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5 Home Maintenance Projects in a Weekend

March 20, 2020

We only have one episode left of the McDonald’s Monopoly game scandal documentary on Netflix. We are getting antsy here in Colorado. How are you managing your days? With limited showings this month, I am ready to tackle these 5 home maintenance projects. These projects have on my list for ~~months~~ years.

We all know the home projects that we find every reason not to paint, fix, replace, stain or toss stuff. The ones that we ignore until we decide to list our home and the inspection report (after a signed offer) follows with a punch list of repairs?

Well, these projects work for those of us with no plans to move but getting antsy with our recent staycation status.

I talked about these ten things to do now for spring cleaning or a potential move. Every time George ran up or down the stairs he ended up with the newel post in his hand. And, equal amounts of frustration.

You know the projects I am talking about, right? Remember George Bailey’s broken newel post?

Home Maintenance Projects

1.

I wonder if George Bailey thought about staining or painting his staircase once he got the bank situation figured out?

On a side note; Where do you weigh in on stain vs. painted staircases? Asking for a friend.

2.

Maybe this weekend is a great time to sort through the dozens of paint cans in the garage. Can you imagine what we could do with the space created if we stored the 1/12 of the remaining paint in mason jars?

3.

Question? When is the last time we replaced our furnace filters?

Fun fact: The first thing I ordered on Amazon was a box of furnace filters?

I know right? What does that say about me?

I know it sounds silly, but it was a home maintenance task I tossed to my husband (and then I would remind him to change it a dozen times).

Now I manage the filters! It calms me.

This was the old filter. Ewww……

4.

What about your baseboards? The ones with scuff marks and yellowed edges from where the mop meets the base. Put on a Netflix movie and scoot yourself around the room with a paintbrush and a can of glossy white paint. But, make sure to wipe down the baseboards. I ordered these microfiber towels. I use and toss in the wash. I love them because they work on all surfaces.

Freshly painted baseboards are one of my go-to home improvement projects.

5.

Next up, with Bridget Jones streaming in the background, grab the caulk and caulk the drafty windows and baseboards that need a fresh bead of caulk (after you paint the baseboards)!

What does it say about me that I love a fresh bead of caulk? I have a 1/2 dozen tubes of caulk in this closet.

What home maintenance projects are you contemplating during our staycations? What projects would you add to this list? I think I will need a few more projects for the next week?

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10 Items To Pack Before the 1st Showing | Video

January 21, 2020

We all think about it, right? Listing our house. It’s the middle of winter and we have spent the month of January binging DIY shows. Maybe it is time downsize or move to a quieter location and live a Hallmark movie lifestyle. #wink Or, maybe you want to move to the city with an elevator and a parking garage. I get these calls from clients who just want to talk through a potential move. And, often that talk ends with my suggestion of the 10 items to pack before the 1st showing.

When my sellers get an offer (and go under contract) they never say, “I am so glad we didn’t pack any of this crap up before we listed our home.” Never.

10 Items to Pack Before the 1st Showing

Whatever your plans may be, here is a list of things to pack before the first showing. And, the best part of this list; it’s just a reminder to re-evaluate and ask the questions: Do we games with missing game pieces or

Will, I re-read American History from freshman year in college. Or for some of us, the question might be “Will I read my American History college textbook?

There are many reasons to pack everyday items before listing your home. I remind my sellers that buyers want to visualize themselves in the seller’s home. Potential buyers do not want to see 12 years of accumulated games, books and personal hygiene products in their future home.

10-items-to-pack-before-your-1st-showing

One of the biggest mistakes sellers and listing agents make is in the excitement of getting the house on the market, the home likely needs two more rounds of the “pack & stack” method.

The pack & stack method is my version of Marie Kondo’s method.

With just a few additional days or weeks, sellers can thoughtfully pack and stack boxes in a garage pane, basement or storage unit. It gives the seller time to make trips to the donation center or to make arrangments to haul out the big stuff.

This process makes rooms appear larger and cleaner. Here is a list of items I recommend to my clients to pack before the home is listed.

10 Items to Pack Before the 1st Showing

This list works to organize the clutter for a future list date too. No pressure.

1. Books

Books can be a distraction in home offices. Buyers start to look at the jacket titles and all of sudden they are more curious about the homeowners than the house. Books in kids’ rooms get confused with clutter when a buyer’s eye scans the room.

2. Trophies

Like books, trophies, are distractions. They inadvertently tell a story about the current family. The goal is for the buyers to create their own stories of their (your) home.

And, just like books, trophies scream clutter.

