Make Your Home Secure
June 22, 2007
The following list offers some inexpensive ways to make your home secure:
* Do not leave a ladder outside of your home. A thief could easily, and they do, gain entrance to a second story window.
* Always ask for ID when service men come to your home. Do not let your children answer the door. Don’t be afraid to call the company for verification BEFORE you let them inside your home.
* Do not keep excess cash around your house. Keep it in a safety deposit box at your bank. If you must keep cash at home, hide it NOT in the kitchen or your bedroom, as that is the first place a thief will look.
* Take pictures of your heirlooms and personal items for identification at some later time.
* Mark all electronic equipment with a permanent etching of your name and drivers license number or social security number. This process makes it hard for the thief to sell your property, and easy for you to identify and get returned to you.
* Never leave notes on your front door announcing your absence. This may seem incredible, but people do this all of the time. You might as well put up a neon sign giving your time of return also.
Seeking Balance in Your Home Decor
June 21, 2007
In our homes, as in other parts of our lives, we are happier when we live with balance and harmony. Just like the rest of our lives, balance in the rooms of our homes is sometimes hard to create. For many years, decorators and home owners tried to create this physical balance by having pairs of everything: 2 matching end tables, a matched pair of wing chairs, even sets of twin beds in the master bedroom. This certainly created a balanced room. It also created rooms that were sterile, formal and visually boring. In a formal setting or a Federal or Georgian home, this is still the way things should be to look ‘right.’ Our ancestors valued this perfect balance so highly that they created false doors in hallways so that both sides matched or doors that looked like windows so that the right and left sides of the back of a house matched perfectly. This can still be seen if you go to visit some of our historic homes. A notable example is the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, Md. We, however, tend to prefer a more relaxed approach to our homes. So how do we create a feeling of balance without matched pairs of everything? You can use: Color Dark colors have more ‘weight’ than light colors. Actual size Height, depth and width of an object Mass A thick bulky looking object has more ‘weight’ than a fragile, delicate one. Just visualize a blown glass vase and a terracotta pot of the same size. Number A group of several like objects in different sizes grouped together creates ‘weight.’ Think of an assortment of silver candlesticks. Light A dark corner has more ‘weight’ than one filled with light. If you want to prove this to yourself, gather together a group of assorted objects and use a tabletop/mantel and try out different scenarios. Be sure you have different sizes, colors, textures and shapes. You can put a larger framed picture against one end and a slightly smaller one in front of it. On the other end of your table put a heavy pot. Do the same thing with a matching pot at each end. Try pairing the picture group with an assortment of candles in candlesticks. Each time you create an arrangement, step back and look at it. In fact, if you have a digital camera, take a picture of it. If you do this for a while you will start to get a feel for balance. You can actually give the illusion that the tabletop is tilted slightly by throwing off the visual balance. The same effect can occur in your room arrangements. If you doubt this, close your eyes and try to ’see’ a room in which you felt physically uncomfortable or slightly disoriented even though there was no obvious reason. A room in which the heavy items are all on one side of the room, almost feels as though the floor tilts. Once you have a feel for balance you can start to create a harmonious home. Stand in the doorway of any room in your house that you feel isn’t ‘right.’ What do you see? Does the burgundy chair stick out like there is a spotlight on it? Does the entertainment center overwhelm the room? Do you have a TV and a fireplace battling for focal point? Do your easy chairs look like they were made for children next to your mammoth sofa? Does your fireplace mantel look like you are setting up for a tag sale? Your room is out of balance. Move the furniture around and try different arrangements until you have one that works. Unless you have a room that is just for show like a Victorian parlor, you need to be able to use the room comfortably. Once the practical set-up is done, look at the room from different angles. If the room is out of balance use color and accessories, plants and pictures, groups of like objects, light and volume to create an illusion of balance. Try grouping the accessories on your mantels and tabletops. Balance the entertainment center on one side of the fireplace with a tall plant or group of plants on the other. Note: avoid having the tops of everything at the same height. You might as well draw a line around your room. Repeat the color of the chair in pillows, throws, lampshades or the matting around a group of pictures. You really will be amazed at the difference it makes. We may all be born craving balance but except for the lucky few, we have to learn to achieve it. There is a myriad of books on the subject and it can help to read them and look at the pictures, but the best way to get a feel for balance is ‘hands on.’ Experiment with portable objects until you get a feel for what works and then enjoy creating your harmonious home.
