MAKE YOUR WOOD FLOORS LOOK LIKE NEW

Did you buy an older home because you fell in love with its character? Many homes built in previous decades or centuries feature details that often aren’t prevalent in new construction, such as Dutch doors, transom windows and even dumbwaiters or laundry chutes.

One of the most attractive features in many older homes are the hardwood floors. But years of wear and tear can leave them looking dull, scratched or dingy. If your home’s hardwood floors need a makeover, follow these steps to have them looking like new.

Sweep and repair

After emptying the room of all its furniture, give the floor a good sweep and vacuum to get rid of all the dirt and grit. This is also the best time to deal with repairs, such as sinking nail heads, filling in scratches or patching holes.

Clean with appropriate cleaner

Next, you’ll want to clean your floor with an appropriate cleaner, such as Murphy’s Oil Soap or Bona Floor Cleaner. It’s important not to use regular soap or harsh chemicals on your hardwood floor, as they can leave a residue or damage the wood with too much moisture. Let the floor dry.

Polish and seal

After the floor is dry, apply a thin layer of polish evenly around the room. The polish will help to moisturize the wood and leave it shiny. Polishes can be purchased with either a satin or glossy finish, depending on your tastes. Some floors benefit from a second coat; follow instructions on the label to determine how much time should elapse between applications. Be sure to give the floor plenty of time to dry before moving furniture back in – in some cases up to three days.

Buffing and waxing

Sometimes cleaning and polishing just doesn’t give your floor the love it needs to restore its luster, especially if it is already finished with wax or shellac. In this case, you can use a floor buffer to remove the top layer of finish off the floor. Buffers can be rented for around $50 a day, just be sure the buffer has a sanding screen so you don’t remove too much of the surface of the floor. Clean the dust and follow with a floor wax, which can be buffed to a shine once it dries.

When to call a professional

If none of the above techniques give you the results you desire, it may be time to refinish your hardwood floors. This technique requiresmore time and know-how, so even though you can rent a sander to do the job yourself, it might be best to hire a professional. Not only will they properly sand your floor, they will also re-stain and seal it, restoring your beautiful floors to their former glory, which, with the proper care, will last you for many years to come.

Nothing gives a home warmth and character quite like a well-cared for hardwood floor. It is worth the investment to refresh your floors; not only does it renew your home’s energy, it can evenincrease its value.

TRANSFORM YOUR ATTIC

If you’re a homeowner who has been looking for ways to increase the square footage of your living space, but you’re hesitant to build a new addition to your existing home, have you thought about looking up?

Unfinished attics are an excellent way to increase the size of your home while avoiding some of the obstacles like zoning restrictions and easement concerns that come with building an addition.

Convert your attic into a new living space

Attic conversions can be used in a number of ways to cater to the growing needs of your family. Some of the best uses of an attic space include:

• Bedroom – Having a peaceful place to slumber away from the noise and activity of the more heavily trafficked areas of your home can be a real blessing, especially for those who have trouble sleeping. Just be sure to include a closet and a window in order to claim the space as a bedroom when it comes time to sell.
• Media room – Do you have a teenager who needs some privacy and a place to hang out, or do you love throwing home parties centered around films or sporting events? Consider turning your attic into a home theater.
• Playroom – Perhaps you have smaller kids who need their own space to play without making the rest of the house a mess. Attics made great hideaways for kids, transporting them into their own little creative space.
• Home office – Do you work from home, or wish you had your own space to pay bills or work on that novel you’ve always wanted to write? A quiet attic office could be just the thing you need.

Attic conversion considerations

While reclaiming your attic as usable living space helps you avoid some of the pitfalls of building a new addition, they do have their own particular set of challenges that you should consider before diving in.

