Real Talk: The Enjoyment of  Property Ownership

Ah, it’s summertime, and I hope that you are outside enjoying your property.{{more}} The living is easy when the sun comes out and all the greenery around you feels like it has been here all year! Now take a good look around! You might want to check out the condition of your deck for instance, does it need power washing and staining? Maintaining the deck can give it years of life but, if it is time to replace it, the new plastic type decks with a variety of brands will give you years of low maintenance. Your power washer has many uses, my husband washes the car with it, the garbage pails, the house sometimes and the stone walls, I am glad he has not used it on our dog!

Maybe your focal point from the kitchen table is a view of the yard. I recently met a family who enjoys a large birdfeeder right in view of their coffee in the morning. They witness a diverse group of birds also meeting for “coffee” at different times of the day.

Sprucing up and de-cluttering are always part of my presentation, and this time of year you can open that bilco door, air out the basement, take stuff to the dump and get the dehumidifier on high gear.

If you have central air conditioning, you might want to get it serviced. Many people forget to do this and then all of a sudden the house gets hot on a 90 degree day and they are chasing down a service man! The garage is always a great space to collect stuff over the winter. Nothing is more attractive to a potential buyer than a sparkling garage! The popular thing to do is to paint the floor with the speckled grey paint that you can scrub when needed, I see many homeowners putting this paint finish on their basement floors as well.

So, now that we have all this work done, the flowers are a seasonal regiment for sure. Get to the local farm, don’t overdue, and add some color to your favorite areas and enjoy. It is great to put plants in front of the house, but if you are sitting in the back you won’t see them so set up a simple plan, perhaps large pots of red impatience near the back deck. I always hesitate to plant them too close together because as they fill in, if it is too damp, they start to brown from not getting enough air around them.

Speaking of breathing space, take a walk up into the attic and make sure it is well ventilated. This will help your roof’s life and keep your home cooler. Insulation and ventilation are the words on the tip of a home inspector’s tongue and they always recommend automatic fans with temperature controls to do their job without your help, another great invention.

As always, your caring guide to Home Selling! Barb.

If you need more information on these issues email me at Barbara.Lehrer@cbmoves.com.