You're doing it for yourself – You’ve always wanted mango walls in the dining room, chestnut in the study, and yes, lavender in the master bedroom.  Ask yourself a few planning questions up front.  What’s the scope of your project?  Are you doing one room?  Two?  Ten?  I won’t tell you not to use ten colors in ten different rooms, but I will ask you to reconsider.  Think less is more.  Too many colors can make a home feel chaotic.  This video will help you understand the basics of color scheming, line-of-sight combinations (standing in your mango kitchen and looking through the archway into your chestnut study, for example), and proper pairing of wall color with a room’s accents and furnishings.

You can spend as much or as little time as you like just deciding colors.  One of the best ways I’ve found to help the process is what I call “living with it.”  Once you and your spouse have narrowed your choices for any particular room down to, say, your top three, get a sample of each of the choices.  Paint a six by six inch square patch of wall, larger if you like, with each of the colors on a section of wall that you will see every time you step into the room.  Then “live with it” for a few days, or a week, or a month.  Try to monitor your initial reaction to the colors each time you step into the room.  Which color jumps out and grabs you?  Do you find your eyes drawn to one color over the others?  How about your other family members or co-habitants?  What do they think?

Next time I’ll have some tips for choosing paint colors when you’re preparing to sell your home and when maintaining rental/income properties.

Be sure to move the cat box to a nice private area of the home.  Cats like to be alone when nature calls; that’s why it’s important to keep the litter box out of high-traffic areas.  You will want to continue prohibiting the family dog from having free access hovering about the box as well.  The key is putting the litter box in a location where it’s neither the very first thing buyers see when entering your home, nor the very last thing they see before they leave.  Negative first and last impressions are difficult to overcome when accompanied by unpleasant odors.  If you keep this in mind, you’re likely to place the box where the kitty will be happier as well.

Place an old area rug or carpet remnant under the box.  Cats love to dig and scratch around the litter box; tile, hardwood, or basement cement floors aren’t the best choice.  The texture of a rug under paw makes the litter box that much more attractive to the cat, likely helping you to reaffirm that as the place to go when it comes to doing his duty.  Likewise, you can place a few sheets of aluminum foil in areas where kitty may have had recent accidents.  As much as cats love the feel of a rug under their paws, they hate the feel of aluminum foil.  Hide the foil before showings, and return it to problem spots afterwards until kitty becomes retrained to the new box location.

Click here for more dos and don’ts on re-training your cat to his litter box.

Standard 16 X 7 garage doors can weigh 150-200 pounds or more, so don’t think for a minute that little garage door opener from Sears is doing the heavy lifting on its own.  In fact, the counterweight created by the torsion springs balance against the weight of the door so all the opener has to do is give that little extra umph to raise and lower the door on its guide tracks.  Take away the springs and you have a giant guillotine on your hands.

Most two-bay garage doors use two torsion springs to get the job done.  Even so, after thousands of ups and downs they still can break.  When they do, one or the other spring can snap, usually not both at the same time.  If the break happens while the door is part way up gravity will take over and the door will come crashing down.  That is why it is always important to stand clear of a garage door whenever it is in operation.  That goes double for children and pets!

Still not convinced?  Watch this video starting at about the 45 second mark.  It shows a torsion spring wound to the point of snapping.  Imagine that force behind one of the winding bars in these videos.  At a minimum that’s a trip to the emergency room for a broken hand.

Here’s your garage door safety checklist.

Here’s a great video on putting together your own first aid kit.  You’ll want to start with a container that’s large enough to keep all the supplies together in one place, yet highly portable so the kit can be moved easily from room to room and even outside for outdoor accidents.  Tackle boxes are always a great choice.  Here’s a list of the standard items to include in your first aid kit compliments of the Red Cross.  For home kits, one item worth including that is often overlooked is a flashlight.  When assembling your kit, keep in mind the types of activities you and your family often participate in.  For example, if your family hikes and camps frequently be sure to stock supplies in your kit to address campfire burns, poison ivy, and insect bites.

If you’re assembling a travel kit think about including an old cell phone and charger.  Most adults have cell phones nowadays, but this will insure you always have a phone handy in an emergency.  I found this great webpage worth sharing with your family on tips for calling 911 from a cell phone.  It’s completely different from calling from home, and knowing the difference in an emergency, as they say, is priceless.

Resolutions are very personal.  I’m going to lose 20 pounds and exercise twice a week this year; I’m going to play more golf; I’m going to save more money for our dream home.  And so on.  Resolutions are special and unique and often private.  They are also completely under our own control.  When January 1 arrives we can choose to follow-through with them or not.

