deck or patio adjacent to an outdoor swimming pool.

However, while it can pay to spice up your home, don’t over-improve it. According to a 2013 article in Realtor Magazine, some renovations, such as adding a bathroom or putting new shingles on a roof, might not always pay. The data suggests that the nationwide average amount recouped for a bathroom remodel is about 58%. For a new roof, it’s even less. If you’re going to invest in home improvements, do your research and be sure to put your money into the things that are likely to get you the best return. In addition, if you have added any custom features that you think buyers will be interested in, make sure they are included in the home’s listing information. More than ever, in a down market you should take every small edge you can get.

Clean the Clutter

It is imperative to remove all clutter from the home before showing it to potential buyers because buyers need to be able to picture themselves in the space. This might include removing some furniture to make rooms look bigger, and putting away family photographs and personal items. You may even want to hire a stager to help you make better use of the space. Staging costs can range from a couple hundred dollars for a basic consultation to several thousand dollars, particularly if you rent modern, neutral furniture for showing your home. Many people feel that stagers can make a home more salable, so hiring one deserves some consideration.

Sweeten the Deal

Another way to make the home and deal more attractive to buyers is to offer things or terms that might sweeten the pot. For example, sellers that offer the buyer a couple of thousand dollars credit toward closing costs, or offer to pay closing costs entirely will in some cases receive more attention from house hunters looking at similar homes. In a down market, buyers are looking for a deal, so do your best to make them feel they’re getting one.

Another tip is to offer a transferable home warranty, which can cost $300 to $400 for a one-year policy and will cover appliances, such as air conditioners and refrigerators, that fail. Depending on the policy, other appliances and house gadgets may be covered as well. A potential buyer may feel more at ease knowing that he or she will be covered against such problems, which could make your home more attractive than a competing home.

Finally, it’s important to note that some buyers are motivated by the option to close in a short amount of time. If it is possible for you to close on the home within 30 to 60 days, this may set your deal apart and get you a contract.

Improve Curb Appeal

Sellers often overlook the importance of their home’s curb appeal. The first thing a buyer sees is a home’s external appearance and the way it fits into the surrounding neighborhood. Try to make certain that the exterior has a fresh coat of paint, and that the bushes and lawn are well manicured. In real estate, appearances mean a lot. What better way to set your home apart than to make it attractive at first glance?

Get Your Home in “Move In” Condition

Aesthetics are important, but it’s also important that doors, appliances and electrical and plumbing fixtures be in compliance with current building codes and in working order. Again, the idea is to have the home in move in condition and to give potential buyers the impression that they will be able to move right in and start enjoying their new home, rather than spending time and money fixing it up.

Pricing It Right

Regardless of how well you renovate and stage your home, it is still important to price the home appropriately. Consult a local real estate agent, read the newspapers and go to online real estate sites to see what comparable homes are going for in your area.

It’s not always imperative to be the lowest priced home on the block, particularly when aesthetic and other significant improvements have been made. However, it is important that the listing price is not out of line with other comparable homes in the market. Try to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and then determine what a fair price might be. Have friends, neighbors and real estate professionals tour the home and weigh in as well.

The Bottom Line

Selling a home in a down market requires a little extra work. Do everything you can to get the home in excellent shape and be prepared to make some small concessions at closing. These tips, coupled with an attractive price, will increase the odds of getting your home sold.

15 Common Painting Mistakes…and how not to make them!

Painting is a great project that you can totally do yourself. But you don’t want it to look like you “did it yourself”, right? Well DIY Network has sent us a list of 15 things not to do when you pull out that gallon of paint this weekend:

Skipping the Tape
Do you have the skills to get straight lines around the woodwork, windowsills and doorframes? Grab the painter’s tape and get the nice, clean edges you want.

Painting Without Primer
Primer gives paint a good surface to adhere to and brings out the true color of the shade you’ve chosen. Going without it can lead to poor results.

Impatience
You took the time to fix every imperfection with patching compound. Wait. Make sure it’s completely dry before you sand and prime. Otherwise, all that patching was a waste of time.

Paint Buildup on Pad Edge
When using edge pads around ceiling edges and corners, make sure to wipe off excess paint frequently to avoid marking the surface.

Brushing When You Should be Rolling
For a large interior area, a roller will do a better job in less time. Select the right nap roller for your sheen of paint and try to avoid pushing the roller into the wall when you paint.

Underestimating How Much Paint Needed
The pros say you need one gallon for every 400 square feet. Plan ahead and you can avoid running back and forth to the store with a paint swatch in your hand.

Assuming Walls are Clean
Paint looks much better when it has a good, clean surface to stick to. Wash your walls before painting and get professional results you can be proud of.

Painting When the Humidity is High
When the air is full of moisture, water-based paint takes longer to dry. If the weather winds up more humid than expected, take the day off and wait for a dry day.

Skipping the Surface Prep
Your new paint won’t stick to glossy, dirty walls that are in bad condition. Take the time to prep, or you’re bound to have problems down the road.

Paintbrush Abuse
When using latex paint, wet your brush bristles with water and shake the brush dry before you dip it in the paint. The brush will hold more paint and deliver better results.

