Articles Tagged "Home improvement"

Want to remove pesky odors from your home and improve the quality of your indoor air? Our real estate agents suggest buying an air purifier.

An air purifier removes pathogens from your air, like pet dander, dust, and other allergens, that can affect your health. If you also work from home and spend a lot of time in your home office, an air purifier ensures that you have clean, healthy air in your workspace, helping you feel your best and boosting your productivity. 

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A beautiful, functional kitchen is one of the home's greatest assets. If you love cooking or wining and dining company on the weekends, investing in the kitchen is a great way to wow your guests.

Cooking just happens to be one of our favorite hobbies, and our real estate agents are always investing in the latest and greatest kitchen gadgets. But what kitchen gadgets will you actually utilize, and which ones will just collect dust? If you're looking to enhance your cooking skills or just make things more convenient, here are some of the best gadgets to add to your kitchen:

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Nothing makes a house feel more like home than setting up a cozy outdoor living space. Not all patio furniture is created equal, though, which means your choice has to be a careful one. Here are a few tips from our real estate agents on how to choose the perfect outdoor furniture.

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Do you love baking but wish your kitchen was more functional for your culinary needs? Or, do you want to create a space that makes it easier for you to bake your favorite dishes?

By making a few simple changes to your kitchen, you can improve the functionality and efficiency of your kitchen. Our real estate agents know that many of these projects will make your home more appealing to potential buyers.

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Limited on yard space? Consider building your garden "up" instead of "out" this spring.

Vertical gardens are a beautiful touch to any home, and they're very much in style this year. Vertical gardens consist of greenery suspended to a vertical wall, frame, or panel. Think of an ivy wall but with a wide assortment of plants. There are also super easy to build and maintain and can give your exterior a unique appeal. Some of our favorite Dallas homes for sale have had well-maintained vertical gardens that really impressed buyers.

Our real estate agents love exterior design trends that include vertical gardens, so they offered to pull together some tips to help you with yours this spring:

1. Choose The Right Location
   Location is everything when it comes to a vertical garden. You'll want to choose a wall that is not only accessible but also receives a significant amount of sunlight. If you have a wall that could use a makeover, a vertical garden could also be a good way to conceal blemishes.
    
2. Create A Sturdy Frame
   Your vertical garden needs to consist of a strong frame that can support pots, planters, or other soil containers. However, your garden is only as durable as the frame you select. Use thick, strong wood or even PVC pipe. Flimsy, thin pieces of wood or loose wire can lead to chaos when strong winds or storms roll in. Your structure also needs to be strong enough to support the weight of your plants.
   
   
3. Protect Your Wall And Foundation
   Your vertical garden is going to need to be watered frequently, so it's important to take the necessary steps to protect your outer wall. Attaching a protective backing layer allows you to protect your building from any damage caused by ongoing water exposure. Also, consider adding a pooling tray to the bottom of your vertical garden. This will prevent water from pooling near the foundation of your home.
   
   
4. Choose The Right Plants
   Not all plants are suited for a vertical garden. Since you're building up, you'll be limited on soil depth. Consequently, you'll need to choose plants with shallow roots. Aim for plants with roots that don't exceed 6 inches beneath the surface. Leafy vegetables and most popular flowers will work well.
   
   
5. Give Your Plants Support
   Many plants don't grow vertically on their own, so they'll need a bit of extra support. Use fasteners, clips, and stakes to help keep your plants growing upward. This will be critical to keeping your plants healthy and your garden looking good.
   
   
6. Choose The Right Watering System
   Watering a vertical garden can be a bit difficult, as gravity pulls water to the ground before it has a chance to soak into the roots. Consequently, you may need to water your vertical garden more frequently. Using a hose or a sprinkler system will work; however, a drip irrigation system will help evenly distribute water across the soil and provide the water a better chance of soaking into the soil.
   
   
7. Prune Often
   Like any garden, your plants are going to need regular maintenance and upkeep. Vertical gardens often don't receive the same amount of sunlight as a horizontal garden, so it's important to keep adequate space between your plants and prune and trim regularly.