Predictions are different.  They are guesses – sometimes informed, educated guesses, sometimes not so informed.  And they concern things that are outside our own personal and immediate control.  That’s what can make predictions scary at times, much like the turbulent Real Estate market of the past five years.

Here are a couple of informed, educated predictions and their supporting data concerning the economy and housing market of 2012 and beyond that show we may be headed in the right direction:

• Lennar Corporation reports three straight quarters of order growth which they say suggests the market may be ready for a rebound.  Lennar is the third largest home builder in the United States.
• 200,000 jobs were added in December 2011, and unemployment fell to 8.5% prompting Scot Melland, CEO of Dice Holdings, a provider of career websites to say, “We're headed in the right direction.”

That’s not to say we’ve heard the last of the negative news.  The road is still bumpy, and we’re sure to hit a few more chuck-holes along the way.  But people working and homes selling are definitely the way to set off into the new year on the right foot.

The bad news: you have a defective/damaged flapper.  The good news: it’s an easy and inexpensive fix you can do yourself.  And what’s more, you won’t need any tools!  How’s that for a do-it-yourself project?

Turning off the water fill valve behind the toilet will make inspecting the current flapper much easier.  You’re looking for evidence that either the chain is too short, there is something obstructing the flapper thus keeping it from properly sealing against the water drain seat, or simply a damaged flapper.  This video will help you identify exactly what’s happening in your case.  If by chance it’s not the flapper that’s the problem, here are some other possible common issues with toilets that are relatively easy to diagnose and fix yourself.

Happy plumbing!

Although the country’s ongoing foreclosure problem continues to depress home resale values, there have been signs that the overall housing market is poised for a rebound.  The question is, When?  Many experts seem to believe it might be 2013 before we see things really begin to turn around.  Regardless, the simple fact that the debate is happening seems to have helped nudge rates down to their current point.

Overall home prices fell 2.8% in the month of October 2011 compared to October 2010.  We’ll have to wait for November’s final numbers to come out.  The bottom line though does look promising.  The national free-fall in home values that started in 2006 is slowing, supporting the argument that the rebound, though long in coming, is around the corner and in the distance.

1. Start early.  Begin saving empty boxes well in advance of the big day.  Visit local grocery stores and ask for their good used boxes, but be sure to take a pass on boxes that have produce residue or traces of odor.  Purchase good packing tape; duct tape doesn’t adhere very well to a cardboard surface.  You want to make sure what you put inside the box stays there until you’re ready to unpack.  Visit your dry cleaner and ask for some used plastic garment bags.  These can be used to protect clothing on hangers from dust; and tied off at one end, they double as trash bags.
2. Pack up any off-season belongings you may have first.  If you’re moving in June, go ahead and pack up your Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations, and winter weather wardrobe.  The more you can get done ahead of time, the better.
3. Pack heavier items, like books or music CDs in smaller boxes; pack lighter items in larger boxes.  The fewer boxes you have to move the better, however you don’t want to pack boxes so heavy you risk a back injury.  Be sure to securely tape boxes as well.  We’ve already covered this, but it bears mentioning again.  An over-packed box bursting open on its way to the moving truck is not the way to start moving day.
4. When packing, label the box with a permanent marker for the room it is being moved into, not the room it is moving out of.  You may have two children currently sharing one room who will now each get their own bedroom in the new house, or you may have decided to store some items from your basement into your new spacious garage.  Label individual boxes for the appropriate destination room.

Check back next week for Part 2 of “Packing and the Move” for more tips.  In the meantime, here’s a great comprehensive moving checklist to help keep important tasks from falling through the cracks.

Hardwood

Pros:    Can be sanded and refinished if damaged

            Adds to property resale value

            Can last well beyond 20 years

            Completely unique natural wood-grain, non-repeating pattern

Cons:   No warranty

            More expensive

            Installation must attach to subfloor

            May need finishing once installed

Pergo

Pros:    Generally 15 year warranty against stains and fading

            More affordable

            Stronger than wood

            Lasts up to 20 years

            Resistant to wear and scratches

            Easy floating installation

Cons:   Cannot be refinished

            Must be replaced if damaged

            Print pattern on finish repeats after several boards

The choice between hardwood and Pergo has as much to do with personal taste as it does cost, ease of installation and maintenance, or resale value.  Ask yourself, “What is the norm in my neighborhood?”  Not to keep up with the neighbors, but if hardwood floors are the norm then that may very well be an expectation of incoming buyers for your home in the future.

Whether you’re venturing cross-country or just across the state, one thing to keep in mind when traveling during the holidays is the safety and security of your unoccupied home while you’re gone.  That brings up two main concerns: accidents and burglary.

