A kitchen remodel can be expensive, and homeowners are justifiably careful about staying within budget. However, there are certain areas in every kitchen where a splurge may be worth the price in terms of efficiency, looks, and durability.
HGTV suggests six areas where a few lavish touches are worth the extra expense:
1. Commercial-Grade Range Hood - Investing in a commercial-style range hood means never having to deal with cooking odors—and keeping a busy kitchen cooler.
2. High-Quality Hardware – Look for quality cabinet knobs, hinges and pulls in brushed nickel, bronze or stainless steel. They add class to any kitchen and will last longer than those made of plastic or wood. For the ultimate in opulence, spring for hand-blown glass.
3. Soft-Close Doors and Drawers – You can’t slam these quiet drawers or doors, which makes for a more serene kitchen. They are also great for young families because they close slowly, so little hands and fingers won't get caught or pinched in them.
4. Solid Surface Countertop – Laminate is cheap, but it doesn’t stand up and looks tired long before its time. Splurge on granite or sealed concrete, which will look beautiful and last for many years. (Bonus: It’s a great selling feature!)
5. Stainless Steel Appliances – These are worth the added expense because they are stylish, sophisticated and efficient. The newest models offer greater versatility than more traditional models.
6. Warming Drawer – Look for an oven that comes with a warming drawer, or have one custom-built into your kitchen. They are ideal for entertaining, keeping food at just the right temperature for late guests.
Lastly—and most importantly—invest in a professional. An experienced kitchen designer can help ensure you get the kitchen of your dreams without the guesswork or stress.
By Barbara Pronin
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shauaqsellshomes.com
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Five Spring Home Improvement Tips
Spring is not only the best time of year to give your home a good cleaning, it’s also the best time of year to take on several home improvement projects. Spring projects like these can improve your home’s looks and performance, and rarely cost more than $1,000, so you can easily take care of these issues before they have a chance to lead to bigger problems down the road.
Siding Repair
Winter weather can really do a number on your siding. Hail stones can dent or damage anything from aluminum to vinyl, while painted wood siding frequently needs to have sections replaced that have been subjected to moisture over the cold wet months. In most cases, repairing a section of siding can help your home maintain its curb appeal, while also helping to ensure that problems like rotting wood don’t spread, necessitating further repair.
Costs
The average cost to repair siding of nearly any type is about $300, with a full range of up to $1,000 for more invasive types of repairs.
Money-Saving Tips
The best way to save money on a repair is to try to color match the new siding to the old. That way you only have to replace damaged boards, rather than the whole section. You can also paint aluminum or vinyl siding to match existing siding if you are unable to find matching planks to help keep costs down.
DIY Considerations
Aluminum and vinyl siding can both be very easily repaired by most homeowners. Things like dents can be popped out of aluminum, and cracked or broken boards can be removed and replaced without needing to disturb too much around them. Wood siding, masonite, brick, and fiber cement siding, however, should be left to professionals for repairs, as should any major repairs that appear widespread.
Paint Your Front Door
Just like the paint on the rest of your home, your front door can be subject to things like peeling, cracking and fading over time. The freeze/thaw cycle in the winter can make this even more obvious, as can things like salt or ice melt getting splashed on the door by slush as people make their way indoors. Repainting your door is fairly easy and inexpensive, and can really give your home’s curb appeal a big boost.
Cost
The average cost of painting a front door is about $100 per door. The total cost ranges from about $20 for a DIY job to $300 for high-end doors and paint jobs.
Money-Saving Tips
The best way to save money on front door paint jobs is to invest in high quality enamel paints for the job. They’re less likely to need touch ups as frequently as other paints, which means you need to paint less often. If you’re comfortable painting the door yourself, tackling this job DIY can really save you a lot of money as well. Just be sure to use a primer and two coats of paint to ensure you’re doing it right.
DIY Considerations
Most people can comfortably tackle the job of painting themselves. The only time you may want to leave it to the professionals is if you have a door with windows, glass inserts, or a lot of carvings and features that may take a specialized approach.
Stain Your Deck
All that snow, ice and freezing rain hitting your deck this winter could have done a lot of damage to the stain and finish of the wood. Stain is necessary not only to keep your deck looking great, it also helps prevent the wood from absorbing moisture and rotting over time. So if your deck has begun to peel and show the wood through in places, it’s time to put on a new coat of stain. Doing so will not only help protect your deck from the elements, it will also improve your home’s curb appeal.