3. Barware & Serving Pieces

Unless you are selling your home during the holidays, go ahead and pack the majority of barware and serving trays. It is a good time to sort through the red and white wine glasses and those 1999 wine glasses with chunky stems.

4. Linens & Closets

Storage is a big deal for most buyers and a stuffed linen closet in a small home is a visual that buyers remember. Organized, lean stacks of linens and empty cabinets give buyers a chance to envision their own stuff in those same closets.

And, yes buyers do open closet doors.

5. Toys & Games

See items 1 & 2. Toys & Games are rarely neatly stacked on a bookcase. Usually, there are smashed covers, random cards and dice. Put aside a few favorites (in a neat closet) and either donate or pack and stack.

6. Holiday & Seasonal Decor

If you are listing your home in April, the goal is to be under contract before Memorial Day. So if you are selling in April and your listing price matches the similar sold numbers you will be out of your current home before the 4th of July (depending on the market you could be out Memorial Day weekend).

So pack & stack the pumpkins, the flocked Christmas trees and the Thanksgiving garland.

7. Seasonal Clothes

They say, okay I say, a closet is a peek into a person’s state of mind! Ha!

You should see my closet right now. It drives my husband nuts.

Wardrobe boxes make it easy to hang clothes and store them in the garage. Of course, it makes sense to hold onto a jacket or puffy vest, but you may not need the snow boots in June. Of course, in Colorado, it is not unusual to get snow above 9000 ft. in July.

8. Paper & Junk Drawers

I have an entire cabinet of greeting cards, stationery, thank you notes and Christmas cards from last year. If a buyer opens a cabinet in an office, and you should assume they will, you do not want the contents of an entire shelf to slide onto the floor. Store them in plastic bags or donate.

Along this same line are the endless crayons, markers, pens pencils, staples, erasers, and notepads.

It will make your drawers appear larger and your home will feel neater.

9. Candles, Vases, Accessories

I have an entire cabinet for new and slightly used candles. I have a cabinet filled with 8oz mason jars from the one year I made strawberry jam. If you are getting ready for a move, chances are you will not make preserves six weeks before you move to a new home or a short term rental.

10. Toiletries & Meds

One of the things I tell sellers to get out of sight (and pack) is the unnecessary toiletries. Buyers do not want to see a homeowner’s morning routine. Pack up the travel size soaps and shampoos, the 11 bottles of nail polish and the Costco 2-pack of Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner.

And, please pack up the bathroom rugs.

Video Recap:

The goal is to make your house shine and to remove your “footprint” from the home. And, guess what happens?

Sellers get excited and motivated to sell. Cleaning, packing and stacking boxes is a great way to get the entire family involved. Let the kids decide what toys must stay on the beds and what games can be boxed or donated.

Yes, there are exceptions to all these things and there are birthday parties and Mother’s Day brunches during listings.

But I suggest sellers pack to the rule; not the exception.

If you are selling your home this spring; good luck. If you have any questions, please ask.

I am a licensed Realtor in Colorado and love all things home! You can contact me here.

Our Australian Shepherd Puppy Taught Me How to Use School Crafts in the Decor

August 30, 2019

Many (some) of you follow my Instagram to see what our recent Bernese Mountain puppy rescue is up to these days. But our first family dog was Tanner, an Australian Shepherd. Aussies and Berners are completely different personality types. Kind of like children…Tanner, like all our pets, teach us so many life lessons. And, Tanner taught me how to use school crafts in the decor.

Tanner | Our first-born fur baby!

Where a Bernese Mountain puppy can fall asleep with his head in a food bowl, an Aussie prefers to run 5+ miles, followed with a 3 mile vertical incline. And, Tanner’s first Christmas season, we discovered his ambition and curiousity were exceptional for a puppy.

He was going to solve world problems. Or, as we discovered, create a few problems of his own.

haul out the holly and the school crafts

It was the Christmas season and I decided to haul out the storage tubs filled with the kids’ Christmas school crafts. And, then we decided to pile into the Sequoia to grab tacos with plans to trim the tree after dinner.

As the adoptive mom of our Australian Shepherd puppy, it was a rookie mistake.

In the 90 minutes we were away for chips and salsa, Tanner got hungry and ate his way thru every edible Christmas craft, Mother’s Day poster and Fruit Loop Turkey.

And, then when he realized what he had done, he threw up the contents of his tummy so we could keep the school crafts. He was thoughtful like that.

Bless his little heart!

Upon discovering the craft contents shredded and regurgitated across the stairs and front entry, we all just broke into laughter.

A dog’s purpose.