• Building codes – You’ll need to follow the “Rule of 7s” in your attic room, which states that at least half of your attic space if seven feet tall and seven feet wide and contains at least 70 square feet of space. In addition, you will likely need to beef up floor joists so they can handle the extra weight of people and furnishings. If you’re planning to use your attic as a bedroom, it will also need at least two exits including a window and a staircase to the rest of the home.
• Access – If your attic has a pull-down staircase, you’ll need to factor in building a permanent staircase. Straight staircases take up the most room but are easiest to construct. Switchback stairs or spiral staircases take up less room, but remember how much room you’ll need to maneuver furniture up into your new space.
• Electrical/Plumbing/HVAC – You’ll need to bring in licensed contractors who can determine the requirements of your new space and how they will fit into the existing system of your home. If you’re thinking of adding a bathroom, it’s best to locate it over an existing bathroom or kitchen so you’ll have less plumbing to install.

While tackling an attic conversion can be a big project, most homeowners find that in the end, having a brand new living space without constructing an addition was worth the effort.

WHEN YOU SHOULD – AND SHOULDN’T – DIY

Are you starting to feel a little bored with your house? Are you daydreaming about making some changes? At some point, most homeowners want to spruce up their home a little bit – and may even try to handle some of those upgrades on their own. But beware – there are certain projects you can DIY, and some that you shouldn’t.

Are you starting to feel a little bored with your house? Are you daydreaming about making some changes? At some point, most homeowners want to spruce up their home a little bit – and may even try to handle some of those upgrades on their own. But beware – there are certain projects you can DIY, and some that you shouldn’t.

Go ahead and DIY these projects

If you’ve got the itch to get your hands dirty and feel a sense of accomplishment (and not to mention potentially save some money), these home improvement projects fit the bill. They can be easily done with a little bit of know-how and some elbow grease, without requiring too much expertise or special equipment.

• Paint – If you want the biggest bang for your DIY buck, this is the best place to start. Painting a room, or even an accent wall or a piece of furniture, will quickly change the energy and aesthetic in a space without too much effort or expense on your part. The key to a good paint job is preparation – be sure to fill holes and sand them, and tape and protect anything you don’t want to find splattered later.
• Update hardware – If you want to give a new look to your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, and easy DIY is to change out the hardware. All you need is a screwdriver and some time. Be sure to buy new pulls or knobs that match the existing holes.
• Change out faucets – This is a great first-time plumbing DIY that can make a dramatic difference. If you have a wrench and know where to shut off your water, you can swap out a leaky faucet or upgrade to a more functional or designer model. Don’t worry – you can totally do this on your own, and think of how good you’ll feel when you’re done!
• Install a chandelier on a dimmer – Installing a chandelier with a dimmer switch is not as hard as you think and can quickly transform your room into a cozy and inviting space. Be sure to buy special dimmable bulbs and turn the power off at the breaker box before you start.
• Replace your showerhead – Replacing a showerhead is so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. You can upgrade your shower experience by installing a new model with special features like mood lights or massaging jets. You can even save money by going with a low-flow unit.

Hire a pro for these projects

Once you’ve gotten a few projects under your belt, you might feel like there isn’t any home improvement project you can’t DIY. However, there are certain things that should always be left to the pros, including:

• Knocking down walls or building a new addition.
• Repairing faulty wiring or other electrical work.
• Repairing plumbing, other than a clogged drain or replacing a faucet.
• Installing new siding.
• Replacing windows.
• Hooking up a new gas appliance.
• Installing new tile.
• Refinishing a hardwood floor.
• Repairing the roof.
• Installing a new fence.
• Anything that requires a permit, unless you are a professional. This could lead to serious problems when you try to sell later.

Once you understand what you should and shouldn’t attempt on your own, have fun! Tackling small DIY projects around your home will refresh and re-energize your space and make it feel like new again.

10-MINUTE HOME PROJECTS

You’re probably familiar with the idea that little things add up to a lot. But did you ever stop to think about how that can be applied to the upkeep of your home?

Homeowners know that one of the responsibilities of ownership is keeping up with regular maintenance and repairs. While it may sometimes feel overwhelming, there are simple, ten-minute projects that you can do that will make a huge difference in your quality of life at home. Fit them in between episodes of your favorite Netflix binge, and you’ll feel like you’re hardly putting in any effort at all. Here are some of the easiest projects to get you started.