If you're looking to make your home stand out among these beautiful Fort Worth homes for sale, a vertical garden is a great addition to your exterior. For more landscaping tips, contact us today.

Love to cook? If so, you may be looking for a dream kitchen among Fort Worth homes for sale. You probably have some good ideas about what you want in a kitchen, but our real estate agents have some insightful advice that might make you reconsider what you're looking for. For instance, many homeowners think large when it comes to kitchen space, but experts say it's more important for your kitchen to be organized than to be expansive.

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Whether you're permanently working from home or just want a space where you can create in peace, it's important to set up an inviting home office that you look forward to working in. Our real estate agents also find that a home with a home office is more appealing to potential buyers. You don't have to undergo a complete renovation to update your home office; instead, check out these simple ways to give your home office a boost. 

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Renovating or updating your home is an exciting prospect. Whether you plan on living there a while longer or are fixing it up to sell soon, doing much-needed updates can be satisfying. Before you get too carried away, though, here are a few words of caution from our real estate agents.

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No matter how big a house is, we seem never to have enough storage space. The problem might be you just haven't unlocked the secrets of a good storage strategy.

If you're considering homes among Dallas homes for sale or Fort Worth homes for sale, and you're wondering if the storage will be sufficient, just keep these tips in mind for how you might expand the storage space in your new home.

1. Over-the-doorway shelving. 
   Bet you didn't know you had all that potential storage space right over the doorway. Install open-air shelves over the doorway in bedrooms, bathrooms, and above double doors. Depending on the type of room where the shelves are installed, you can place plants, decorative dishes, and pottery, or treasured mementos.
   
   
2. Under-the-bed storage bins.
   Don't let that space under your bed go to the dust bunnies. Acquire long, flat storage bins and stow things such as holiday gift bags, tissue, and wrapping paper; or even off-season clothing. 
   
   
3. Hooks for measuring spoons and cups.
   Don't you get fed up looking for measuring spoons and smaller-size measuring cups in your drawer full of miscellanea? Now you can put your hand right on them by installing hooks inside your kitchen cabinet doors and hanging them within easy reach.
   
   
4. Drawer organizers.
   Utilize these to help organize your kitchen. Drawer organizers work well if you put some time into planning what you need to access before you buy the organizers. Make sure you measure your drawers as well! 
   
   
5. Storage bins for cabinets.
   Same as for drawer organizers: think about what you want to place in storage bins before you buy them. For instance, maybe you have some spices you'd like to have right at hand, so you acquire a bin for the pantry where you can place them in rough alphabetical order. Storage bins in cabinets should work well for all the smaller items in the kitchen, such as packets of gravy or dressing mixes, a box of bouillon cubes, a baggie full of orphaned tea bags, sweetener packets, whatever. Obviously, storage bins for your bedroom closets will be larger so they can hold your shoes; maybe in your office, a storage bin would be useful for rounding up all those power cords and chargers you can't seem to throw away.
   
   
6. Excess stuff.
   You know you need to get rid of stuff you never use, but it's hard. We suggest once a year going through your possessions and doing a fearless assessment of what you're likely to need or can let go of without regrets. Some of it can go in the trash or the recycling bin; the rest, such as clothing or furniture in good repair, can go to charity. 
   
   
7. Outdoor storage shed.
   This is one of the best solutions for relieving indoor crowding. Try to arrange stored items with a top to bottom plan by stacking seldom-used items on the bottom, and stuff you might need in smaller containers near the top. Think about what you'll want to get at (holiday decorations for instance) and place them so you can access them as needed. 

All these small changes will add up and provide you and your family more space so you can live more comfortably in your home.

Need more tips? Our real estate agents can help. Contact us today.

Even though most homeowners use their driveways every day, it's a commonly overlooked area when it's time for home maintenance and upgrades. If your driveway is starting to show its age or is need of a little TLC, you have a few options to get it looking its best.

Before you add your property to the inventory of Dallas homes for sale, taking care of any driveway issues will ensure your home shows well with potential buyers and help you maximize its value. Here are some options to help you improve your driveway.

