Preparing Your Home for Cold Temperatures

So far Indiana has had a fairly mild winter.  A bit of snow, a few bitter cold snaps with spring-like temps peppered in between.  This week temps are predicted to dip into the teens, and there are several winter weather precautions you need to take to protect your home and to stay warm when temperatures dip well below freezing.

Here are a Few Tips we Recommend:

1.  Change your furnace filter - this is important to maintain your furnace.  This is an extremely important task that needs to be done frequently to maintain good airflow in furnace

2.  Keep drapes and blinds closed, except when windows are in direct sunlight.  - Those that are open, close around 4pm to retain the warmth

3. Keep you thermostat on a steady, comfortable temperature.  Layer on a sweater or an extra blanket if  you get cold rather than turning up the thermostat. 

4. Make sure the chimney flue is closed when fireplace is not in use

5. Put draft snakes/dodgers on window sills, between window frames and against doors

6. Keep your Garage Door closed

7. Run Ceiling Fans in reverse on a low speed to help circulate warm air

The Red Cross has this advice:
• Avoid frozen pipes - run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent them from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

• Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.

• If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away - things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs. Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.

• If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

• Use generators correctly - never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

• Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

There is plenty of information out there... always be prepared!  These are just a few tips we recommend as cold weather approaches.  Our suggestion is to prepare well in advance of cold weather arriving!  Caulking, gutter & downspout cleaning, insulating etc are worth the effort in the warmer months to prevent damage in the winter!

Our Next Post will be Snow and Ice Storm Preparedness!  Both your home and your car!

Stay Warm & Happy New Year!

FAQ - November Video - Questions - Answers ~ Video Blog

Should I List my Home during the Holiday Season

We hope you find this short 2 minute video helpful with a couple of questions we are asked this time of year!

Should I list my Home During the Holidays?  If my home is listed during the holiday season... should I decorate for the season?

Watch our video for answers!

Tips for Preventing Frozen Pipes

We knew it was bound to happen!  Winter weather has finally arrived!  After a nice, mild November and December, Old Man Winter finally awoke from his slumber!

With single digit temps and sub-zero wind chills; taking steps to prevent frozen pipes is essential to any homeowner! (or renter)

OUTSIDE HOME:

• Keep the Garage Door Closed (especially if the garage is attached to the house)

• You might want to place an insulating dome or other covering on outdoor faucets and spigots to reduce the likelihood of water pipes freezing, expanding

• Make sure holes and cracks are filled in exterior walls to prevent cold air from entering into the walls (this is a task that more than likely should be handled in warmer weather)

INSIDE HOME:

• Open bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors so that warm air will circulate around pipes             (Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.)

• Allow a slow drip from your faucets to reduce the buildup of pressure in the pipes.  Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.

• IF the pipes freeze, the release pressure in the water system will reduce the likelihood of a rupture.

• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. Lowering the temperature at night might save a few dollars in your heating bill, however it could cause your pipes to freeze thus a more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.

GOING OUT OF TOWN?

• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.

• You might also want to drain your water system completely.  Consult with a professional for proper instruction or completion of this task

This is NOT something you want to see in your basement or crawlspace
or not see with plumbing inside a wall or ceiling

If your pipes do freeze:

• You should keep the faucet open. As the frozen area starts to melt, water will flow and running water will help melt ice in the pipe.

• CALL A PROFESSIONAL! They will give you the proper advice!

Stay warm and cozy... safe of the roads!

Listing Your Home During the Holidays?

Thanksgiving is this week which officially kicks off the Holiday season!  The end of November through January can be a fine time of year to sell your home, especially if you need/want to sell. .

There are many "Pros" to listing your home during the Holidays and winter months.

1. Buyers looking for a home during the holidays are serious and are ready to buy!  They are not out tire-kicking

2. Relocation buyers are out there

3. There is less competition for you as a seller during the holiday season, as well as during the winter months.

4. You can restrict showings on your home to the time(s) that are convenient.  You will remain in control

If you decide the time is now, here are some tips that we advise when selling during the holidays!

1. DO Deck your Halls

  But don't go overboard!  A tree, some wreaths and greenery set the scene, but large items can        crowd a room or distract a potential buyer

2. Price the home to sell!  

   An over-priced listing will sit anytime of the year

3. Give a buyer a place to escape from the cold! Make your home warm, cozy and inviting.  Another reason we advise to decorate for the holidays, Have classic Christmas music softly playing, and put out a plate of cookies to offer potential buyers.

4.  Relax! 

It can be stressful to sell during the holiday season, and a seller might get discouraged if the number of showings are low.  But do not despair... take a moment to remind yourself that selling your home can take time. Currently inventory is at all time lows, so good listings, that are priced right will sell!  While spring/summer might be the traditional time of year to sell... Serious buyers are out there!  