Easy home repair projects

Sometimes it isn’t worth calling a handyman or your brother-in-law to come over and help. These are easy fixes you can complete by yourself in ten minutes or less:

• Fix a squeaky door – If you’re tired of the squeaky kitchen door alerting your spouse to your midnight snack attacks, spray some WD-40 on the hinges and open and close the door a few times to work it in. You can also try petroleum jelly.
• Sticky windows – Don’t let a hard-to-open window keep you from enjoying a nice summer breeze. Spray silicone lubricant (found at home improvement stores) onto a rag and wipe into the track of a plastic, wood or metal window frame. Dry lubricants like PTFE spraycan be used on a vinyl window.
• Silence a squeaky floor – While it’s not a permanent fix, sprinkling talcum powder into the cracks between floorboards will help to temporarily silence those noisy floors.
• Replace a broken toilet lever – First pop open the back to make sure the chain is still attached. If it’s broken, buy a replacement toilet lever kit. Don’t let these instructions worry you – it’s very simple and with the exception of going to the store to get the kit, it won’t take you more than ten minutes.

Easy home maintenance projects

If you want to avoid costly repairs due to negligence, it’s important to keep up with regular home maintenance chores. The following projects are so simple you have no excuse to put them off:

• Change the filters on your air conditioning unit and furnace to keep them running smoothly, especially in summer and winter.
• Replace batteries in smoke detectors once a year.
• Clean lint from your dryer exhaust with a long, flexible brush or a vacuum hose attachment.
• Vacuum the coils on your refrigerator once a year.
• Flush the garbage disposal in your sink once a month with a mixture of baking soda and hot water.
• Check fire extinguishers.
• Test your garage door opener regularly to make sure that it reverses automatically if there is an obstruction.
• Clean the filter on your stove’s range hood. It can get quite greasy, but cleaning it is easy.

Keeping up with the small tasks around your home will go a long way towards making sure everything stays in good working order. And when it comes time to sell, you’ll have much less to worry about. So hit the “pause” button on the remote and take ten minutes to complete one of these easy tasks. You’ll be glad you did!

5 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better

I hate to break it to you, but designers don’t follow a secret rule book. There are no hard and fast laws governing what we do. We are creative types by nature and love to imagine, dream and explore, following our intuition. That said, there are some rough principles that guide us to ensure a great result every time. They are just tried and true things that work. And these aren’t tricks or skills that take years to master. Anyone can do them from day one. Consider this a foundation for developing your own quirky, creative, rule-breaking intuition.

1. Pick the paint color last.

There are thousands of paint colors with various tints, tones and shades. And each one looks different from home to home, because light sources vary, meaning what looks good in your current home might not in your new one. You want the color that best complements your upholstery, artwork, rug and whatever else. You can pick that color only if your stuff is actually inside your home.

2. Give your furniture some breathing room. Resist overcrowding a room. Gracious living means space to maneuver with ease. This is really great news if you are working with a tight budget. You don’t need to fill up a space with lots of furniture. Spend more of your budget on fewer but better-quality pieces, and your room will look better than if it’s stuffed to the gills with flea market finds. The high-backed chairs shown here, for example, stand out because they don’t have to fight for attention.

3. Hang artwork at the right height. Galleries and museums hang artwork so that the midline (center) of each piece is 57 inches to 60 inches from the floor. (The average human eye level is 57 inches.) And you should do the same.In a room like this, where the ceilings soar, there might be a tendency to hang the art higher. But remember: It needs to relate to human scale, not the structure’s scale.

If you’re not sure, take a picture. It’s remarkable how much a photo can reveal. Print it out or use Photoshop or an app to draw on the photo. This can give you a sense of whether a larger or smaller piece of art is needed or a tall plant might be best to fill a vacant spot.

4. Know how to arrange furniture on a rug. There are basically three ways you can arrange furniture on your rug.

All on: The rug is large enough to place all of the furniture legs on top of it. This creates a more luxurious feel. For this, bigger is better. Just be sure to leave at least 12 to 18 inches of floor surface on all four sides of the rug’s borders.

