So, who here thinks the recession is over? Raise your hands. I count no-one. We're all in agreement that the giant 'R' word is still looming over our heads. And, because of this, you may have lost some built-in equity associated with your home. But fear not: This thing will blow over and when it does your home will be marketable again. So, in the interim, here are 5 inexpensive upgrades that you the homeowner can do yourself to help increase your home's value.
1) Upgrade your bathroom. Second only to a total kitchen remodel, upgrading your bathroom is one thing that you yourself can do to build equity. Replacing that tacky, energy wasting light fixture with a more modern, energy saving fixture is one idea. How about yanking that old, wood and mirror medicine cabinet off the wall too. If you have adequate storage in your sink's vanity, opt for just hanging a round or oblong mirror in it's place. Do you still have those old, pitted, chrome plated towel hangers on the walls? Take them down. There are so many new styles to choose from. Most big box building supply stores have accessory packages that include towel rings, hangers and toilet paper holders all in one. A newer, modern vanity top is easy to install too. Don't forget a new, water-saving faucet to go with it. Add a new coat of semi-gloss paint and you are done. See, now doesn't that look better?!
2) Change-out the knobs or pulls on your kitchen cabinets. Self-explanatory here, simply by removing those ugly, outdated, pitted knobs and handles and replacing them with new modern ones, you can easily and afford ably change the look of your kitchen. Again, the big box stores will have lots of styles to choose from. Here's a tip: not all handles are the same width. Measure the distance between the screw holes for the proper replacement handle.
3) Paint. Oh, stop groaning. You know your house needs it. You might as well do it now. Re-painting the interior of your house is one of the most cost-effective projects that you can undertake. Paint your ceilings in flat ceiling white to hide any imperfections in the drywall finishing work. If you have youngsters, paint the walls in a satin finish. Dirt and fingerprints will wash off easier. If your rooms are small, keep the colors light. Dark colors always make a room feel like a cave. Oh, and PICK A NEUTRAL COLOR! The next owners may not like the Barney Dinosaur purple that you've picked out. Here's the best painting tip that you'll ever receive: Paint the ceiling and walls with an 18" roller. What, you've never seen one? That doesn't mean that they don't exist. Find them in the big box store. You'll need an extension pole, some 18" roller covers (I recommend 3/8" nap) and a WIDE paint tray. Look around the paint section carefully, they are there. Using an 18" setup will speed the job along AND it makes a mediocre painter into a superb painter. This I can personally attest to!
4) Install a Pergo floor. The latest thing in snap together flooring is not that hard to install and can dramatically change the look of a room. You will need to either borrow or buy a small, portable table saw, but let's face it, you've always wanted one so here's your chance. Follow the directions closely and you can't screw up. I advise using a helper for this project. Any extra pair of hands will do. This type of flooring is NOT recommended for wet locations i.e., bathrooms, mud rooms or basements that tend to flood during rainstorms or high tide. Wait for local sales in your area to purchase said flooring and remember to add 10% more to your square footage when purchasing.
5) Window treatments. So, exactly how long have those curtains been hanging on your windows? I don't care if they were your grandmothers', they are ugly and they smell like dust! Rip those suckers down! Here in this century, vertical blinds are the latest thing. Forget those pull down shades, those cheap plastic mini-blinds and the ugly curtains. Vertical blinds come in a variety of materials, colors and sizes. There are websites out there that offer custom made vertical blinds that are EXTREMELY affordable. All you do is pick your material, color and size. You determine size by measuring height and width. The website will give detailed instructions on how to do this. Installation of these custom blinds is very easy too, with easy to follow step by step instructions. Again, pick a neutral color because these will stay with the house when sold. A nicely trimmed window always makes a good impression on a potential buyer. Good luck, Ray
Monday, November 2, 2009
What NOT to say to your lady -------for men only!
This post is for men only so I'll wait while all the women reading this leave the room. hum....hum...hum...la-de-da....hum....hum.. I think they are all gone now.
Men, and I use the term loosely, listen up. The following advice will help save your life. How many times has your girlfriend/fiance'/wife/boyfriend (I don't discriminate) come home from work in a BADDD mood and you've said the absolutely most wrong thing to say causing that, "I'm going to castrate you in your sleep!" look?? What? I can't hear you with your feet in your mouths. Oh!, that many! Pathetic! The following is what NOT to say AND examples of what TO say to your lady. Now, pay attention.
1) "Yeah? You think you had a bad day, well let me tell you about what happened at.........." Wrong, wrong wrong. Your lady has had a bad day. Any number of things could have gone wrong for her. You have no idea the crap she has to deal with on a daily basis. Right now it's about HER. The last thing she wants to hear is how bad your day was. Usually, a woman will mellow a bit during the ride home and let some steam escape. If she walks through the door with smoke emanating from her eyes, the ride home wasn't long enough. What she needs now is compassion and understanding. Women are emotional creatures with sometimes raging hormones that we as men cannot comprehend. The right thing to say is, "Hi honey, you look like you've had a bad day. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you" Then, give her a big hug. Now, how hard was that?