Cost
The average cost of staining a deck is around $2 a square foot, assuming a deck of around 500 square feet. In most cases the cost will not be any higher than $400 for the total job.
Money-Saving Tips
Your deck will need to be power washed before it can be stained, and this needs time to dry before the stain can be applied. Save time and money by doing the power washing yourself; schedule the professionals to come in after the deck has had a chance to dry. If you’re comfortable with tackling the job yourself, DIY can also save you professional fees, as most pros will take about 4-5 hours to do the job, and charge for their time.
DIY Considerations
Most able bodied homeowners will be able to tackle this job on their own. Keep in mind that you will need to rent or purchase a power washer to thoroughly clean the deck. You’ll also need to remove old, peeling stain, and apply at least two coats to ensure good coverage.
Air Duct Cleaning
After running your furnace all winter, it’s a good idea to get your air ducts cleaned come spring. This is particularly crucial if you’ve had any work done indoors over the past year, as construction dust and debris can build up in your ducts, reducing your HVAC system’s efficiency. Likewise, if you or your family suffers from allergies, cleaning out the ducts periodically can help improve your air quality.
Cost
The average cost of having your ducts cleaned is between $300 and $500 for a professional cleaning. The total range of costs is between $200 for cleaning the ducts in a small house to $900 for older ductwork that may need some upgrades done at the same time.
Money-Saving Tips
Change your filter regularly on your HVAC system to help prevent dust and dirt build up in your ducts. You should change these seasonally at a minimum, but some brands recommend changing them monthly. Remove your filter and hold it up to the light; if you can’t see through it, it’s time to replace it. Clean and wipe down your grates periodically as well to help get rid of buildup that could be falling into the ducts, necessitating their cleaning.
DIY Considerations
Special equipment and knowledge is required to clean out the ducts properly. While you could possibly clean around the openings and the grates, cleaning the ducts themselves should be left to the professionals.
Fertilize Your Lawn
Help bring your lawn back to life after a cold, snowy winter with fertilizer. Fertilizing your lawn helps feed it with nutrients it needs to grow. Some fertilizers can also help eliminate weeds, and improve the overall quality of your lawn at the same time, so it requires less water or maintenance in the future.
Cost
The average cost to fertilize your lawn is around $.03 a square foot, assuming a 6,000-square-foot lawn. The total costs range from around $.02 a square foot for a DIY job to $.04 a square foot during the peak season.
Money-Saving Tips
Make the most of your lawn fertilization by ensuring that you water your lawn either early in the morning or late in the evening to prevent the sun from drying out both your grass and the fertilizer at the same time. If you have your lawn professionally serviced regularly, ask about bundling in fertilization with other services such as mowing to help reduce costs.
DIY Considerations
Nearly any able bodied homeowner should be able to tackle this job. All you need is a spreader and the ability to traverse your entire lawn. If you have a lot of steep hills or other issues, however, it may be better to hire a professional.
Keeping your home looking and functioning well in the springtime doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Follow these tips to help ensure your home looks and functions its best this year. For more cost savings, visit these Cost Guides.
By Yuka Kato
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Home Gone Green? You May Be Eligible For Tax Credits
Did you make your home more energy-effecient last year? You may be eligible for tax credits when you file your return, according to home energy evaluator Homeselfe.
"If you upgraded your home in 2015 by adding insulation- one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make- you already know you are saving on your utility bills every month, plus you may be eligible for a tax credit on that investment." Says Ameeta Jain, co-founder of Homeselfe. "Not taking advantage of that is throwing away your hard-earned cash."
Jain explains that there are two types of major tax credits availible to homeowners: the Residential Energy Effecient Property Tax Credit which benefits those who have incorperated renewable energy features into their home, and the Nonbusiness Energy Tax Credits, which benefits those who have installed materials that meet the US Department of Energy's energy efficiency standards.
Homeowners who have invested in energy-effecient upgrades, such as fuel cells, geothermal heat pumps, small wind turbines, solar panels and solar-powered water heaters, may be eligible for the first credit. Homeowners who have invested in energy-effecient improvements like insulated roofing, windows, and doors may be eligible for the latter.
Tax credits up to $500 are also availible for some improvements, such as installing advanced, main air-circulating fans, a biomass stove, an energy-effecient HVAC system, or water heater, insulation, or metal or aspalt roofing.
Source
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
"If you upgraded your home in 2015 by adding insulation- one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make- you already know you are saving on your utility bills every month, plus you may be eligible for a tax credit on that investment." Says Ameeta Jain, co-founder of Homeselfe. "Not taking advantage of that is throwing away your hard-earned cash."
