Selling Your Home - Is Your Home PEST Proof?

When selling or purchasing a new home, many people do not think ahead to get a pest inspection!  It rarely comes up until there is a huge ugly problem staring us in the face.  If you are preparing to sell, below are some great tips for preventing household pests, pest infestations and the potentially dangerous health and property threats they pose.

Interior

• Seal all cracks and holes on the inside of the home including entry points for pipes.
• Keep baths and showers well ventilated and dry.
• Seal outlets, switch plates and baseboards, as some insects will travel through these.
• Keep all foods properly stored, including pet foods. Use plastic containers or plastic bags.
• Maintain good housekeeping.
• Dispose of vacuum bags regularly.
• Replace air handling filters regularly.

Exterior

• Keep doors closed or properly screened.
• Repair torn screening.
• Seal all cracks and holes around the outside of the home including entry points for utilities and pipes.
• Keep tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house.
• Keep attics and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
• Store garbage in sealed containers and dispose of it regularly.
• Repair fascia and soffits, if rotted, as some insects are drawn to deteriorating wood.
• Replace weather-stripping around doors and windows.
• Store fire wood at least 20 feet away from the house and five inches off the ground.

Homeowners who choose not to tackle these activities may wish to hire a professional pest control firm. Many firms are beginning to offer pest proofing as an adjunct to other services.

4 Tips to make Small rooms feel Large!

Monochromatic Room

1.  THINK BIG... Instead of filling a small room with lots of little pieces, opt for overscale furniture and accessories to cut down on clutter and make the room feel more spacious

2. GO MONOCHROMATIC... When colour is spread throughout a room the eye doesn't suddenly stop and get stuck on something.  You want the eye to flow around a room so it seems larger.

3. COLOUR THE CEILING... Paint it a shade or two lighter than your walls so the eye wont immediately recognize where the walls stop and the ceiling begins

4 SET THE STAGE... Think of a room as a stage show: There are stars and there are supporting actors.  To avoid fussiness that can crowd out a small space, choose just one star for each wall!









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DIY - How to Display Accessories

For table top displays, follow these guidelines

Compose your display so that one item dominates. Make sure items are appropriate in   size and scale for the surface. Avoid items that are too big or heavy, or so small they get lost.

Odd numbers work better than even numbers 3 or 5 objects will work better than 2 or 4.

Unify a collection of small objects by placing them on a tray.

Place objects close enough together so that they are visually related. (For example, Don't spread 3 objects out on a cocktail table, group them together)

Selling Your Home - The Importance of Kitchens and Baths

As you may know, kitchens and baths are usually the first two things buyers want to see when viewing a home that is on the market. 

These two rooms can be the easiest to stage for free, or for very little cost. For starters both rooms need to be CLEAN.  Which would mean scrubbing floors, tiles, counters, cupboards  and  tubs.  If these rooms are clean and smelling fresh it will leave the impression that the home is well cared for.

In the kitchen, you will want to remove all the items from the counters to show off all that space you have. In the bathroom, clear the counters of your personal items and tidy up the shelves in the shower and/or ledges around the tub.  If these are items that you use on a daily basis, I recommend to my clients that they purchase or reuse baskets to store items required and place under the sink neatly out of sight.

 If the bathroom is decorated for use by your children, you may want remove any wall or tub decals and stow away the bath toys. It would also be a good time to freshen the bathroom by purchasing a new shower curtain, rugs or towels if it is in your budget. If that is not in the cards, think about perhaps re purposing a single shear drapery panel  as a shower curtain.

BEFORE

AFTER

     
One important thing is to NEVER, EVER, have carpeting in the bathroom (not even those fuzzy toilet covers…..ew!) 

These are just some low-cost or free home staging techniques. Of course there are other things that can be done, such as changing hardware, or painting cupboards, which are all relatively inexpensive changes when compared to a complete bathroom or kitchen remodel. 

You need to find what will work best you’re your budget, remembering though that buyers are willing to pay more for a property if these two areas of the home are modern, clean and up to date!

Selling your Home: Choosing a Cleaning Service

How do you choose the right cleaning service for you...there are many factors involved. Here are a few pointers:

When you contact a cleaning service, ask what all they do, exactly? There are services out there that just do the basics. They dust, clean the toilets, and vacuum. Don’t assume that they do everything!

Make a list of what you want done and ask them some questions like... 

• Are the cleaning products included or do you have to supply them?
• Do they come and see what you have? This is call an estimate, is it free or do they expect you to pay for it?
• Do they use products that are good for you and the environment? If this is something that is important to you and your family, be sure to ask! 

You need to ask these questions because these are some of the things that determine what the cost will be!

Now, to me, this is the most important question of all.. Who is coming in to my home?

If you are looking for a service to clean your home on a regular basis you need to ask this very important question because your home is your private space and I'm very sure you want to keep it that way! If the same people or person is coming in, you get to know them and they get to know you. This makes people care more about you and your belongings.

In summary...

Make your list, make sure that the cleaning service you call does things that you wish to be done. Understand that cleaning and doing it right takes time, be prepared for that.

Double check who is going to be there to do the work, and do a walk through to make sure you are happy with the work done.