2) "Hey, are you going to cook tonight or what?" Bad, bad, bad. Where is your brain? Most working women do not make the same salary as men for performing the same job. They are sometimes expected to "Run get coffee,"Pick out a nice birthday present for my wife" and "so and so is leaving, we need a going away cake." President Lincoln might have freed the slaves but some women are still on parole. The last thing she wants to hear while in this foul mood is if she will be expected to perform one more task. Later on, the chore of cooking dinner for you both might not seem like such a bad request but right now, after proposing the aforementioned request, if she had an UZI, you'd look like Swiss cheese. A few choices of the RIGHT thing to say could be: "You look tired. Should I call for a pizza?" "What say we go to that nice, quiet place where we met for dinner?" And the number one thing you could say is, "How about I cook for you tonight?" Then, get out the candles, put on a Sinatra C.D. and roll up your sleeves. She'll think your body's been inhabited by aliens but you will look like Prince Charming in her eyes.
3) "Man! do I get horny when you're angry!" You'd better hide the knives after that one, Einstein! What are you thinking with, the big head or the little one? You'd better get a clue because a woman's libido and your libido are on two separate planets. The way into a woman's pants is through her mind, but right now her one goal is how to kill you but not stain the carpet. Later on, after you've cooked her dinner and shared a bottle of wine, she might be inclined to jump your bones but right now the cookie jar is sealed with a padlock. There really is no right thing to say. She has to cool down, unwind, de-compress. You want to help in that process? Actions speak louder than words. Find a large piece of paper, draw a 'Happy face' on it and hand it to her. Or, run out into the backyard, grab the first flower you see and hand it to her. Doesn't matter if it's a weed, to her it's just the thought. I hope I've been a help and pass along this information to your dopey friends so as to help them too. Bye.
Men, and I use the term loosely, listen up. The following advice will help save your life. How many times has your girlfriend/fiance'/wife/boyfriend (I don't discriminate) come home from work in a BADDD mood and you've said the absolutely most wrong thing to say causing that, "I'm going to castrate you in your sleep!" look?? What? I can't hear you with your feet in your mouths. Oh!, that many! Pathetic! The following is what NOT to say AND examples of what TO say to your lady. Now, pay attention.
1) "Yeah? You think you had a bad day, well let me tell you about what happened at.........." Wrong, wrong wrong. Your lady has had a bad day. Any number of things could have gone wrong for her. You have no idea the crap she has to deal with on a daily basis. Right now it's about HER. The last thing she wants to hear is how bad your day was. Usually, a woman will mellow a bit during the ride home and let some steam escape. If she walks through the door with smoke emanating from her eyes, the ride home wasn't long enough. What she needs now is compassion and understanding. Women are emotional creatures with sometimes raging hormones that we as men cannot comprehend. The right thing to say is, "Hi honey, you look like you've had a bad day. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you" Then, give her a big hug. Now, how hard was that?
2) "Hey, are you going to cook tonight or what?" Bad, bad, bad. Where is your brain? Most working women do not make the same salary as men for performing the same job. They are sometimes expected to "Run get coffee,"Pick out a nice birthday present for my wife" and "so and so is leaving, we need a going away cake." President Lincoln might have freed the slaves but some women are still on parole. The last thing she wants to hear while in this foul mood is if she will be expected to perform one more task. Later on, the chore of cooking dinner for you both might not seem like such a bad request but right now, after proposing the aforementioned request, if she had an UZI, you'd look like Swiss cheese. A few choices of the RIGHT thing to say could be: "You look tired. Should I call for a pizza?" "What say we go to that nice, quiet place where we met for dinner?" And the number one thing you could say is, "How about I cook for you tonight?" Then, get out the candles, put on a Sinatra C.D. and roll up your sleeves. She'll think your body's been inhabited by aliens but you will look like Prince Charming in her eyes.
3) "Man! do I get horny when you're angry!" You'd better hide the knives after that one, Einstein! What are you thinking with, the big head or the little one? You'd better get a clue because a woman's libido and your libido are on two separate planets. The way into a woman's pants is through her mind, but right now her one goal is how to kill you but not stain the carpet. Later on, after you've cooked her dinner and shared a bottle of wine, she might be inclined to jump your bones but right now the cookie jar is sealed with a padlock. There really is no right thing to say. She has to cool down, unwind, de-compress. You want to help in that process? Actions speak louder than words. Find a large piece of paper, draw a 'Happy face' on it and hand it to her. Or, run out into the backyard, grab the first flower you see and hand it to her. Doesn't matter if it's a weed, to her it's just the thought. I hope I've been a help and pass along this information to your dopey friends so as to help them too. Bye.
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