Jain explains that there are two types of major tax credits availible to homeowners: the Residential Energy Effecient Property Tax Credit which benefits those who have incorperated renewable energy features into their home, and the Nonbusiness Energy Tax Credits, which benefits those who have installed materials that meet the US Department of Energy's energy efficiency standards.
Homeowners who have invested in energy-effecient upgrades, such as fuel cells, geothermal heat pumps, small wind turbines, solar panels and solar-powered water heaters, may be eligible for the first credit. Homeowners who have invested in energy-effecient improvements like insulated roofing, windows, and doors may be eligible for the latter.
Tax credits up to $500 are also availible for some improvements, such as installing advanced, main air-circulating fans, a biomass stove, an energy-effecient HVAC system, or water heater, insulation, or metal or aspalt roofing.
Source
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Spruce Up Your Home For Spring!
1. Clean up
The first thing Manfredini recommends is to clean up and declutter the outside of your home. Winter can often mat down shrubs and break branches in your yard, giving it an unkempt look. Spend a day raking up dead grass, pruning your bushes or trees and using a pressure washer to clean away mud or dirt from the sidewalks and driveway.
“It will be remarkable how much better your exterior on and around your home can look,” Manfredini said. “And you really didn’t spend any money, it was just really more of your time.”
2. Paint
A new coat of paint can go a long way in preventing your home from looking drab or rundown. Manfredini recommended touching up areas where the paint has started peeling, whether on the house or fence. He also suggested using accent colors to make your home look fresh and new.
“If you really want to change the look of your home, then paint the front door a color, and I mean a real color — a deep green or a deep red or a purple,” he said.
He said if you have shutters on your home to paint them a corresponding color to brighten the overall appearance.
Cost: $10 for good paint brush and $30 for typical gallon of paint.
3. Add Lighting
Adding flood lights can go a long way in brightening and “adding life to your home in the evening,” Manfredini said. A simple way to do it is to buy two LED flood lights, attach them to stakes, stick them in your front lawn close to the front of your home and point the lights towards your house. You can also buy stake lights.
“It’s accent lighting that creates a funnel effect of light,” he said. “It’s really a beautiful look.”
Manfredini recommended centering the lights if you have a center-entry home.
Cost: $12.99 for stakes and $20 for two packs of LED lightbulbs
4. Condition Your Lawn
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
The first thing Manfredini recommends is to clean up and declutter the outside of your home. Winter can often mat down shrubs and break branches in your yard, giving it an unkempt look. Spend a day raking up dead grass, pruning your bushes or trees and using a pressure washer to clean away mud or dirt from the sidewalks and driveway.
“It will be remarkable how much better your exterior on and around your home can look,” Manfredini said. “And you really didn’t spend any money, it was just really more of your time.”
2. Paint
A new coat of paint can go a long way in preventing your home from looking drab or rundown. Manfredini recommended touching up areas where the paint has started peeling, whether on the house or fence. He also suggested using accent colors to make your home look fresh and new.
“If you really want to change the look of your home, then paint the front door a color, and I mean a real color — a deep green or a deep red or a purple,” he said.
He said if you have shutters on your home to paint them a corresponding color to brighten the overall appearance.
Cost: $10 for good paint brush and $30 for typical gallon of paint.
3. Add Lighting
Adding flood lights can go a long way in brightening and “adding life to your home in the evening,” Manfredini said. A simple way to do it is to buy two LED flood lights, attach them to stakes, stick them in your front lawn close to the front of your home and point the lights towards your house. You can also buy stake lights.
“It’s accent lighting that creates a funnel effect of light,” he said. “It’s really a beautiful look.”
Manfredini recommended centering the lights if you have a center-entry home.
Cost: $12.99 for stakes and $20 for two packs of LED lightbulbs
4. Condition Your Lawn
The largest area around most homes is usually the lawn and so if the lawn is yellow or untrimmed, it is very noticeable. Manfredini said one of the best ways to achieve a really green lawn is to use soil conditions, not just fertilizers.
He recommends using Milorganite, an all-natural soil conditioner, and sprinkling it on your grass about once a month during the spring and summer. Too much fertilizer can burn out the grass, but you can use soil conditioner more regularly, Manfredini said.
“It’s full of iron and so it gets inside the soil and it has so many nutrients in it that it gets inside the soil and it feeds the root of the plant,” he said.