All off: If you have a small room, keeping all legs off the rug is a great cost-effective choice. You don’t want to pick too small a rug, though, or it may look insignificant, like an afterthought. The rug should appear as though it could touch the front legs of each of the seating pieces. This approach is best suited when you’re layering a pattern over a larger solid or textured rug.

Front on: Put just the front feet of all your seating pieces on the rug to tie the arrangement together visually and create a well-defined space while lending a feeling of openness.

6. Create a focal point.

There are leading roles and supporting cast members in any production. The same holds true in design. Choose your star and make it the focal point to anchor a room. Allow other items to take a secondary role. Don’t ask everything to have a leading role; it will just result in visual noise.

Your focal point might be a dramatic hood in the kitchen, a mantel and art piece in the living room or a headboard in the bedroom. Whatever it is, choose something that will draw attention. In this room the fireplace and the lighting work together as a collective focal point, bringing your eye right to the center of the composition and anchoring it there.

EASY HOME IMPROVEMENTS TO DRIVE AWAY THE WINTER BLUES

Whether you’ve just moved into a new house or are preparing to sell, don’t let the fact that it’s cold outside stop you from getting started. Here are some projects you can tackle even if the snow is piling up outside!

Change the Paint

During the winter months the inside of your home typically is drier making it the perfect time to brighten up those walls with a coat of paint. Your paint will dry more quickly and you can get the affected room put back into place sooner. Since you will have less ventilation during the winter, make sure to choose low voc paints that have lower odors and fumes. Paint a whole room or create a chalkboard wall in your kids’ playroom.

Upgrade the Fixtures

This simple upgrade can give new life to kitchens, baths and doors. Changing out faucets, doorknobs, outlet covers and light fixtures can upgrade your home and give you a whole new outlook. Consider switching round knobs for lever-style so that children and elderly family members can operate them more easily. Simply switching out the bathroom vanity light fixturecan change the entire appearance of your bathrooms.

Trim the Walls

Add pizzazz to your walls with crown molding or chair railing. Even if you don’t have a garage full of power tools, you can cut foam molding — molding that is not made of wood and can be cut with a simple saw and miter box—and create beautiful designs on your walls and ceilings.

Scrape the Textured Ceilings

If you’re very ambitious, you can scrape the “popcorn” or “cottage cheese” texture off your ceilings. Before you begin this project, check to make certain the texture is not made of asbestos. Homes built prior to and in the first few years after the 1978 asbestos ban often had asbestos fibers mixed into the texture. After the ban, paper, Styrofoam or other products were used to create the texture. If your home is affected by asbestos texture you should consider having a licensed professional handle the removal since the asbestos must be disposed of properly in accordance with prevailing laws.

Install New Flooring

Winter is an ideal time to have new carpet or hardwood installed. Your professional carpet layer is only too happy to have winter work when construction typically slows down and the controlled indoor heat speeds up drying time for flooring adhesives.

Modernize Your Thermostat

If you haven’t already done so, winter is a great time to change out your old thermostat for an energy-saving programmable model. In fact, according to the US Department of Energy, you can save up to ten percent (10%) on your energy bills in both summer and winter by programming your thermostat to match your family’s lifestyle. You can set your heating and air conditioning unit to adjust upwards or downwards when you are sleeping or away from home at work and school.

DREAMING OF THAT NEW KITCHEN OR BATH? WHAT RENOVATIONS REALLY PAY OFF?

Owners of older homes dream of updating or modernizing kitchens and baths. In fact, before they place their homes on the market, some folks go to all the effort to update the kitchen they’ve been meaning to redo for years … only to have someone else enjoy it.

The challenge can be when the update is for the purpose of increasing your home’s marketability or resale value. In that case, does the renovation really pay off? Here are some things to consider before you tackle that upgrade or renovations just to sell your property.

When it adds value:

Anything that increases your usable square footage adds value to your home. So, if you finish a basement or an attic space, add a wing or just extend a single room, that extra space and increase your home’s market value. Adding a bathroom or bedroom is a substantial improvement that changes a home’s category. A three-bedroom home with three full baths has more market value than a similar home with only two baths, or two bedrooms.

