Clutter-free Ways to Thank Your Household and Its Members

Your home is your shelter from the environment.  It is a haven for your family.  It is a place where friends gather and have fun over the holidays and all year long. 

So, have you said ‘thank-you’ to it lately?

Probably not, because it wouldn’t hear you anyway.  But here are some ideas to show your thanks to your home and family without spending much money or adding to the clutter in your home.   

FOR THE HOME

·    Control the Humidity—Too much moisture in the air can cause damage to furniture, fabrics, photographs, food, etc.  Too little moisture can cause damage to wood, your health, your plants, etc.  This may be in the living areas of your home, or most especially in basements and attics.  While household humidifiers and de-humidifiers help the living areas, they do not usually reach the attic, garage or crawl spaces in your home.  So pay special attention to what you store in those areas. 

·    Control Temperatures—Just as too much/little moisture in the air can cause damage, so can extreme temperatures.  Pipes can freeze in the winter if not insulated.  Ice can form on your A/C unit if air isn’t flowing properly.  Candles can melt in your attic in the summer, and snowglobes can crack in the winter.  Expansion/contraction can harm foundations and framing.  Keep temperatures as even as possible throughout your home throughout the year. 

·    Check Batteries—What good is a battery back-up for your sump pump, smoke detector, or computer if the batteries themselves are dead?  Check and change them regularly.  The extra time it takes to unscrew the cover of your smoke detector is worth the thousands of dollars in repairs and lost belongings in the case of a non-functioning alarm during a fire.

·    Clean Thoroughly—This may seem obvious to you, but we’re not talking about a casual dust and mop job.  We’re talking deep-down, nitty-gritty, get the grease off your stovetop and mold off your shower doors.  And it’s not just about being clean.  It’s about being healthy.  The longer you let dust and grit sit, the greater your chances for harboring viruses or other germs.

·    Make Repairs—Again, this may seem obvious, but we’ve all been there.  You know the screen needs repairing.  But you just don’t have the time to take the door down and bring it to the hardware store for repair.  So you let it sit.  Meanwhile, wasps find their way in, start building nests in your attic, and before you know it, their home is so big, the moisture starts dripping through your ceiling.  Now, you not only need the screen repaired, you also need an exterminator to kill the wasps and a handyman to repair your ceiling.  Was it worth it? 

·    Use Biodegradable Cleaners—Your house and your environment will thank you.  There are less harmful abrasives in biodegradable cleansers, and less pollutants running through your plumbing.  Be nice to your floors and countertops, as well as your sewer by using chemical-free cleaning products.

·    Purify Your Air—Perhaps it’s because we’ve grown accustomed to the ‘smell’ of our houses, that we don’t really realize they have an odor to them.  Whether it’s the pets, the cooking, the cleaning supplies or the human element, there are pollutants floating about the air in our homes. Running an air purifier will clean out these unwanted smells and germs, leaving behind a healthier, happier you.

·    Perform a Home Inspection—One of the best gifts you can give your home is an inspection. By identifying problem areas before they get too large, you may be preventing permanent damage to the home.  Yes, they cost a few hundred dollars, but isn’t it worth the investment of the inspection and the small repair rather than a major catastrophe in the home?  Inspectors are trained to see things you aren’t.  To you, your roof may look fine from the outside, but an inspector may find loose flashing, which is letting water seep into the attic, causing mold and mildew, which is making you sick. Be preventative rather than reactive.

FOR THE FAMILY 

·    Cook Healthy—The food you put into your system is the fuel that charges your body.  If you are loading up on sugars and fats, you are not giving it the proper nutrition it needs to get through the day.  And a lifetime of bad eating habits can take its toll later in life.  Start now by giving your family the gift of health.

·    Give Compliments—Giving someone a compliment does wonders for his/her self-esteem.  Praise your family often, even for the smallest efforts.  And always remember to say thank you for anything they do, no matter how menial.  They are happier knowing you appreciate their efforts, and will in turn help you more.

·    Offer Services—Not everyone in your family has the same resources you do.  Perhaps it’s an elderly parent who can’t get to the grocery store, or a handicapped cousin who can’t drive to the hair salon.  Find someone who will come to their home and provide these services for them if you can't.  There are even mobile pet grooming companies who will come to your house and wash the dog, which may be too much for an elderly person to do on their own.

·    Give the Gift of Tickets—Don’t clutter up your home or those of your extended family with little trinkets or more clothes.  Give gifts like tickets to a play, tickets to the museum, or gift cards for consumable items such as gasoline or food.  Giving them an item gives them one more thing to maintain or clean.  They will be more thankful for a gift that doesn’t require effort on their part—only enjoyment.

·    Give the Gift of Time—The best way to give thanks to family and friends is to give them more of your time.  Whether it’s a walk in the park, a trip to the zoo, or sitting and watching a movie together, time is too precious to take for granted.  These are the memories you want them to have.

·    Run Errands—Just as precious as time spent with people is time spent doing things for them.  Whether it’s picking up a prescription or dropping off the dry cleaning, those little tasks say ‘thank you’ like no card can.

 FOR YOURSELF

·    Schedule time for yourself—You are the backbone of your family.  You are what keeps them running and functioning.  Do you ever thank yourself for a job well done?  You can do that by scheduling time for yourself every day.  Even if it’s just a half hour at night to read, or an hour with a friend for coffee, you should thank the person who keeps you going—yourself.

·    Take an Artist’s Day—To borrow from Julia Cameron, take an Artist’s Day.  Spend time doing something fun and inspirational, whether it’s a trip to the art museum, a walk in the forest preserves, or browsing through journals and pens in the book store, spend some nurturing your creative side.