Cost: $12.99 per bag
5. Fill In Cracks And Put in Sealcoat in Driveway
The largest area around most homes is usually the lawn and so if the lawn is yellow or untrimmed, it is very noticeable. Manfredini said one of the best ways to achieve a really green lawn is to use soil conditions, not just fertilizers.
He recommends using Milorganite, an all-natural soil conditioner, and sprinkling it on your grass about once a month during the spring and summer. Too much fertilizer can burn out the grass, but you can use soil conditioner more regularly, Manfredini said.
“It’s full of iron and so it gets inside the soil and it has so many nutrients in it that it gets inside the soil and it feeds the root of the plant,” he said.
Cost: $12.99 per bag
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
6 Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Tips
1. Reduce your paper towel consumption
Recycle your worn clothing by turning old fabric into rags to clean quick spills and tidy up the house. Can’t find any holey clothes in your closet? Try E-cloth. Currently, Mom Ambassadors are sampling (and loving) e-cloth, a general-purpose glass and polishing cloth that reduces cleaning with chemicals, as it only requires water for use. These simple alternatives save you money and help conserve the environment.
2. Recycle your old electronics properly
Many of us have the urge to upgrade to the latest electronics, while our past purchases are often sitting tucked away in a junk drawer or closet. In fact, in developed countries the average lifespan of a mobile phone is only two years! But electronics in landfills are hazardous to our environment because of the chemicals they contain. Search online for sites that offer you cash for your used electronics, such as Gazelle. And if you’re looking to ditch old electronics quickly, local supermarkets might offer drop boxes that recycle and send your property to developing countries around the world. Check out KIWI magazine’s online article for more ideas on how to “Turn You Trash into Cash.”
3. Create your own or shop for non-toxic cleaning solutions
Many household products, like baking soda and vinegar, serve as strong cleaning agents. Plus, they don’t contain harmful chemicals that can trigger rashes or irritate your respiratory system! And if you can’t picture yourself mixing it up in the kitchen, be sure to choose the safest options for your family by thoroughly reading product labels, as some purchasing guidelines do not require companies to list all ingredients. For an effective counter cleaner, mix ¼ cup baking soda and just enough liquid castile soap until it becomes a creamy consistency. Check out KIWI magazine online for more great DIY green cleaner recipes.
4. De-clutter your home
Have a yard sale or host a party with friends to swap toys and clothing items! During the Christmas season, our Chief Mom Ambassador, Annie, hosted a toy swap and became hooked on the concept of exchanging practical items for free. You can also become a member of the fast-growing freerecycle.org community which allows locals to give and receive items for free, with the purpose of keeping decent items out of landfills.
5. Keep your house smelling fresh, naturally
Avoid air fresheners – which can cause watery eyes, nausea, and headaches – by creating your own fragrant alternatives. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, air within your home could be up to five times more polluted than the air outdoors. Make your own potpourri using herbs, spices, and flowers or simmer fresh spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, or vanilla on the stove. Learn more about how to keep your house smelling refreshing without unnecessary toxins by reading this blog post: 10 Alternatives to Synthetic Air Fresheners by Eco-novice.
6. Treat cleaning like a game instead of a chore
By assigning age-appropriate duties to your children, they gain a sense of responsibility and self-discipline within their household. Rid those dust bunnies by having the kids wear old socks and “skate” throughout the house. Be sure to properly inspect the area for hazardous items on the floor before the game begins. You can even incorporate music into the task. While the kids are “skating” around, play wax museum: Once the music stops, they must pause in place.
Source
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
Recycle your worn clothing by turning old fabric into rags to clean quick spills and tidy up the house. Can’t find any holey clothes in your closet? Try E-cloth. Currently, Mom Ambassadors are sampling (and loving) e-cloth, a general-purpose glass and polishing cloth that reduces cleaning with chemicals, as it only requires water for use. These simple alternatives save you money and help conserve the environment.
2. Recycle your old electronics properly
Many of us have the urge to upgrade to the latest electronics, while our past purchases are often sitting tucked away in a junk drawer or closet. In fact, in developed countries the average lifespan of a mobile phone is only two years! But electronics in landfills are hazardous to our environment because of the chemicals they contain. Search online for sites that offer you cash for your used electronics, such as Gazelle. And if you’re looking to ditch old electronics quickly, local supermarkets might offer drop boxes that recycle and send your property to developing countries around the world. Check out KIWI magazine’s online article for more ideas on how to “Turn You Trash into Cash.”