We admired Tanner’s determination to open up those bins and find himself a Honeycomb snack amongst the school crafts.

It took an Australian Shepherd puppy’s curiosity for me to appreciate the school crafts and memories.

After we sorted thru the storage bins, I salvaged the school crafts that were not made from processed sugar or flour.

Thankfully, Tanner did not eat ANY the school craft projects made from just crayons and construction paper.

He did not eat the Mother’s Day crafts made with paint brush strokes and construction paper.

I stashed them in a storage bin and set those crafts aside.

For almost ten years.

And, then last summer, on a rare and rainy Saturday afternoon, I pulled the school crafts and chose a few favorites from each child.

I purchased storage containers from the Container Store, but I found several here this summer.

Some of the baked, glazed projects ended up in the garden next to these.

Sorting thru these school crafts brought back so many memories and emotions. It was like an epiphany happend on my office floor.

Why did I store the school crafts for my kids to sort thru years later?

Let that last sentence sink in because that is the life lesson in this post.

These school crafts were meant to be enjoyed way past their refrigerator phase.

School Crafts in the Kitchen Decor

I never appreciated Mr. Measure Man, my sous chef, until he survived Tanner’s Elmer’s glue and licorice binge.

I added a frame and now he hangs out in the pantry and I smile everytime I see Mr. Measure Man. He kind of looks like Buzz Lightyear.

A few projects claimed year-round status like my daughter’s American flag she and her first grade class drew on the afternoon of September 11th, 2001.

I was so happy to find this flag, untouched. I am so thankful Tanner lead me to my daughter’s American flag drawing.

Now, it is in my living room year round.

Let me know what you think of this post on how to integrate the kids’ crafts into the decor. I hope these ideas inspire you to revisit those storage bins in the basement.

This post is in memory and honor of our loyal Tanner who ran to the Rainbow Bridge just before Labor Day. We know he is keeping tabs on our second, fur baby, Owen the Wonder Dog.

Simple Ideas to Repurpose Plastic Spray Bottles

August 5, 2019

I blame genetics for my obsession to find simple ideas to repurpose plastic spray bottles. I carry the repurpose gene from my Ireland- to- Appalachia great grandparents. And, the Catholic guilt for tossing an operational spray bottle is real. #wink

That is the only way to explain my inability to toss any plastic bottles that have a nozzle. Unless the lever is broken, I will find a way to repurpose my stash of spray bottles from my favorite HomeGoods finds.

Simple Ideas to Repurpose Plastic Spray Bottles

I have an unusally high feeling of guilt over the plastic spray nozzles. The plastic spray nozzles have no chance at a repurposed life once they end up in a landfill.

To balance the purchased cleaning products, I buy vinegar and baking soda in bulk. Then I just play junior high chemist to create eco-friendly cleaning products. I use my plastic spray bottles to stash around the house.

My sister told me about Nature’s Miracle for pet accidents and stinky workout gear. As she explained, the vinegar neturalizes the odors. Eventually, I switched to purchasing a gallon of vinergar for less than the cost of a latte.

I removed the labels and glue from the spray bottles and used chalk labels or scrap paper to identify the bottles. This fun dog print was perfect for the vinegar based cleaning products for dog messes. The puppy print was the visual the family needed to clean up the pet messes and puppy puddles.

I loved these chalk friendly labels but added a layer of clear packing tape to keep the labels dry.

Last summer was the summer of Snapple at our house (until I saw the sugar content). I had saved dozens of Snapple bottles. With a few minutes of boredom, I realized the Snapple bottles were the perfect to size to store dish soap and baking soda.

Check out this list for Good Housekeeping’s uses for baking soda.

And, a little sprinkle of baking soda to add sparkle to the sink and a great way to remove rust from serving trays.

With 19 Snapple bottles left, I stored Dawn dish soap in bottles for the laundry room. Dawn worked great to remove oil-based makeup stains.

I tucked these spray bottles into closets for quick cleanups or fresh scent smell. No more running around the house to find a surface-specific cleaner.

How do you upcycle plastic spray bottles? Do you have any suggestions for my Snapple bottles or spray bottles? Looking for other ways to repurpose, check out this Earth Day is Everyday post.

5 Simple Ideas to Keep the Kitchen Sink Pretty

July 29, 2019

This is my busy season and the Denver real estate market is crazy! At my house, the first room to show distress is the kitchen. And, the sink is the workhorse in the kitchen. And, with my college-age son home for the summer, and his newfound love of cooking, my kitchen sink looks like a food truck after a night serving 150 burgers … with all the fixings. So in an attempt to take control of my kitchen, here are 5 simple ideas to keep the kitchen sink pretty. 5 Simple Ideas to Keep the Kitchen Sink Pretty

These ideas work well in my kitchen because they are … simple. I pulled a few key elements and switch it out for a new mood or season.