Accidents are the easiest to mitigate.  Start with turning off the main water supply valve in your home.  One of the top insurance claims throughout the year is water damage, and a burst pipe while no one is home to take care of it right away is no way to start the new year.  Also, turn off your water heater and its gas supply.  Not only does this prevent potential gas leaks, you’ll save money on your energy bill.  Everyone’s equipment is different, so refer to manufacturer’s directions first when considering any of these practices.  Here is a complete checklist of things you can do to minimize the chances of an accident occurring while you’re away.

The best way to deter burglary is to minimize opportunity while making it appear the house is operating just as it would any other day.  Stop newspaper delivery for the time you’re away so papers don’t start to pile up on the front porch.  Put house lights on timers.  Park a car in the driveway.  Remember, business as usual is the message you want to broadcast to the outside world.  Even then, burglars are always out during the holidays looking for opportunities.  Don’t make it easy on them.  Hide spare car keys, jewelry, and other valuables in shoe boxes or behind the canned vegetables in the pantry.  Have a trusted neighbor stop by periodically to monitor the house, or consider hiring a house sitter for the week!

Take a few extra steps for your peace of mind before your vacation and enjoy the holidays!

Before I go any further, if you have an in-home fire and your clothes happen to catch fire STOP, DROP, AND ROLL! And if the flames are high and out of control GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE AND GET TO SAFETY FIRST, THEN CALL 911!  Don’t risk your life.  There’s no sense in anyone getting hurt.  Things can be replaced; people can’t.  That said, here are the three most common types of small in-home fires and the best method for putting them out.

1. Wood, paper, cloth fire: Put out the flames with water or a class A fire extinguisher.
2. Grease fire: Use baking soda or a class B extinguisher.  If the fire is in a pan, slide a lid over the top first to smother the flames and turn off the heat.  DO NOT USE WATER!  Water will only make a grease fire spread.
3. Electric fire: Baking soda or a class C extinguisher.  Again, no water.

Home fire extinguishers should have an ABC rating to cover most home fires.

It’s crazy to think that most families do not practice their emergency escape plan, let alone have a plan in place.  Statistically speaking, the most common home emergency requiring a family to evacuate is the house fire, so any emergency plan should take into consideration fire contingencies.  Here are a few key pointers for your family’s emergency escape plan:

1. Plan your escape.  Create a plan that quickly and efficiently gets your family out of the house.  Designate primary and secondary exits, as well as a neighbor’s house as the destination everyone should head to for safety and for placing the call to 911.
2. Practice your escape.  This is as crucial a step for adults as it is for children.  Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.  Children can be easily confused in an emergency.  Add the emotional trauma of an unexpected fire in the house and even mature adults can panic.  Practice the escape plan from the fire alarm all the way to your neighbor’s doorstep.
3. Minimize risks in the home.  Test fire alarms and CO detectors, and replace backup batteries.  Clean build-up out of the bottom of your stove and grill, and never leave pots and pans unattended on range burners.  Get a fire extinguisher, make sure everyone knows where it is in the house (in or close to the kitchen), and have it inspected regularly.

Today’s low flow shower heads not only decrease water consumption, they stabilize water pressure and save you money on your water heating bill since you’re heating less water.  Check out these comparisons of the pre-1990 shower heads to the various incarnations that followed.  How does the shower head work?  There are two kinds of low flow shower heads, aerated and non-aerated.  The first kind uses air to pressurize the water stream, while the second maintains water pressure by pulsating water through separate water jet streams.

Let’s say your family takes a conservative total of three showers a day.  If you switch from a 2.5-gallon-per-minute fixture to a 1.5-gpm fixture, that’s a savings of 21 gallons every day.  And what if your shower head is still one of those pre ’90s water wasters?  You could be saving over 100 gallons a day by replacing it with a low flow unit.  Let’s see, in a thirty-day month that comes to 3,000 gallons of water NOT down the drain!

Unless you have substantial savings and liquid assets, you’re probably like most people and will need to get a mortgage in order to move into that dream house.  There are many reasons for speaking to a mortgage lender or mortgage broker up front.  A professional who deals every day in these types of loans will know what the current rates are.  He or she will take into consideration your credit scores, monthly income, available savings for a down payment, and best available interest rate based on all your information to come up with the loan amount for which you qualify.

Please understand the primary benefit here: education.  This is a process not to be taken lightly.  The lender’s job is not to put you into the biggest house (and by association the biggest loan) possible.  Their job is to counsel.  Through the interview process they learn about your financial situation and determine your expected ability to repay the loan over the five, fifteen, even thirty year term.  The lender can also let you know whether there are some items on your credit reports that are getting in the way of your getting a better interest rate, or simply getting in the way of your qualifying for the loan altogether.