The biggest bang for you buck, however, can come from making some simple changes.

Consider this: a new front door, on average, adds up to 96.6 percent of the amount you will spend on it to the value of your home. Of course, you’ll need to pay attention to which door will enhance your home and which might look like an afterthought, but the right new door adds instant curb appeal. In fact, even painting the front door can bring a significant improvement (without the extra expense of replacing it).

Other improvements, such as replacing windows or worn and discolored siding can yield a greater return than an expensive kitchen remodel.

Minor kitchen upgrades, on the other hand, can add back over 82 percent to the value of what you spend on them. A “minor” kitchen upgrade can be as simple as new cabinet doors and hardware, or new appliances, an updated counter surface and sink, or new fixtures.

When it’s not worth it:

A $100,000 kitchen remodel on a $250,000 home will yield anywhere near that additional value to your home, especially if all of the other homes in the neighborhood are in the same price range. So, if you upgrade it while you’re living in it because your love to cook and want the perfect kitchen … the value is your enjoyment of the upgrade. Don’t expect it to increase your home’s resale value by that much though when the time comes to sell.

Another upgrade that you should only undertake for your enjoyment is the addition of a pool. In general, a pool does not increase the value in many locations. So, while a pool may be highly sought after in Southern California or Texas, it could even be a detriment in Missouri or Tennessee.

When it doesn’t pay off:

If you increase the value of your home while you continue to live in it, realize that you may be increasing your tax basis as well. A new assessment of your home may increase your taxes and cause it to be more expensive to live there. Simple improvements such as adding a garden shed can trigger a reassessment in some localities, while moving a wall or putting in an additional bath or bedroom most certainly will.

Before you take on an improvement, addition or upgrade for the purpose of increasing your home’s marketability, talk to us.

SLASH YOUR ENERGY BILL

We don’t think about our heating bill much in the summer, but this is the time to make some upgrades to your home that will see you through the winter, such as adding insulation, changing out windows for double or triple panes with low U-factors and repairing any leaks and drafts.

If energy-efficiency is at the very top of your list, however, consider a home with passive construction.

Passive building

The concept of passive building comprises specific construction principles designed to give measurable energy efficiency. There are five main principles that, using building science, offer the highest options for energy efficiency in both single-family and multi-family homes.

Scientists and builders developed the original design principles in the 1970s with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Canadian government. In the 1980s, German scientists added to that information to develop passive principles for homes in the northern European climates.

The principles are:

1. Insulation: the construction utilizes continuous insulation throughout the building’s envelope (its weather barrier, air barrier and thermal barrier).
2. The envelope is airtight, so it prevents outside air from entering and inside “conditioned” air from seeping out.
3. It utilizes high-performance windows (typically triple-paned) and doors.
4. It utilizes some form of heat- and moisture-recovery ventilation and a minimal-space air conditioning system.
5. It exploits the sun’s energy for heating purposes, but minimizes it’s impact for cooling purposes.

The super-tight insulation and design strategy balances heat emissions (from appliances and the home’s occupants) to keep the indoor temperature comfortable throughout all seasons. Continuous mechanical filtration keeps the air quality fresh and comfort. The combination of insulation and consistent low-level filtration prevents mold and mildew from establishing inside the home, making this construction-type perfect for allergy-prone family members.

Passive house certification is stringent and means the home has high R-value insulation with up to 90 percent less energy required for heat, and overall 60 to 70 percent less energy overall compared to a regular code-built home.

Flat-paneled rooftop solar systems heat the water typically to between 100 and 140 degrees, even on cloudy days. A small electrical system works as a backup if there are an unusual number of cloudy days. Some passive homes include wood heat for the very coldest days in winter.

Other features of passive building include metal roofing which, in snowy climates allows the snow to slide off, and covered porches and patios to allow for outdoor living spaces and to protect the home’s entrances from snow buildup in inclement weather.

SELLING? SHOULD YOU EXCHANGE THAT CARPET FOR HARDWOOD

Flooring is one of the more controversial subjects when it comes to home improvements. There are two firm camps and rarely do they meet in the middle. When you’re planning to sell your home, you may think you need to replace the carpet in order to get the best price on the market.