Call us today if you have any questions.  We would be happy to help you determine if now is the best time for you! 

Hashtag Transformation Tuesday and Real Estate

Definition:

Transformation Tuesday is a popular trend and hashtag (#TransformationTuesday) people use on Instagram.
On Tuesdays, Instagram users are encouraged to post “transformational” photos of themselves along with the hashtag in the description. Many instagramers create them in the form of a “before and after” photo, many times using photo collage maker apps to break up the photo into two parts. One side shows the before photo, and the other side shows the after photo.

I have even posted a #tt pic to Instagram (don't laugh)

So what does #TransformationTuesday have to do with a real estate blog?  Well today it has to do with renovating! 

It has been our experience, as long time real estate brokers, that many buyers want a "ready to move into home".  A home that does not need any work or updating.  Some buyers don't even want to bother with painting a small bedroom.  There are many reasons that some homeowners and home buyers do not want to put any time or effort into painting, updating or remodeling a home.  For some it is time, for some it is money, and still some don't have the vision to see beyond orange carpet or dated cabinets.  It can be a stumbling block!  You walk into a home and you are greeted with 1970's shag carpet, brown appliances and it's "WHOA!  This home is not for me!" But if you are a person who is not afraid of taking the time, a little money and can see a diamond in the rough.. you can find a lovely, well built home that is just in need of some updating. And of course there are times a home needs a major renovation as well.  The updates, remodel or renovation most likely will not happen over night.  But if you are willing... renovations, updates or remodels can be rewarding. You have to budget your time and money, but buying a home that needs some transformation can be not only a good investment, but also very satisfying at the end of the day! 

Recently we had a lovely listing that was in need of updating.  The home was built in the 30's and had been wallpapered, carpeted etc over the years.  A bathroom was added, and truthfully the home was in need of some changes to bring it in trend for the current decade!  We knew that the right buyer would have to come along.  A buyer that wanted an older home.  A buyer that was not afraid of working hard on renovations.   A buyer that would love the home and give the house the much needed updates to provide the comforts of modern day living without compromising the beauty of days gone by...

And the right buyer came along! 

So today I present our version of #TransformationTuesday by sharing* a few before and after photos of a listing we not only loved, but love even more that the right buyer came along to make it their home! 

 

As you can see... the homeowners pulled up the carpet in the living room, exposing gorgeous hardwood floors.  Painting the trim, woodwork and walls to create a cozy, warm home without compromising the integrity of the era of this home. 

 

The kitchen before had some older, but still functional appliances.  Older but functional cabinetry.

One option a homeowner could exercise would be to clean, paint the cabinets and update the hardware. Reuse the appliances, remove the wallpaper & add a coat of paint to the walls.  A very doable update that many have the ability to take on! 

These photos show the homeowner chose to gut and remodel the entire kitchen!  New ceiling, new flooring, counter tops and cabinetry!  It's gorgeous!  And still holds the integrity of the home! 

The eat in area of the kitchen was replaced with cabinetry, '
The refrigerator was moved to this end of the kitchen and
movable island was added!  What a transformation!

 

Today there are many options home buyers and home owners have to renovate or remodel their homes or a home they would like to purchase.  203K rehab loans are gaining in popularity.  While this type of loan traditionally will take longer to get to the closing table, it can prove to be the right type of loan, for the right buyer for the right type of home.  A loan officer who is an expert in this type of loan is the key!  We can help you find the right home and refer the loan officers who are well versed in this type of loan to make the transaction a smooth process from purchase to closing table.  Patience and perseverance are key!

 

Sometimes just a bit of time, money and elbow grease (or hiring a good contractor) can give a home you want to buy a lovely face lift!  Or is you are thinking of selling, you might consider a transformation to make your home more marketable.  It does not have to be drastic.  Sometimes a fresh coat a paint, some new light fixtures can do the trick!

 

Whether buying, or if you are thinking of selling, as real estate brokers we can advise you along the way.    Should you renovate a kitchen or bathroom before selling?  Should you transform one or more areas of your home before it hits the market?  If those are some of the questions you are asking yourself... give us a call.  We would be happy to advise you as to what will make your home more marketable and what investment could get more of a return. 

 

We hope you enjoy the #transformationtuesday photos of one of our favorite listings to date!  We would LOVE to see some of your home transformation photos!  Please share them on our Our Facebook Page!

 

And as always, should you or anyone you know be in need of a real estate professional, we would GREATLY appreciate the referral!

 

 

* photos were used with permission of homeowner