Tag Archive for: DIY

Winterize Your Home in the Greater Athens Area

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Help Winterize Your Home in the Greater Athens Area

9 Hints To Help Protect Your Home as Temperatures Drop

Information and photo via Keller Williams

…Start Saving!

  1. Inspect your roof and replace any damaged or missing roof shingles.
  2. Make sure gutters and downspouts are free of leaves and debris.
  3. Consider a fresh coat of paint or sealer on your deck.
  4. On a windy day, close your windows and feel for air leaks.
  5. Seal any leaks with rope caulk.
  6. Install weather stripping on the sides or bottoms of any leaky doors.
  7. Insulate exposed plumbing.
  8. Remove leaves or debris from your air conditioner’s condensing unit, cover for winter.
  9. If you haven’t had your fireplace chimney cleaned in a few years, hire a professional chimney sweep.
If you need a recommendation for local professionals who can perform this or any other work around your home, I can help! Contact us today, or visit our home resources page!

And as always, if you or anyone you know is looking to buy or sell a home, you can count on me for the utmost professionalism, expertise and results! Submit a request for contact, or give us a call today for your custom plan.

Landscaping Difficult Areas With A Rock Garden

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Landscaping Difficult Areas in the Greater Athens Area With a Rock Garden

3 simple steps to transforming your hard to manage parts of home landscape

(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

 

Want to turn that part of your yard where nothing will grow into something more than an eyesore? Consider building a rock garden. You can use rocks and plants that can withstand growing in difficult conditions to transform hard to manage parts of your home landscape.

Try it with these three simple steps

1. Clear the area. You’ll want to dig up the soil where you’re creating your rock garden and get rid of any grasses, weeds, trees, and roots.

2. Add rocks and soil. Select the rocks you want to use for your garden and begin placing them. It’s a good idea to choose rocks of different sizes and shapes. Variety is desirable and will create a more natural look for the garden. If you’re planning on adding a lot of plants, your rocks should be placed farther apart.

The soil that you use in your rock garden should drain well. You may be able to use the dirt that’s already in your yard or you may need to supplement it with something that’s less clayey.

3. Select plants and flowers. The local nursery can help you select the best plants for your garden. Typically, vegetation that does well in rock gardens will not grow much taller than 1 meter and prefers well drained soil. Again—variety can be the key here, both in color and when the plants will bloom in the year. Whatever you decide, you should have fun with your choices!

As always, I appreciate referrals from my friends and past clients. If you know of anyone who is looking to buy or sell real estate, please send them my way! Have additional questions or looking to buy or sell your next home? Submit a request for contact today, or simply give us a call!

 

Copyright 2017 Keller Williams® Realty, Inc. If you have a brokerage relationship with another agency, this is not intended as a solicitation. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Opportunity Housing Provider. Each office is independently owned and operated. 

Summer Lawn Care in the Greater Athens Area

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Summer Lawn Care in the Greater Athens Area

Smart lawn management can keep things nice and healthy

Summer heat here in the greater Athens area can wreak havoc on your lawn. But don’t despair, smart lawn management can help you keep things nice and healthy this year.  Neat and clean landscaping can often complement the look and feel of your home too! (info and photo via KW)

 

 

Here are a few tips:

  • How can you tell if your lawn needs water? Walk across the lawn in the early morning or evening hours. If footprint remain, water is needed.
  • Be sure to water after sunset or before sunrise. Avoid watering when it’s windy or hot outside.
  • Set your mower blade higher – a height of 2 1/2″ to 3″ is ideal. Tall grass encourages deeper root growth and better drought tolerance. And make sure that the blade is sharp. Dull blades thrash the grass, they don’t cut it.
  • Consider mulching your grass. This will return needed nutrients to your yard.

Stay cool out there! For more information on local resources, you can always visit our JWA resource page! And if you or anyone you know need professional real estate advice, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can give us a call, or take a minute to submit a request to contact!

Home Care in the Greater Athens Area July 2017

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Home Care in the Greater Athens Area July 2017

Keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year.

Home Care July 2017

Your home is one of your largest investments. Take care of it with a monthly maintenance calendar. Below are some simple tasks for the month of July to help take care of your home in the greater Athens GA area. Data via KW.