3. Create your own or shop for non-toxic cleaning solutions
Many household products, like baking soda and vinegar, serve as strong cleaning agents. Plus, they don’t contain harmful chemicals that can trigger rashes or irritate your respiratory system! And if you can’t picture yourself mixing it up in the kitchen, be sure to choose the safest options for your family by thoroughly reading product labels, as some purchasing guidelines do not require companies to list all ingredients. For an effective counter cleaner, mix ¼ cup baking soda and just enough liquid castile soap until it becomes a creamy consistency. Check out KIWI magazine online for more great DIY green cleaner recipes.
4. De-clutter your home
Have a yard sale or host a party with friends to swap toys and clothing items! During the Christmas season, our Chief Mom Ambassador, Annie, hosted a toy swap and became hooked on the concept of exchanging practical items for free. You can also become a member of the fast-growing freerecycle.org community which allows locals to give and receive items for free, with the purpose of keeping decent items out of landfills.
5. Keep your house smelling fresh, naturally
Avoid air fresheners – which can cause watery eyes, nausea, and headaches – by creating your own fragrant alternatives. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, air within your home could be up to five times more polluted than the air outdoors. Make your own potpourri using herbs, spices, and flowers or simmer fresh spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, or vanilla on the stove. Learn more about how to keep your house smelling refreshing without unnecessary toxins by reading this blog post: 10 Alternatives to Synthetic Air Fresheners by Eco-novice.
6. Treat cleaning like a game instead of a chore
By assigning age-appropriate duties to your children, they gain a sense of responsibility and self-discipline within their household. Rid those dust bunnies by having the kids wear old socks and “skate” throughout the house. Be sure to properly inspect the area for hazardous items on the floor before the game begins. You can even incorporate music into the task. While the kids are “skating” around, play wax museum: Once the music stops, they must pause in place.
Source
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Prepare Your Yard For Spring!
1. Prune away dead and damaged branches.
Where tree or shrub branches have been damaged by cold, snow, and wind, prune back to live stems; use a handsaw for any larger than ½ inch in diameter. Shaping hedges with hand pruners, rather than electric shears, prevents a thick outer layer of growth that prohibits sunlight and air from reaching the shrub's center. At right, Roger neatens up a yew by pruning wayward shoots back to an intersecting branch. Prune summer-flowering shrubs, such as Rose of Sharon, before buds swell, but wait to prune spring bloomers, like forsythia, until after they flower.
Perennials and Grasses
2. Cut back and divide perennials as needed.
Prune flowering perennials to a height of 4–5 inches and ornamental grasses to 2–3 inches to allow new growth to shoot up. Where soil has thawed, dig up perennials, such as daylilies and hostas, to thin crowded beds; divide them, leaving at least three stems per clump, and transplant them to fill in sparse areas. Cut back winter-damaged rose canes to 1 inch below the blackened area. On climbers, keep younger green canes and remove older woody ones; neaten them up by bending the canes horizontally and tipping the buds downward. Use jute twine or gentle Velcro fasteners to hold the canes in place.
A pair of sharp bypass pruners makes a clean cut on both dead and living foliage.
Beds and Borders
3. Clean Up Around Plants.
Rake out fallen leaves and dead foliage (which can smother plants and foster disease), pull up spent annuals, and toss in a wheelbarrow with other organic yard waste. Once the threat of frost has passed, Roger also removes existing mulch to set the stage for a new layer once spring planting is done. Push heaved plants back into flower beds and borders, tamping them down around the base with your foot, or use a shovel to replant them. Now is a good time to spread a pelletized fertilizer tailored to existing plantings on the soil's surface so that spring rains can carry it to the roots. Add a 5-10-10 fertilizer around bulbs as soon as they flower to maximize bloom time and feed next season's growth. Use pins to fasten drip irrigation lines that have come loose and a square-head shovel to give beds a clean edge and keep turf grass from growing into them.
Composting
4. Compost Yard Waste.
Dump collected leaves, cuttings, spent foliage, and last season's mulch into your compost pile, or make a simple corral by joining sections of wire fence (available at home centers) into a 3-by-3-by-3-foot cube like the one above. Shred leaves and chip branches larger than ½ inch in diameter to accelerate decomposition, or add a bagged compost starter to the pile. Keep the pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge, and aerate it with a pitchfork every two weeks. Just don't add any early spring weeds that have gone to seed—they might not cook completely and could sprout instead.
