Add Some Style To That Bookshelf

Marcus Tullius Cicero once said:

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”

 

 

We agree! A bookshelf is a great place to store your books and, when styled correctly, it can be a great tool for decorating your space!

 

Here are four simple tips for styling your bookshelf:

 

1.  Shh… don’t tell any librarians but we recommend skipping The Dewey Decimal System in favor of organizing books by color, height, category (i.e. fiction or non-fiction), or alphabetically by author or title. Extra Credit: Do all of the above!

 

2.  Don’t limit your shelves to just books. Add other items like your favorite pictures, small framed art, topiaries, small statues, vases of fresh flowers, or jars of candy! No one likes it when books fall subject to the domino effect, incorporate bookends that are quirky and fun or sleek and sophisticated.

 

3.  Use your favorite paint color or wallpaper to decorate the inside of your bookshelf and create an unexpected pop of color or pattern!

 

4.  Now that you’ve styled your bookshelf beautifully shine a spotlight on your work by invest in bookshelf lighting.

 

We hope you enjoy the tips!

 

 

 

 

Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Rental

When you make the decision to move into a new home, there are a lot of questions that you need to have answered. You need to know what you can afford, whether you should stay in the same neighborhood, how many rooms you need, and more. Another big question that you may need to consider is whether it makes sense to rent a home instead of buying one. (You can use our Renting vs. Buying Calculator to help you decide.)

 

 

If you choose to rent a home, ask these questions before you say yes.

• What changes can you make? Ask your landlord how much you can alter the home. Can you paint the walls a bright color?

  What about making holes in the wall to hang pictures? Not being able to decorate your home the way you want may alter your decision; however, there are ways to make changes without upsetting your landlord.

• How is maintenance handled? Should you be making the repairs yourself or will the landlord handle them? What about emergency repairs? Ask this question before you sign on the dotted line so you’re aware of your financial responsibilities.

•  What’s the penalty for breaking the lease early? Most leases have a time limit and a repercussion for breaking the lease. Find out the fee in advance so you can add it into your budget should you need to move.

• How are utilities factored in? Ask if you will be responsible for paying the utilities or if you’ll owe the landlord a lump sum that is included in your monthly rent. Find out the details about your monthly utility bills before the lease is signed so you can budget properly.

Ask these questions so you choose a “Home Sweet Rental” that’s right for you!

 

 

5 GADGETS EVERY MAN CAVE NEEDS

 

It’s finally baseball season! Time to get the “man cave” in good shape for watching baseball.  Setup your “man cave” with the technology you need to see and hear every single home run.

 

 

Here are five gadgets every “man cave” needs:

 

1. A Big Screen TV: Score some points when you host game nights, or movie nights. Project the big game on a big screen.

 

2. TV Wireless Headphones: Watch the game as loud as you want with wireless headphones. You’ll be able to hear every call – without disrupting the rest of your family.

 

3. Mini Fridge: Keep your favorite beverages within arm’s reach. Use the top of the mini fridge to store chips, popcorn, jerky and other snacks.

 

4. A Massage Recliner: Kick back and relax while you watch the first pitch being thrown. Some recliners have a built in massager or a built in cooler. Add a large couch and you and your bros will have room to chill.

 

5. Grill: You’ve got a beverage and snacks, and now you need some grub. In an ideal maniverse (man-universe) you’d have easy access to the patio and your outdoor grill. If this isn’t the case in your man cave, you can buy a small grill for making burgers or burritos.

 

Now all you have to do is call up your friends and invite them over to your place. You’ll love having an area of the home to truly call your own. Crush some beverages in the comfort of your macho (and hi-tech) “man cave.”

 

 

 

Top 5 Home Improvements for Sellers

As Sellers look to attract Buyers, it’s important to focus on improvements that can increase value in addition to buyer appeal.

 

According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2015 Cost vs. Value Report, there are a number of home improvements that attract buyers more than others — projects that can increase a home’s potential sales price and help decrease its time on the market. If you’re planning to sell your home this year, focus your budget and energy on these five recommended home improvement projects:

 

 

#1 Steel Entry Door (101.8% Return on Investment)

Replacing a front door with a steel entry door reaps many benefits. For one, if your old entry door is worn down, broken or ready for a new coat of paint, a steel entry door will save you the trouble of repairs. While the cost to install a new entry door is high — $920 to $1,300 on average for steel — steel doors are durable and resilient against break-ins, weather and time. Steel doors will last for decades; and they are attractive to buyers because they require little to no maintenance.