The Best Time to Inspect Your Home!
June 20, 2007
Home inspections conducted prior to a home being placed on the market is one of the wisest moves a seller can make. The initial response from sellers when approached with the idea of an inspection done as the home is about to be put up for sale is most always the same - “What?!”
Let’s review a few of the most common concerns about Pre-Listing Home Inspections.
1. “The buyer will not accept an inspection done for the seller.”
That is correct! The inspection done for the seller is not intended to replace the inspection done for the buyer. The purpose of the pre-listing inspection is to put the seller in control!
Given that no good surprise can come to the seller during the home inspection, regardless of when it is done or whom it is done for, it makes perfect sense to get every strand of information as soon as it can be gotten. Bad news doesn’t get better with time.
If there is some bad news, or more correctly, some items that needs attention or might have an impact on the home’s value, who better to receive that information than the seller? And when is a better time to receive that information than before the home is placed on the market?
The Organized Move: Preparing Your Home for the Publics Eye
June 19, 2007
(This is the first in a series of three articles on “The Organized Move”)
The thought of moving can set most of us in a tailspin, but what is more frightening is imagining the parade of realtors and home buyers marching through your very personal space and judging you on: neatness, maintenance and upkeep, and tasteful décor. (There will be a handful of buyers that are looking for a “fixer upper” and projects that last for years, but unfortunately only two exist to date).
So let’s discuss a few easy tips to get your home in market condition. Remember — realtors and prospective homebuyers can tell how a home has been cared for over the years. If your home is in need of major repairs it is always best to consult a professional to ensure proper technique and installation.
The month before you list your home, walk around with a notepad and write down everything that is in need of some minor repair or a little freshening up. It is very natural to focus on just the main living areas of your home and forget about the closets and storage areas, but this is a big mistake. In every home I ever bought or sold closets and storage areas were part of the public viewing. So lets divide the space of your home and get moving:
Are You In or Out of Balance?
June 19, 2007
CLUTTER: When clutter starts to accumulate in an environment, imbalance in our personal, professional and social lives always follows. This can range from health and financial challenges to struggle and conflict with friends, family, co workers, affiliates, as well as with buyers and sellers. Feng Shui is the communication that takes place everyday between you and your environment. At a glance, take a look at your home, office, desk, car and briefcase and check to see if you are in or out of balance!
DE-CLUTTERING: This is the first step in reclaiming your health, vitality, energy and business! Creating a sense of harmony and peace in your space will reflect the same in your life and career. Consciously letting go of “things” that no longer serve your highest good, will invigorate and energize your personal Ch’i, and empower you to attract blessings, abundance, health, wealth and good fortune in your life.
FENG SHUI… QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
“Should I include porches and decks in the Ba-gua when I Feng Shui my listings?”
Quick And Easy Bathroom Decor Changes
June 18, 2007
Are you tired of the way your bathroom looks? Don’t feel bad, a lot of folks are in the same boat. The bathroom is one room in the home that can look drab and run down very easily. And what if you don’t have an unlimited budget to make changes in the fixtures and plumbing? Well take heart, there is lots that you can do for very little money that will totally and radically improve the decor of your bathroom.
One of the biggest problems with bathrooms is their tendency to get cluttered. You know, towels hanging all over the place, bath products on top of the vanity and on the shower floor, and things like that. So if you really want to make a 100% improvement in your bathroom clean up the clutter.
Fortunately, that is very easy to do and inexpensive. If you go to any WalMart or Target store, you will find plenty of organizer products for use in the bathroom. They are also very cheap. So get some of them and start to install them so that the most used products and items are within easy reach of wherever they would be used in the bathroom. If you make the storage spot convenient most people will continue to put it back in it’s place after they use it. If you make the storage spot even a little difficult to access, you will see those items left all around wherever someone finds a spot for it.
Poster, Print or Painting. Where Are You Going To Put It?
June 17, 2007
If you are redesigning or decorating a room, or house, care has to be taken where your piece of art is to be displayed. Even if you have bought a picture on impulse there are a few tips that will not only enhance the picture but its surroundings.