1. Add a plant next to the sink I love real plants next to the sink because it’s near a water source. The plant’s chance of survival increases dramatically if in close proximity to the sink. I prefer small, easy to maintain (real) plants, but it is your sink, your rules. Adding a plant next to the sink is an unexpected pop of color. And, yes I am growing (real)grass in one of these jars. #wink #its a joke 5-simple-ideas-to-keep-kitchen-sink-pretty-everyday-edits

2. Contain the Cleaning Products & Hand Soap

Taking a cue from Pinterest, I propped the cleaning products on a cake plate from the Target dollar section. I usually have a hodgepodge of brands. But, I loved how pretty the sink looked with matching cleaning products.

Dish soaps and cleaning products made my HomeGoods favorite finds list.

3. Handtowels

If there is one thing a sink needs it is towels. I found these cute Turkish towels at one of my favorite online stores here. The towel hooks are from a Pottery Barn outlet years ago. The towel hooks are actually on my island, located behind my sink so they are hidden from most of the kitchen’s angles.

5-simple-ideas-to-keep-kitchen-sink-pretty-everyday-edits

Of course, this little guy found the hand towels. He is so stinkin’ cute I just took his photo.

5-simple-ideas-to-keep-kitchen-sink-pretty-everyday-edits

4. Add a Candle

I love candles. But, I love a candle by the sink because it keeps the surrounding area (garbage disposal) smelling seasonally fresh.

5-simple-ideas-to-keep-kitchen-sink-pretty-everyday-edits

5. Store the cleaning products in cute bottles and jars.

I buy a few cleaning products in bulk like baking soda and vinegar. Both products are stain and odor-fighting agents for puppy accidents. But I don’t like to drag them out from under the sink because they tend to stay on the counter. So I repurposed empty cleaning bottles and keep them near the sink-where they hide in plain sight.

The sink and the surrounding area stays clean because all the essentials are on display and within reach. Not excuses. What tricks do you have to keep the kitchen sink clean?

How to Repurpose Retail Boxes

May 7, 2019

I love the ease of click and ship purchases; the convenience, the free shipping and the no hassle returns of my favorite retailers. But, I don’t love the guilt that sneaks up on me when I toss the familiar brown retail boxes into the recycle bin.

I had similar guilt fueled feelings before I repurposed a few favorite heavyweight Anthropologie holiday shopping bags.

So when I ordered my twice (okay, four times a year ) Bath & Body Works foaming hand soaps and seasonal candles and they arrived in these plaid boxes, I wanted to figure a way how to repurpose these retail boxes.

The Bath & Body Works packaging people were on to something. I found a reason to buy hand soaps and 3 wick candles because of the cute blue plaid print inside their boxes.

So for a few seasons, I hoarded Bath & Body Works boxes.

For a caffeinated fueled moment, I considered framing the flat sides of the retail boxes for my office walls. But, as the caffeine wore off, I decided to start with a less ambitious project and one that only required a roll of clear packaging tape.

I folded the plaid facing sides of the Bath & Body Works’ boxes to the exterior side of the box and secured with a clear, clean edge of packing tape.

That’s it! Never overthink a way how to repurpose retail boxes.

And, with a roll of packing tape, I figured out a way how to repurpose retail boxes to create storage for my office supplies.

With a few extra”broken down” boxes, I framed a rectangular section of the patterned cardboard box. I thought it would be fun to coordinate the pattern in my office’s storage hutch.

I wonder how long until the boys in my house recognize the familiar retailer’s packaging? And, then I will wait for the eye roll.

There’s always an eye roll after a repurposed project.

Seriously, are these not the cutest retail boxes ever?

Are you taking note Chewy? Target? Amazon? Nordstrom? Give us a reason to repurpose the retail boxes!

How to Build Farmhouse Kitchen Shelves

April 5, 2019

The farmhouse shelves in our kitchen were one of my favorite projects. The shelves opened up the space and added a bit of a trend to my aging, dated kitchen. The farmhouse kitchen shelves were an inexpensive solution to replace the dated cabinets and not lose valuable storage. If you are looking for an entry-level DIY project these shelves are a perfect starting point.

Well, when we knocked out the wall between the kitchen and dining room we lost a row of upper cabinets. The open shelves was a great way to keep the space open and add storage space for the essentials.