Source: This Old House
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
Where tree or shrub branches have been damaged by cold, snow, and wind, prune back to live stems; use a handsaw for any larger than ½ inch in diameter. Shaping hedges with hand pruners, rather than electric shears, prevents a thick outer layer of growth that prohibits sunlight and air from reaching the shrub's center. At right, Roger neatens up a yew by pruning wayward shoots back to an intersecting branch. Prune summer-flowering shrubs, such as Rose of Sharon, before buds swell, but wait to prune spring bloomers, like forsythia, until after they flower.
Perennials and Grasses
2. Cut back and divide perennials as needed.
Prune flowering perennials to a height of 4–5 inches and ornamental grasses to 2–3 inches to allow new growth to shoot up. Where soil has thawed, dig up perennials, such as daylilies and hostas, to thin crowded beds; divide them, leaving at least three stems per clump, and transplant them to fill in sparse areas. Cut back winter-damaged rose canes to 1 inch below the blackened area. On climbers, keep younger green canes and remove older woody ones; neaten them up by bending the canes horizontally and tipping the buds downward. Use jute twine or gentle Velcro fasteners to hold the canes in place.
A pair of sharp bypass pruners makes a clean cut on both dead and living foliage.
Beds and Borders
3. Clean Up Around Plants.
Rake out fallen leaves and dead foliage (which can smother plants and foster disease), pull up spent annuals, and toss in a wheelbarrow with other organic yard waste. Once the threat of frost has passed, Roger also removes existing mulch to set the stage for a new layer once spring planting is done. Push heaved plants back into flower beds and borders, tamping them down around the base with your foot, or use a shovel to replant them. Now is a good time to spread a pelletized fertilizer tailored to existing plantings on the soil's surface so that spring rains can carry it to the roots. Add a 5-10-10 fertilizer around bulbs as soon as they flower to maximize bloom time and feed next season's growth. Use pins to fasten drip irrigation lines that have come loose and a square-head shovel to give beds a clean edge and keep turf grass from growing into them.
Composting
4. Compost Yard Waste.
Dump collected leaves, cuttings, spent foliage, and last season's mulch into your compost pile, or make a simple corral by joining sections of wire fence (available at home centers) into a 3-by-3-by-3-foot cube like the one above. Shred leaves and chip branches larger than ½ inch in diameter to accelerate decomposition, or add a bagged compost starter to the pile. Keep the pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge, and aerate it with a pitchfork every two weeks. Just don't add any early spring weeds that have gone to seed—they might not cook completely and could sprout instead.
Source: This Old House
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Great News In The Housing Market
Local market fundamentals and conditions will be favorable for the real estate market for 2016. Job growth is expected to slow slightly but this will be offset by higher rates of net-migration and improving wage rates due to a tight-labor market. There are no signs of a bubble; both sales and prices are at sustainable levels. The market and now particularly prices are now largely free of the harmful effects of closures, short sales, and underwater mortages, which held back demand and prices. And there is no indication of waning demands as demonstrated by the extremely low "days on market" data. On the supply side, the inventory of existing home listings shows demand outpacing supply and there is little concern about completing unsold inventory from home builders; their inventories are very low as well. All these positive local conditions will be supported by a very healthy statewide economy in 2016.
But beyond Utah's borders both nationally and internationally, there are some potential dangers. Most prominent is the showdown in the Chinese economy and the possible unraveling of their debt bubble. China's problem has contributed in part to the recent selloffs in stock markets internationally. Declining oil prices have also negatively affected financial markets and put fiscal and financial pressure on oil financing countries; Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Nigeria. These worrisome, international conditions raised talk in some of a showdown in the U.S. economy and perhaps a recession. The US economy is now in the 77th month in expansion, a little long in the tooth as expansions go. The average post World War II expansion is 62 months, just over five years. The longest US expansion 120 months (1991-2001). It's important to note, however, that recent expansions have been getting longer due to structural shifts in the economy (more service oriented) and technological advances in inventory management.
International and national conditions are legitimate concerns, but over the next 12 months barring a cataclysim in China or the Mideast, they will have little impact on the local residential real estate market. Total residential sales will increase from 17,100 in 2015 to 19,000 in 2016. An increase of 11%. Sales of single-family homes will be up 10% and multifamily sales a little stronger with a 13 percent increase in sales. The median sales price of a single-family home will increase in the range of 5-7 percent while the increase in the price of multifamily units will be higher at 8 to 10 percent.In 2016, the median sales price of a home will be near $290,000 and near $205,000 for a multifamily unit.
Presented by James Woods Ivory-Boyd Fellow, University of Utah
Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
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