The mortgage market has changed over the last few years, and it has become more difficult to get that ideal loan.  Today you need more money for the down payment than you may have needed in the past, and guidelines for qualification are stricter than ever.  Speak to a mortgage professional you trust.  If you don’t have one, speak to friends, family and neighbors.  Ask who they have used in the past and what the experience was like.  Ask your Realtor for a list of reputable candidates.  The last thing you want to happen is to find your dream home, write and have your offer accepted by the sellers, then discover you can’t get the mortgage to complete the purchase.  Get pre-qualified first, and house hunt with confidence.

What’s more, you can get coffee grounds from local restaurants and coffee shops to use at home.  Starbucks has made five pound bags of used grounds available to customers for free through its Grounds for Gardens program since 1995.  If you’re not close enough to a Starbucks (hard to imagine in the world today that anyone isn’t within a ten or fifteen minute drive) call around to your local restaurants and ask if they save coffee grounds for their patrons’ use.  What’s good for the garden is also good for the landfill.

Once you discover mold in your home, get to work on mitigating the source of moisture and the clean-up right away.  Don’t ignore it.  Call a plumber with a good reputation in the community if you need to.  Simply closing the cabinet door to the kitchen sink and pretending it’s not there doesn’t work.  The problem won’t just walk away on its own and neither should you.  And don’t simply paint over the stain of a recently cleaned patch or wall without mitigating the moisture.  You’re putting more energy into a problem that will continue to reoccur.

So the question is, Where to begin?  A great place to start if you’re unsure just how to get started is the Frequently Asked Questions on the EPA website.  Stop the moisture, stop the mold.

1. The single most important factor for a plant to survive and thrive is its environment.  Here I’m speaking about sunlight.  Inside the home sunlight becomes all that much more important as your plants spend twenty-four hours a day under your roof and not outside in the great wide open.  Use the handy table at the bottom of this webpage to determine the best locations based on plant type to make sure your plants are getting adequate sun.
2. The size of your plant’s container is another environmental issue.  You want your pot to be large enough to accommodate the soil and roots.  Too small a pot will restrict your growth.  Too large a pot, compared to the plant making its home there, may look a bit unbalanced or awkward in the room.  Here are some creative plant container ideas.
3. Fertilizer, too much or not enough, can cause problems.  Signs that your plant needs fertilizer are dropped leaves, pale leaves, flimsy stems, and little or no new growth.  Likewise, signs that your plant is getting too much fertilizer are leaves with a “burned” appearance or dark spots, odd shaped leaves, and a white residue that accumulates on the surface of your potting soil.

With a little TLC for your plants, you’ll be greening up indoors and freshening your environment.

Nowadays people shop online, but surprisingly only a very small percentage of identity theft cases occur as a result of online tampering, such as computer hacking.  More often than not it’s the same old-fashioned, live-and-in-person thief that gets consumers in the most trouble.

However you spend your energy during the spirit of the season don’t neglect to heed these few tips that will help you keep from spending your January (and undoubtedly many more sad months to follow) cleaning up the fallout from having your identity stolen.

1. Shred anything with personal information on it before throwing it out, including credit card and mortgage mail solicitations.  Thieves will dig through your garbage to find information they can use to open new credit accounts in your name that can end up costing you big.
2. Keep your social security card, passport, and any credit cards you don’t currently use at home.  This minimizes the amount of information a thief can get if they steal your purse or wallet.
3. Take credit card receipts with you instead of leaving them behind.  It doesn’t matter if it’s the department store receipt for $100 or the coffee shop tab for $10.  If there’s ever a doubt, take it with you.
4. Keep your virus and spyware software up-to-date and running.
5. If you believe your identity has been stolen, don’t wait to get help.  Start here for information on common questions asked by people who suspect they have become victims of identity theft.

Tips on hiring a moving company:

1. Get an in-house quote, then another, and another. A quote is no good if a company’s representative doesn’t come out and take an honest look at each room’s contents and then follow their visit up by putting their price, and what you are actually getting for your money, in writing.  And the first quote isn’t worth the paper it’s written on if you don’t have a second and a third to compare it to.  Get three quotes.
2. Ask friends, neighbors, and family who they have used in the past and had success with.  Get the actual name of the company rep they worked with.  A good referral goes a long way in easing stress during a move.
3. Dig into the quote.  Know if the movers will be assembling furniture like bed frames after delivery.  What does the delivery window look like?  What about insurance?  You have to know what you’re getting for your money so there won't be any surprises on moving day, or when the bill from the moving company comes in the mail.