It was a simple project with 2 x 12 select pine from Home Depot. We went with select pine because it has a smoother finish. I cut the pine boards to size using a table saw (with an assist from my assistant (husband) to hold the end of the board).

I used my favorite pre-stain wood conditioner to prep the wood shelves.

This was my go-to stain for most of my DIY projects. I have a few other favs, but this is a reliable stain and gives me a rich, Colorado rustic finish.

I went with a heavy bracket and found Wade’s shop on Etsy. These were super easy to install to the wall and the weight of the brackets matched the weight of the pine shelves.

The hardest part of these farmhouse shelves was capturing a photo at the right time of day (still waiting) and staging the shelves. Seriously, I was so excited to stage the shelves and it has been many late nights with episodes of Friends in the background while trying to find the right accessories.

This was an easy Saturday afternoon project. I loved this project so much I added the same shelves to our aging basement kitchenette/bar. So the farmhouse shelf photos are from both spaces.

I am taking staging suggestions for staging the shelves in the comments.

My Favorite Tech Hack to Stay Organized

January 3, 2019

With the new year comes goals and promises. For me, my goal (every year ) is to get organized. Usually, closets are the first think on my list to organize in January. So this year I am going in a different direction with a goal to organize my files and paper trails. It won’t lead to any coverup, but it will eliminate folders and folders of receipts and immunization forms dating back to the first run of Friends. My favorite tech hack is an app on my phone.

Favorite Tech Hack

TurboScan

TurboScan elimiated the adrenaline rush when I got calls like this one, “Mom, I need a copy of my immunization forms or I can’t try out for the Varsity tennis team. ”

Or, texts like this one, “Do you have a copy of the furnace receipt from last spring?”

My “favorite” call was from my son (my righty) to tell me I forgot to sign his field trip permission slip. And, he will be the only child who can’t get on the bus unless that permission slip was received in the next 12 minutes.

TurboScan to the Rescue

And, the reason I didn’t panic is I want to share the best app for the new year! This app organized my life.

I even got my 75+-year-old mom to download the free app so she doesn’t have to fax documents.

Sidenote: My mom is a very tech-savvy grandma!

TurboScan App

You might be wondering, “Can’t I just take a photo?”

Yes, but this app saves the document as a pdf which is the format that allows adding as an attachment. And, when it asks, “What do you want to do with this document?” You can name it or email yourself a pdf copy.

The Turbo Scan app is the app to the rescue.

I have not looked for other scanner apps, so if you know of another one, please share in the comments. It takes a village to get organized.

Details

TurboScan changed my personal and work life. It’s a free app in the Apple app store. The official name is TurboScan™ Pro – document & receipt scanner By Piksoft Inc. There might be a paid version, but the free app works for my needs.

It takes a scan (photo) of a document, permission form.. anything. It creates a border around the image to make sure you capture what you need. And, even when the image looks gray or grainy it almost always captures a clear image.

Turbo Scan allows me to save documents directly to my Dropbox (another favorite) and/or email a copy in a pdf format to my email or to the recipient. It keeps a copy of any scanned documents too, but I always save a copy to my Dropbox account. I’m just a bit of a control freak. Especially in August.

My husband first shared this app with me a few years ago. And, I use it almost every day.

And, if you are just a smidge like me, your desk (my command center) begins to look like this as the new year approaches.

I just pile up the paper until January rolls around to get organized.

Clear the clutter by snapping a photo of the paper, document. It’s more professional because it saves it as a pdf for clients, the front office or service providers. The one suggestion I have with this app is to turn off the overhead light above the document or receipt. The light can add a shadow to the document.

After a week using this app, I ditched my fax/scanner (donated to one of my son’s teachers). TurboScan is the best iPhone app for the new year. Let me know if you download it and what you think? Do you have a favorite app to stay organized? Please share in the comments.

Here is another hack for Sunday.

Home Maintenance Projects

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2.

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4.

5.

10 Items to Pack Before the 1st Showing

10 Items to Pack Before the 1st Showing

1. Books

2. Trophies

3. Barware & Serving Pieces

4. Linens & Closets

5. Toys & Games

6. Holiday & Seasonal Decor

7. Seasonal Clothes

8. Paper & Junk Drawers

9. Candles, Vases, Accessories

10. Toiletries & Meds

haul out the holly and the school crafts

A dog’s purpose.

School Crafts in the Kitchen Decor

Simple Ideas to Repurpose Plastic Spray Bottles

Favorite Tech Hack

TurboScan

TurboScan to the Rescue

TurboScan App

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