·    Begin an Exercise Program—Yes, the benefit will be weight loss, but you will also be more energetic and able to get through a long day if you exercise regularly.  You don’t have to join a health club and work out two hours a day.  Start simple with a walk around the block or sit-ups in the living room.  Your body will thank you in return.

·    Eat Healthy—Just as you should feed your family healthy meals, you should also eat healthy yourself.  You are no good to your family if you are not healthy or functioning well.  Give your body the fuel it needs to keep running.

·    Have Regular Check-ups—Part of a healthy lifestyle is seeing your physician on a regular basis for check-ups.  Like your home, finding a problem in the early stages can prevent serious illness down the road.  So see your doctor and get the tests recommended for your age group.

Saying thank-you to others makes them feel good.  Saying thank-you to others makes you feel good.  Saying thank-you to yourself is something you don’t always think about.  Don’t you think it’s time to start giving yourself a pat on the back and saying ‘well done!’ 
 

 

Showing Your House Through the Seasons

Moving on Monday

As summer turns into fall, your house is still on the market.  You’ve been taking care of it, mowing the lawn and watering the gardens.  But now that the weather is cooler and leaves are starting to fall, there are other matters you must attend to for it to show at its best.

The most important part of your house when selling is the outside.  It is the first impression potential buyers have when they drive by or come for a viewing.  Before they even step into your house, they will be assessing the condition of the driveway, the size of the trees and bushes, and the amount of clutter on the porch.  If they are just driving by, they may decide to cancel an appointment with a real estate agent.  If they already have an appointment, they will probably still come in, but their opinions will be affected by what they saw outside, no matter how nice the house is inside.

So if you are showing your house during this change of season, make sure you keep up with maintaining the exterior of your home.

Rake the leaves, sweep the walkway and porch, and clean out the gutters.  Have your asphalt driveway sealed if necessary, or the cracks in your concrete fixed.  With the upcoming snow and ice, potential buyers know that little cracks can turn into large problems.

Clean all the cobwebs from the front door and windows.  This is what buyers look at when they are waiting for the agent to unlock the door.  All dead plants should be removed from the front porch, and replaced with fall foliage.  If there are any nests in the lights (bird or wasp), get rid of them, and any mess they may have left.  If the wreath or decoration on your front door is seasonal, swap it out for a fall version.

It gets dark earlier now, so make sure all the light fixtures are working properly.  Put both interior and exterior lights on a timer so buyers driving by at night can see the house lit up even if you aren’t home. 

Make sure your address is visible from the street both night and day.  Use numbers in contrast with your house color.  That is, use black numbers on a white house, or brass numbers on a brown house.  Look at your address as you drive up from both directions, both day and night.  Brass or silver numbers reflect the sun, making them difficult to read.  If your house is set back off the street, have your address on a mailbox or post near the street.

Finally, cut down flowers and plants as they die for the season.  If you have extensive landscaping with mature perennials and you want buyers to see what you have planted, then leave photos on the counter of what your house looks like in the summer. 

Keeping your house showing its best will keep you a step up from the competition.

Doing It Yourself

Frugal Friday

We’ve all been there—the furnace goes out, a pipe bursts, a tree limb breaks in a storm.  So you call out the experts and have them take care of the situation.  Then they hand you the bill.  Often, it’s sticker shock.  And you think to yourself, “I could have done that myself for less.” 

But realistically you know that there are some repairs that are past your level of expertise.  There are, however, many things you can do yourself to keep repair bills down.

·         Maintain your equipment—furnace, hot water heater, car, etc.  If you take care of it and have it checked on a regular basis, odds are you will avoid major problems that cost large amounts of money to repair.

·         Learn how to make minor repairs yourself.  Anyone can change a washer in a leaky faucet or install a new belt in a vacuum cleaner.  Not only will you save money on repair bills, you won’t have to purchase a new item to replace one that is fixable.

·         Make your own cleaning solutions and supplies.  These will be natural, ecologically-friendly products, rather than harsh chemicals that will ruin pipes, countertops, etc.

·         Inspect your own house on a regular basis.  Look for signs of water seepage, cracks in the foundation, uneven floors, loose tiles, etc.  Handling these issues at the early stages will keep them from getting more serious.

Take care of your home and your home will take care of you.

Organizing Home Repairs

Tips for Tuesday

As a homeowner, you know the frustration of home repairs.  They seem endless.  As soon as one project is done, something else breaks.  Life is a constant stream of hammers and wrenches and wires.  So how do you keep track of everything that needs to be done on the house, and who will do the repairs? 

First, walk around your entire house, both inside and out.  Write down everything that needs to be done in each room/area.  This may be as simple as replacing a light bulb, or a major project like replacing the roof.  Then assess what to do first.  Prioritize the tasks, and assign responsibility to someone.  You can do some jobs yourself, and others you'll have to hire professionals. 

Determine what tools you will need to complete the tasks.  You may need a level and hooks for hanging pictures, or caulk for sealing your tub/shower.  Collect all your tools into one place.  Put tools into a toolbox, sort nails and screws into small containers, and put larger items like paint brushes and drills onto shelves in a designated work area. 

Some items you should always have on hand are:  a power drill, measuring tape, putty knife, adjustable pliers, screwdrivers, hammer, level, caulk, and glue. 

As you complete each task, cross it off your list.  Look at the next set of tasks to determine what preparation needs to be done.  You may need to prime walls, buy paint or get estimates from a plumber or contractor. 

Plan ahead and be prepared.  You won't avoid all surprises.  That's just how life is.  But being ready will make those disruptions easier to handle.