While only your local real estate professional can advise you on the best option for your situation, here are some thoughts for consideration:

Hardwood Flooring: Hardwood flooring has become central to modern design and many homeowners raised in wall-to-wall carpeting are easily persuaded to exchange their carpet for hardwood. Updating an older look with wood flooring might just be the key to getting your home sold. Before you do, however, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Visual appeal: There’s no getting around it: wood is simply beautiful. Whether you’re into dark cherry or a modern light bamboo, a wood floor can complement most décor and most tastes.

Maintenance: For many people, a modern wood floor product is easy to maintain. Usually sweeping or a light dust mop works for most cleaning. Periodically going over your floor with a damp mop using a wood safe product can pick up sticky residue or spills. In addition, they handle a lot of traffic without the “traffic patterns” that carpets pick up. Finally, if your floor gets scratched, you can have it buffed out, re-stained and coated with a clear protective coating.

Special considerations: People that suffer from allergies may find that they have fewer episodes with hardwood over carpet. Since the carpet fibers can collect pollen, animal hair and dander, dust mites and other allergens and irritants, you may find removing the carpet and replacing it with hardwood is an excellent and healthful idea.

People looking at your home with an eye to purchase it will find that hardwood holds a lot of attraction for them if they suffer from allergies or asthma.

A note of caution: If you’re considering a vinyl or other synthetic wood-look flooring, you might find you have fewer takers. Those with allergies tend to stay away from household products that can release VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which make asthma worse. Laminate products and especially those products requiring glue can be a source of VOCs. A better option is engineered wood since the surface is a layer of wood veneer over several layers of wood.

In many cases, hardwood can boost your resale value above that of carpet and yet the cost to you is relatively reasonable. According to a market data study done by USA Today, hardwood flooring is one feature people are willing to pay extra for.

If you’re considering some upgrades before you put your home on the market, take a look at replacing the flooring with real hardwood, or an engineered hardwood. Many retailers have end-of-the year specials on home upgrade products.

FALL FILTER FIXES

Okay, some home maintenance items just don’t make the urgent list.

Changing your furnace filter doesn’t often make the cut. As we head into autumn, take a moment to check your furnace filter to get it ready for a winter workout.

Why your filter is important

A filter protects the blower on your furnace from dirt and debris. Its basic function is to keep the dirt from the air out of your furnace, but specialty filters can reduce airborne dust, remove allergens and pet hair, and improve air quality.

The filter’s location at the air in-take means that particle removal happens before air is heated and forced through your home’s vents. Since the air from your vents is clean, you may not notice that your furnace isn’t running efficiently, but a clogged it can lessen the life of your furnace. The extra wear and tear that pulling air through a dirty filter causes may lead to inadequate airflow, overheating and even complete shutdown of the system.

Ideally, you should check your filter once a month. If your system involves just a furnace, then check the filter monthly during the cold season and again in the fall just prior to cool weather returning. If you have a complete HVAC system, the filter affects your air conditioner as well. A dirty filter in the warm season can cause the air conditioner’s cooling coils to freeze up, stressing the AC system.

Here’s what to do

Experts suggest checking the filter every month and changing it at least every three. Check your owner’s manual for information on the filter’s location and the best size and type of filter to use. Determine if you have a disposable filter or a reusable filter. A disposable filter typically has a cardboard frame while a reusable one is made of plastic or metal.

• Disposable:
  —Turn off the furnace system. This means shutting it off at the fuse box, the circuit breaker or a furnace cutoff switch.
  —Remove the cover from the filter holder.
  —Remove the filter from it’s housing either inside the furnace or at the return air vent. The existing filter probably has a marker indicating the correct position to install the filter so that the airflow goes toward the furnace. Make a note of this so you can correctly install the new filter.
  —On the new filter, look for the markings that indicate the airflow direction and match them up to the correct flow direction toward your furnace.
  —Replace the cover.
• Reusable:
  —Turn off the furnace system. This means shutting it off at the fuse box, the circuit breaker or a furnace cutoff switch.
  —Remove the blower door or locate the filter in the return air vent.
  —Use either your regular vacuum or a wet/dry vacuum to remove dust from the filter. Vacuum the area around where the filter goes as well.
  —Wash the filter. You can do this outdoors using a garden hose or indoors in the bathtub or shower (although this is messier). Be sure to spray the water in the reverse direction of the airflow at the end to make certain no dust particles are left on the inside of the filter.
  —Allow the filter to dry completely before you reinstall it.
  —Check the filter for indicators of which direction should face the furnace and reinstall the filter, insuring that loops or clips are in their proper position.