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Kitchens pose a unique challenge when you're looking to update your home. They have to be highly functional workspaces and feel inviting. Completely renovating a kitchen would involve removing built-in cabinets and moving major appliances—an expensive and disruptive endeavor. But you can give your kitchen a whole new look on a modest budget. The Dallas homes for sale that we show can serve as inspiration, but you should also consider the following ideas. 

• Shed New Light on the Subject
  Changing your lighting can make a world of difference in the look and feel of your kitchen. A fixture with a ceiling fan can cool things off in the summer. Under-cabinet lighting can make it easier for you to work if your counter space is mostly under wall cabinets. If you have a flush-mounted ceiling light, changing the fixture may be as simple as unscrewing the old and attaching the new.

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Remodeling your home is a way to make it more functional and enjoyable for years to come. But what if you're planning to sell your house? It's unfortunate but true: not every home remodeling project offers a great return on investment. In fact, no project recoups all the money you put into it, but some come close. Before you tear the whole place up, consider the cost versus the value, and make sure you're investing in upgrades that make sense, cost-wise.

Our real estate agents suggest the following remodeling projects for your Dallas homes for sale.

• Minor Kitchen Remodel
  Because it is the most frequently used and commented-upon room in a house, there's a good deal of value in an inviting kitchen. A modern kitchen can add value to your home, and on average, you can recoup more than 80% of the renovation cost. You need to be careful, however, by considering the cost versus the value. For instance, based on the cost of your home, will it make sense to install marble or granite countertops? Take a look at costs when remodeling kitchens. Things like getting new, more energy-efficient appliances, replacing hardware, refacing cabinets, installing a new sink and faucet, adding a window over the sink, or repainting and adding new flooring can add considerable appeal.

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One of the most common features home buyers focus on is the amount of space, and for good reason. While smaller spaces have their advantages, having extra room means that a growing family or a couple who enjoys entertaining need not jostle for storage or living space. Our real estate agents will be happy to walk you through the process of staging your home for sale. But before buyers can make your current library into their future exercise room, you'll want to know how your house can make a big splash among Dallas homes for sale.  

Plan for Success 

The way you use your extra room may differ from its original design. If you have access to them, check the original plans for your house. If you have an older home, your extra room may have begun its life as a drawing room, pantry, or a nursery. While this shouldn't dictate future plans, it should offer possibilities for staging and selling. Rooms created by dividing larger rooms can still draw inspiration from their architectural roots. A former part of the dining room can become a room for the family to relax after dinner or a place to store pieces that are reserved for special occasions. Don't worry if the room is undefined on the plans—that's a potential buyer's chance to breathe new meaning into the space.

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Are you considering selling your DFW home or investing in a Texas property that you plan on flipping? Our real estate agents strive to identify the burgeoning trends that homebuyers seek in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. Among the many home improvements that sellers complete to increase their home value, we want to highlight seven specific exterior home features that buyers instantly fall in love with.

1. Versatile Outdoor Space
   Dallas is a fantastic place to live, particularly because our range of seasons keep us pretty comfortable all year long. With such wonderful weather, it's no surprise that homebuyers want versatile outdoor space. From covered patios to open areas for grilling, entertaining, or warming up around a fire pit, these families are looking for a convenient, comfortable way to enjoy their outdoor living space.

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You've decided it is time to sell your house and you find yourself overwhelmed with deciding what to upgrade to get a better price. Our real estate agents believe the simplest place to start is with paint.

Giving the inside of your home a fresh coat of paint showcases your home as crisp, clean, and up-to-date, especially if you have lived there a while and your house shows the rough and tumble effects of family living. Painting gives you a chance to patch the odd holes in the living room, paint over your children's unintended "artwork" in the hallway, and finally undo that bad choice of bright red in the guest bathroom.

• Choose Your Colors
  This is not the time to indulge in your unique style of home décor.  A black accent wall and checkered tile might make you swoon, but not your potential buyers. People looking to buy a new home need to be able to see their own style in the rooms they walk through. This means sticking with basics like neutrals on the walls.

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