  1. Trim back shrubbery around walls.
  2. Trim tree limbs away from roof.
  3. Remove any yard waste or debris as needed. Keep branches or other clippings around can attract insects.
  4. Check your siding for damage, warping, or rot.
  5. Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
  6. Check for damage, loose, or missing shingles on your roof.
  7. Check your chimneys for deteriorating bricks and mortar.
  8. Check window and door screens, replace or patch if needed.
  9. Check driveway, walkway, and patios for cracks or deterioration and reseal or repair as necessary.

Greater Athens Area Best Home Improvement

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Greater Athens Area Best Home Improvements

Potential Remodel Options for Future Resale (data via KW)

Sure, you can spend a lot on something purely for the personal pleasure of having it—like that outdoor Jacuzzi under the attached gazebo—or you can go the practical route and make an improvement that will increase your home’s market value. If you’re looking to improve the appearance of your home for resale, or you just want an updated look for your own enjoyment, consider a few things before beginning any costly project.

It may not sound very exciting, but it’s the basic improvements you make to your home that may have the greatest return on its value: a beautiful new bathroom won’t make up for a leaky roof.

Below are some examples of a few improvements that usually pay off—and some that rarely make a difference (no matter how much you paid for them) when it comes time to sell your home.

“…it’s the basic improvements you make to your home that may have the greatest return…”
Best Potential for Resale:
Painting
If you’re planning to sell your home in a year or two, a fresh coat of a neutral-toned paint could make the sale easier. A professional exterior paint job may also recoup close to 75% of its cost. Let’s face it— we all like things fresh-looking.
Kitchen
With just a few basic improvements, your kitchen can practically pay you back with interest! New paint, wallpaper and flooring are always appreciated. Replacing old cabinet hardware is a low-cost improvement that makes a big difference in appearance, according to the Remodeling magazine.
Don’t expect your money back:
Swimming Pool
In a word-don’t! Unless you’re putting it in for you and your family to enjoy, it’s commonly agreed that a swimming pool has no resale value at all.
Picture-Prefect Gardens
If the potential buyer is not horticulturally inclined, chances are your floral handiwork won’t add to the offering price. The same can be said for expensive fences and stone walls-they look nice, but buyers don’t pay up for them.

 

Call me today or submit a request for contact if you’re thinking of remodeling your home. I have an extensive network of experienced professionals that I would love to put you in touch with if you’d like. I will also show you how much your home is worth in today’s market, before and after the renovations.

If anyone you know requires real estate advice, please share my contact information with them.

June Home Care Tips From Team JWA

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June Home Care Tips

Courtesy Your Friends at Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates

Summer is here, and below is your June Home Care checklist! We’re happy to help with your home, which is often one of your largest assets. If you’re getting ready to buy or sell in the greater Athens area, or know a friend or family member that is, we’d love the opportunity to talk more with you about it. Submit a request for contact, or give us a call today! Info via KW.

5 Room Re-Purpose Ideas to Customize Your Athens Home

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Find the Home With Almost Everything?

5 Room Re-purpose Ideas to Customize Your New Athens Home

Has your home search resulted in finding a home that has almost everything that you want? Below are 5 ideas to re-purpose rooms that you may not use as much into one of your favorite home spaces!

May 2017 Athens Home Care Tips

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7 May Home Care Tips

Helpful hints for maintaining your home

Your home is often one of your largest investments. Take care of your home, and it can provide you with years of enjoyment and memories with your family. You can keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year. Below are 7 home care tips for May. Check back each month for new ideas each month for your home in the greater Athens area!

Data via KW

  1. Check all decks, patios, porches, stairs and railings for loose members and deterioration.
  2. Check plumbing shut-off valves. Ensure that they turn off and on freely.
  3. Service kitchen disposal by grinding several cups of ice cubes.
  4. Check vents, louvers and chimneys for bird nests and squirrels.
  5. Check lawn sprinkler system for leaky valves and exposed lines.
  6. Inspect exterior siding for mildew. Scrub off as necessary.
  7. Check septic system drain field for flooding.