If this seems like a lot to do, or if your furnace filter location is awkward, consider hiring a certified HVAC service to check, change or clean your filters for you.

If you’re planning to sell your home, keeping your furnace in great working condition contributes to its resale value.

7 THINGS YOUR HOUSE PAINTER WISHES YOU KNEW

By Jamie Wiebe via Realtor.com

With the exception of hardened DIY-types (you know who you are!), just about all homeowners will hire painters at some point—whether to prepare their home for moving in, or for a sale, or perhaps to kick off a remodel with a new color scheme.

But homeowners tend to get nervous around painters. What if they spatter the new carpeting or shatter the china cabinet window? What if the colors you’ve painstakingly selected don’t work out?

Take a deep breath. You’ve hired a professional. Here’s how to help them do their best job.

1. Painting is art—let the pros do it

Think of painting as not just a skill, but also an art: You wouldn’t hover behind Michelangelo as he completed the Sistine Chapel, fretting the whole time, would you?

Yes, it’s true that your bathroom wall will never be one of the world’s premiere masterpieces, no matter how skilled your painter, but that doesn’t make back-seat painters any less annoying.

“Painting is something that’s more subjective than objective,” says Kevin Palmer, a painter in Simsbury, CT. “A good paint job involves a lot of artistry—besides product knowledge and great prep work, you’ve got to get a guy who seriously knows what he’s doing.”

And once you’ve found that, trust means letting painters do their job.

“People need to chill out a bit,” says Ryan Benson of Benson Painting Services in Apple Valley, MN. When customers hound, it’s “almost insulting,” he says. “Let me work.”

2. Prep can take a long time

According to Benson, at least 30% of a good-quality paint job will be prep time.

“That’s where less-qualified painters lower their bids. That’s where problems come with paint getting on things it shouldn’t be,” he says.

The differences between a rushed paint job and one done properly are enormous: paint on the walls and everything else; uncleaned walls leading to a splotchy paint job; your favorite couch ruined by a misguided spatter.

“It’s easy to not put a dropcloth down. All that stuff takes time,” Benson says.

Keep an eye out for the painters that skimp on prep—the best way to find detail-oriented contractors is to ask previous customers for a reference.

3. Make sure your home is ready to paint

Don’t leave all the prep work to the painters, though—they’ve got their hands full. Things will go much smoother if you make sure your home is truly painter-ready, and Benson estimates that this could save you up to 10% of the cost.

For interior jobs, make sure you’ve cleaned all of the awkward spots, including behind the toilet, and picked up any knickknacks that might get in the way (e.g., soap containers, loofahs, and kitchen organizers). Removing the switch plates and outlet covers from the walls also goes a long way toward speeding up painting time—and painters’ time is (your) money.

For exterior jobs, Palmer recommends trimming bushes and shrubs away from the house, leaving at least 18 inches of clearance. Making sure your gutters and downspouts are in “tiptop condition” can also speed up the painting process, he says.

4. Ask for touch-ups right away

After the paint job is finished, ask for a walk-through. Most painters should offer this regardless.

“Take all the time you want,” says Benson. “Pick us apart. We want to get it all done while we’re there. Don’t be afraid to have a list of touch-ups.”

That doesn’t mean most painters are willing to provide endless touch-ups, though—especially if it’s not a result of poor workmanship. Feel free to call back about something you noticed only when the light hit the wall in just the right spot—but if you scratched the wall while moving in your heavy dresser, be prepared to pay for a touch-up.

5. Sit on the toilet

What?