As a good rule of thumb it is good to hang a picture so that its centre is roughly at eye level. If you have a grouping of pictures then also the centre of the group should be at approximate eye level.
Wall size.
ˇ For a narrow wall go for a smaller picture, or group of small pictures.
ˇ For large walls go for the larger pictures.
ˇ For walls that link to a low ceiling go for pictures that are vertically longer as this will help give the illusion that the ceiling is higher and open the room up.
Picture framing.
ˇ As a guide neutral coloured, plain or soft /delicate paintings will suit a more basic plain frame.
ˇ Dramatic pictures may deserve a much bolder frame.
ˇ Will the frames go together if pictures are hung in a group?
The Great American Dream
June 16, 2007
Are you ready to starting building your dream home. House plan designs are abundant and easy to customize. Just getting started can sometimes be quite confusing.
There’s nothing more exciting than building your dream home. Take a look at your living area now. What would you change? The floor plan for more open space, the flooring or maybe add more windows.
How about a big kitchen with a bar or a spacious family room. An office or study is a great retreat for family members. Get your family together and sketch out your ideas. Make your dream come true.
Planning is crucial, therefore have a well developed plan and put it in action. Knowing what features you need will simplify the process. Consider everyone’s needs when deciding on a home plan.
Carefully research home design plans and make scetches of your own for comparison. Often planners will customize pre-designed plans that will functionally meet your needs. Deciding on a home plan should be fairly easy, it’s the choice of materials that can send you reeling.
New-age Paint Thickening & Rheological Additives : Solvitex & Solvizen
June 15, 2007
For Paint Manufacturers worldwide, there has come a radical new development in the legion of Thickening Agents & Colloidal stabilizer for Aqueous Latex Paints. So far most of the companies producing aqueous Paint emulsions, the most preferred thickening agent was Hydroxy ethyl cellulose (HEC). The HEC based thixotropic additives is produced by some of the renowned multi-national companies such as Hercules, Akzo Nobel & Dow.
Here we refer to a Biopolymer based on Polysacchride derived from controlled derivatisation process from plant origin. The product developed by Asian Trade Link Chemicals Division in India has already been a successful venture for replacement of HECs for many paint companies. The Product is known as Solvitex thickening agent & colloidal stabilizer.
The solvitex range of products is offered in wide range of viscosities of aqueous solutions. It comes in Powder form of Offwhite color and the thickening properties are similar to HEC.
But the Advantages of Solviex against HECs are many. The prime factor is the stability & economic pricing. Its been observed that for a Medium viscosity range of products such as Natrosol 250 HBR or Bermcoll 381 the intial drop after settling is by 20% and then the finished paint adheres to be stable for six months.and the viscosity further drops. Solvitex has an initial drop of settling to 10% and the product is stable in physical observation for more than 1year exhibiting the same viscosity.
If You Think Mold and Mildew Hibernate During The Winter, Think Again!
June 14, 2007
If You Think Mold and Mildew Hibernate During The Winter, Think Again.
Free Tips For Removing Winter Mold & Mildew Stains From the Makers of InstaGone
“The development of mold and mildew stains can actually be intensified during the winter,” says InstaGone Consumer Products president Peter Chicarielli. “That’s because people tend to lock-down their houses to prevent cold air from coming in and heat from escaping. The reduced circulation of fresh air results in a higher concentration of airborne spores which in turn, can increase the likelihood of mold and mildew stains on ceilings, walls or other surfaces.”
Chicarielli adds that in a warm house, mold and mildew will continue to grow in areas such as basements, attics and crawl spaces. “Once the Christmas decorations are put away, emerging mold and mildew growth has a free, undisturbed ride until Memorial Day when the summer gear gets pulled out.”
The worst-case scenario is mold that silently grows behind a wall, under flooring or above acoustical ceiling tiles. ‘This type of mold growth is usually caused by a leak that wasn’t repaired properly, or if it was repaired, the surrounding area wasn’t sufficiently dried or treated before covering it with new drywall, tile, etc,” explains Chicarielli. “If any part of your house has water damage history, it should be inspected carefully.”