Buying any Paintbrush
When you’re choosing paintbrushes to use with latex-based paint, nylon/polyester blends produce the best results. Turns out polyester is good for something besides sport shirts.

Painting with Furniture in the Room
Getting paint off your furniture is a lot of work. If you can’t move it out of the room, at least make sure it’s completely covered with a drop cloth.

Failure to Protect the Floor
Paint has the amazing ability to go all the places you’d least expect it to. Before you pop the can open, make sure you have a drop cloth over everything and the edges are taped.

Polka-Dot Doorknobs
Unless you like the look of splattered paint, we recommend that you slip plastic bags over your doorknobs and tape the edge to avoid unsightly paint splatter.

Painting the Wall Plates
Want professional-looking results? Take five minutes to remove the wall plates and tape around your light switches and electrical outlets.

Fall into Fall: Party ideas

Get ready to celebrate autumn in style with fall party themes! Complement your guests’ preferences, and select an appropriate fall party theme depending on their ages and interests. Consider fall theme parties such as a fall harvest party, football party, back to school party, or Oktoberfest party.

For more details on these fall party theme ideas, check out each theme party concept below:

• Fall Harvest: Plan a fall harvest party for any age group. Visit Punchbowl to select a fall invitation with symbols of autumn, such as colorful leaves and acorns, pumpkins or apples. Plan craft projects for the fall harvest party and bake apple pies, create autumn leaf garlands, or make fall jewelry. Arrange activities which include fall harvest bingo, bobbing for apples, or even an cranberry picking extravaganza. Serve fall classics such as apple cider, roasted pumpkin seeds, and cider donuts.

• Football Party: Throw a football party for family, friends and football fans. Select a football themed invitation to send to your guests. Decorate the party with your team’s colors, mascot and football-inspired decorations. Serve food such as wings, chips and dip, pizza and deviled eggs. Entertain guests throughout the party and challenge them to throw a football through a hula hoop. Award prizes to the winners.

• Back to School: Get the kids together and celebrate the start of a new school year with a back to school fall theme party. Plan a back to school party to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Decorate the party room with apples, books, chalkboards, globes and maps. Plan activities for the party such as a school craft idea. Purchase inexpensive lunch bags or pencil cases and have the kids decorate them with puffy paints. At the end of the party, treat the kids to delicious back to school cupcakes. Frost the cupcakes with yellow frosting and use icing decorate them with red and green apples, pieces of white chalk, and mini-chalkboards. To make the chalkboards, cut pieces of chocolate and write 1+1=2 on them in white frosting.

• Oktoberfest: Plan a traditional German Oktoberfest party for late September or early October. For this party, you’ll need plenty of beer, sausages, bratwurst, and knackwurst. Serve side dishes such as German potato salad and red cabbage with apples, bacon and sauerkraut. Display the traditional blue and white diamond pattern on cups, plates and napkins. Hire a live Oompah band to play Oktoberfest music throughout the party. To add to the fun, dress the men in lederhosen and the woman in dirndls. Prepare yourself for a fun and rowdy time!

Sources: Punchbowl, Better Homes and Gardents, HGTV

CNBC’s Tips for buying a great vacation home

Rent First Then Buy

You’ve enjoyed a resort community as a typical vacationer and are thinking of making a major investment in a vacation home. Before you buy, you should rent the home or a similar home close by. If you plan on using the home year round then you should rent for each season and see what it’s like. A home during the summer is very different than a home during the winter and you need to experience both.

Buy If Your Holding Period Is At Least Five Years

Real estate is not a liquid investment, so if the market declines you shouldn’t expect to cash out quickly. This goes double for vacation property, which is more susceptible to market downturns than primary residences. That’s why it’s better to have a long time horizon so you can ride out the ups and downs of the real estate market. The longer the better.

Make Sure Your Vacation Home Can Be Rented

Even if you plan on using the home yourself with no intention of renting it out, buy a home that has good rental potential. That’s because homes that can be rented are more valuable and it’s always better to have the option of renting to others in case your plans change.

During the last down market, many homeowners who wanted to sell could not do so at their desired asking price so they rented their home instead and rode out the slump until the market improved. The fact that their home was could be rented allowed them to recoup a large portion of their carrying costs while they waited for the market to come back.

There are also significant tax advantages to renting your vacation home so you should seek homes that will give you that option.

Properly Budget Carrying Costs

In addition to your monthly mortgage, you’ll need an estimate for taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance costs, including landscaping, caretaker, repairs and periodic exterior painting. You should set aside about 2 percent of the home’s value annually for maintenance costs.

And after you sum up all those costs add at least 10 percent for contingencies unless you don’t mind surprises. If you live far away from your vacation home, add transportation costs, too.

Location Location Location

If you plan to buy a vacation home, your best bet is to choose a community located close to a major metropolitan region. Over 80 percent of second-home buyers choose a house within driving distance from their primary residence.

Most buyers want to visit their home frequently so proximity within 90 miles of their primary residence is a big plus. Avoid buying property in far off isolated locations because you’ll significantly limit your resale potential.