Yup, after getting your bathroom painted, sit your butt down on the toilet and stare. This is something Benson says he does after every job, because it’s a great way to catch tiny, missed spots you wouldn’t see otherwise.

“What you see in a bathroom when you’re painting it isn’t what you see when you’re sitting down,” he says. “Look around in the areas where you’re going to notice stuff.”

6. Compare the specifics of the bids

It’s tough to over-emphasize the importance of hiring painters who provide detailed bids. Deciding between two or three contractors is hard enough; it’s more so if you’re relying on pure guesswork. A bid that is “scribbled down on a napkin” is “not even comparable,” says Benson.

Look at the material costs. You don’t need to go with the painter who buys the most expensive caulk, but don’t go with the cheapest, either. Since painting is an art, materials are its medium—and cheap paint shows.

“People confuse price with value,” says Palmer. If you have to repaint your house twice as often than you would with a good job, “that’s not really a great value.”

7. Don’t be scared to ask for a discount

If you’re comparing two bids and you really love the more expensive painter—but your budget just won’t allow it—don’t hesitate to ask for a discount.

Sure, if the difference is astronomical, you and your painter might not be able to find a comfortable middle ground. But it never hurts to try.

Find original article at:

http://http://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/what-your-house-painter-wishes-you-knew/?identityID=8309850&MID=2015_0828_WeeklyNL_LongSL&RID=323043802&cid=eml-2015-0828-WeeklyNL-blog_3_housepainter-blogs_trends

CAPTURING CLUTTER

Whether you’re preparing your home to sell, or your packing up to move to your new home … clutter can be your worst enemy.

But, getting chaos under control isn’t always easy.

The problem isn’t that you lack resources.

In fact, a whole industry sprang up to help folks tackle the problem of clutter: from simple lists and organizational tools to crews of “clutter police” to tackle your disarray for you, and even reality TV shows. You can find YouTube videos like this one to help you organize your linen cabinets and this one for your socks and underwear.

The abundance of resources might just seem like more clutter. For some people, even the thought of trying to de-clutter can seem overwhelming. And looking at pictures of the perfectly organized closets, cupboards and garages of organization gurus makes them feel like failures.

If clutter is messing with your home sale or move, don’t try to become the perfectly organized maven right now. Just get the basics down so that you can move on:

• Take small bites: Remember the old adage, ” How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!” Don’t try to tackle the whole house at once. If you have children, consider starting with their toys. Look for ones they’ve outgrown and no longer play with. You don’t need to get rid of them just yet; try putting them in a clearly marked box out of sight. If your biggest challenge is your closet, pull out the clothes from the season farthest away (winter if it’s spring or summer if it’s fall) and put them in clear storage bins. That way, you can see them, but they aren’t taking up the space that your current wardrobe needs.
• Time yourself: give yourself just one hour (or less) at a time to declutter one space. Tackle the junk drawer in the kitchen (yes, we all have one) and get rid of the odd paperclips, rubber bands, loose screws and broken pencils. Once you’re done with that one task, just get on with life … don’t think you have to do it all in one day.
• Use the doubling rule: if you think it’s going to take one day to organize—plan for two. If you think you can do it in two weeks, plan for four. That way, if you get done in less time you’ll be energized rather than being disappointed that it took longer.
• Use simple strategies: When organizing a room, use one box for KEEP, one for GIVE, one for DISCARD and one for SAVE. The KEEP box is for items that need to go back into that room, so it is a temporary resting place while you sort. The GIVE box is for anything you plan to give to friends, family or charity. Use the SAVE box for items that belong in a different location or that need to be in long-term storage. As you move from room to room, you’ll resort this box and return items to their proper room. The final box—DISCARD—may be the hardest one of all. Use it for anything broken, torn, damaged or otherwise unusable: just get rid of it. One caveat: if you plan to have a garage sale, add one more box called SELL for those items. If you don’t sell the items at your garage sale, move them to the GIVE box.

If you need to know which items to declutter for your home sale, talk to us!. We know what can turn off a buyer or make your home sale take longer … so tackle those items first.