 

#2 Manufactured Stone Veneer (92.2% Return on Investment)

Manufactured stone veneer is appealing, sturdy and reminiscent of brick or masonry. It works beautifully as siding or around a fireplace or tub — and can offer lasting appeal at a fraction of the cost of other materials. If you use it for siding — simply to cover the foundation or your entire home — it can withstand the elements; however, this siding can chip and crack more easily, making it harder to fix with spackle. Repair may require replacement of an actual piece and something to consider.

 

#3 New Garage Door (88.4% Return on Investment)

Over time, your garage door can wear down with climate conditions and repeated use. While you can sometimes repair a garage door or add a new coat of paint, some damage can’t be fixed. The Cost vs. Value Report shows high resale gains from replacing an old garage door with a brand new one. This not only pays back, but it also attracts buyers who will not have to make the investment down the road. There are various types of garage doors — sliding, rolling, and flipping, for example — and many different materials and designs to choose from. Choose a door that matches your garage and can endure the local climate.

 

#4 Siding Replacement (84.3% Return on Investment, Fiber-Cement; 80.7% Return on Investment, Vinyl)

Hiring a siding contractor to replace an aging exterior with fiber-cement or vinyl siding can yield a high resale value.

If you decide to install fiber-cement, some facts to know include:

●     There are two types: clapboards or shingles

●     Can last between 15 and 25 years

●     Finish and trim in will need to be added to the siding

●     Regular maintenance and upkeep is needed

In comparison, vinyl siding:

●     Mimics the look of wood siding

●     Can last between 15 and 20 years

●     Has been linked to health concerns because of the PVC materials

●     Needs regular maintenance because its color fades over time

Either option comes with regular maintenance and care, but both can be cheaper to install than other types of siding material — metal, brick or stone, to name a few — and they come in a wide variety of colors to match the rest of your landscape and help increase curb appeal.

 

#5 Adding a Deck (80.5% Return on Investment)

Although less appealing in colder parts of the country, adding a deck has seen widespread resale value for sellers in 2015. Most parts of the United States have enough of a spring and summer for homeowners to enjoy a backyard deck. The average cost to build a deck is between $6,800 and $9,700, depending on square footage and the materials used. You can also enclose the deck with a roof and add a fire pit if you want make it more useful year-round.

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of:  DesignMine

 

 

DIY Curtains

 

New window treatments can offer a whole new look that will re-theme any space with a brand new attitude. And yes, you can do it yourself!

 

My top three rules for success:

 

• When choosing drapery fabrics, keep them solid or texture-driven but pattern-free. Pattern is the first thing to date a room and can easily overwhelm or compete with the rest of the room’s decor.

 

• When in doubt, keep it simple. Straight, well-constructed panels are often enough.

 

• Mount your rods as high to the ceiling as possible. Then extend them at least a foot past the casings on both sides. This will prevent the curtains from shrouding the window and make the room seem bigger.

 

The layered look can save money by helping reduce heating and cooling bills.

Here’s how to do it:

 

• Use great fabric panels for the look only—meaning they remain stationary.

 

• Inside the window casings, add coordinating woven, cellular shades or blinds to handle light and privacy issues. This way you protect your fragile fabrics from repeated open-and-close usage, letting the inside shades do all the heavy lifting.

 

• Don’t worry about lining the curtains (which is good for the budget-minded), but be sure to weight them so they hang properly.

 

CHRISTOPHER LOWELL, an Emmy Award-winning interior designer and TV host, is known for doable design advice that nets stunning results.

 

 

 

When you are in the process of buying or selling a home, there are a lot of tasks that need to be handled. It can seem overwhelming, but with the right tools, you can stay organized and on top of everything that needs to be done. Luckily, there’s an app for that. Use these apps to help stay productive and organized during the home buying and selling process.

 

 

1. Evernote: Evernote is a note taking tool with lots of useful features that will help you stay organized on the go. Create separate notebooks for each step of the home buying process, for example: you could make notebooks for “Wants and Needs,” “Open House Reflections” “Financial Information,” “Closing Notes,” and more. You can even create bulleted lists, and attach photos and PDFs. Evernote syncs with all of your devices so you always have access to what you need.

 

2. Dropbox: Dropbox is essential for storing and organizing documents and paperwork. You have easy access to everything you need with the click of a button! Share documents or entire folders with your home buying team instantly so you’re always on the same page. Just like Evernote, Dropbox is able to sync with all electronics, giving you complete access to what you need!

 

3. CENTURY 21^® Real Estate: Our app allows you to quickly find listings, sales associates, and nearby open houses. The app is GPS enabled so you can search listings specifically targeted for your location. You can also search based on price range, features, estimated taxes, square footage, and much more.

 

4. AroundMe: Learn about your potential new neighborhood. AroundMe uses GPS to determine your location and in an instant, you’re able to see how close everything, from gas stations to movie theaters, is to the potential home.

These apps will help you stay organized and productive during your home buying or selling process.