Articles Tagged "For homeowners"
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20
Know These 7 Things Before You Re-Side Your House
Re-siding your home offers a great opportunity to not only improve the visual appeal of the exterior, but also to boost your home's energy efficiency. The key to gaining these benefits is choosing the right material. There are a number of distinctive and attractive materials available for re-siding, so how do you know what to choose?
Further, there are some caveats that go along with selecting siding contractors that every homeowner should know about.
And remember, our REALTORS® can help advise you on all the right moves to make when you're getting ready to place your home among Ann Arbor homes for sale.
13
New Homeowners: Where to Go Furniture Shopping in Ann Arbor
If you've bought a new home in or near Ann Arbor, MI, you'll want to make your house your own by ensuring it reflects your personal taste and preferences. Local furniture stores can help you by offering the pieces, expertise, and even customized options to help elevate your home's sense of style.
Our REALTORS® suggest going shopping for furniture at the following five local stores.
- All About Furniture- 5301 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
All About Furniture has been in business in the Ann Arbor area for over 15 years, offering a large selection and a no-pressure atmosphere. You'll find plenty of Amish and American-made furniture in their large showroom located near Ann Arbor homes for sale, including reclining sofas, custom dining room sets, and entertainment centers. Reviewers have praised All About Furniture's high-quality pieces as well as its superior level of customer service and attention to detail when your furniture is delivered, since the shop uses felt pads to protect your flooring.
26
Virtual Game Night: 10 Games You Can Play Remotely
Has social distancing disrupted your fun? Don't worry — you can still have game night every night with virtual gaming. Old favorites like Monopoly, Clue, and other classic board games have been given a digital update, joining hundreds of other new and exciting games online. If your young ones are bored — or if the young at heart desire some nightly entertainment — our real estate agents know that your whole family will love playing these fun games remotely.
4 Virtual Games for Children
- Minecraft
Chances are high that your children already know about Mindcraft, but if they don't, now is the perfect time to play. This kid-friendly game lets players build and explore extravagant worlds. A new Education Edition was created to help kids learn STEM while having fun.
18
Working From Home: Is Your Home WiFi Up to the Task?
Whether you are working out of your current home or looking for Ann Arbor homes for sale, your WiFi connection is essential for success. With the recent health crisis, more people are working from home while their children attend school online. The new trend has many reviewing their current WiFi connections. If your WiFi is not up to the task, multiple users can create a significant strain on your current Internet system. The delay in your system can cause missed deadlines and overwhelming frustration.
Is Your WiFi Up to the Task?
Your home's location often determines the type of Internet provider available. When looking for a new home, our REALTORS® are knowledgeable in all aspects of each home listing, including top WiFi providers. The first step in determining if your WiFi is up to the task is to get acquainted with the current system. Learn about your existing router, your Internet speed, and all other aspects of your system to determine the type of changes to implement. If you need help determining if your WiFi is up to the task, consider the following areas.
11
Your Clothes Are Clean, But Is Your Washing Machine?
When you wash a load of laundry, you expect your clothes to come out clean. But they may not be as clean as they could be if your washer has built-up dirt, grime, soap residue, and even mold and mildew.
Our REALTORS® suggest cleaning your washing machine at least once a month if don't do laundry very often and once every week or two if you use your washer nearly every day. This will also banish unwanted odors that could turn off potential buyers if you plan to put your home on the market soon.
The following steps will ensure your washer, as well as your clothes, stay clean.
20
How to Prep Your Yard for New Landscaping
As temperatures get warmer, it's time to prep your yard for new landscaping and fix any damage that's been done by winter temperatures and snow. You may have to wait to start planting, but there's a lot you can do now or in the near future to get your spring yard and garden off to a good start.
Our REALTORS® recommend the following steps to help prep your yard for new landscaping:
- Prep your tools
Check your landscaping and gardening tools, including your mower, trimmer, and pruning shears to make sure they're in good repair and ready for the new season. At the same time, inspect your outdoor lighting, patio furniture, deck, and porch for anything that need fixing and take care of it.
6
5 Things to Deep Clean This Weekend
Daily and weekly cleaning is necessary to keep your home clean, but occasionally, a deep cleaning is needed. Our REALTORS® suggest deep cleaning some of the following five things this weekend:
- Walls
Cleaning your walls can make the entire room look brighter. The key is to deep clean them enough to be effective, but not so much that you'll damage the paint.
Start by removing any objects hanging from the walls and dust the walls with a cheesecloth. Put towels or newspapers on the floor against the baseboards to help soak up any excess water. Fill a bucket with mild soapy water and have a second bucket of water for rinsing. Use a soft cleaning sponge to gently wash the walls, starting at the top and using a circular motion.
28
New Homeowners: Tools of the Trade
You're finally settled in your new home, and you have everything you need right at your fingertips – or so you think. Unexpectedly, a minor repair needs to take place, and you realize you weren't as prepared as you thought. Having some common – and not-so-common – tools lying around can be the difference between an easy fix or an unnecessary headache. New homebuyers tend to overlook these necessities, but you can equip yourself with these tools, and it doesn't have to cost you a fortune. Our REALTORS® will help get you into the perfect home, but here's a starting guide to ensure you have the right tools to maintain the upkeep of your home.
Tools of the Trade to Keep Your Home in Order
Plumbers and other repairmen can cost you upwards of one hundred dollars each time you need to call them. While you may need a professional sometimes, you don't need to spend a lot of money to acquire common tools that will allow you to do the job yourself. However, you also shouldn't run directly to the discount tools section for cheaper options. A basic toolbox purchased at your local hardware store will have many of the basics for you to use. This includes pliers, screwdriver set, adjustable and open-ended wrenches, level, hammer, Allen wrench set, and tape measure among others. These tools alone can help you fix a leaky faucet, repair furniture, tighten loose screws in appliances, or simply hang pictures.
22
Add On or Move On? Answer These 4 Questions
Is your home starting to feel a bit crowded? Perhaps your family has grown, and you need more bedrooms or another bathroom to accommodate everyone comfortably. Maybe you need extra space for an aging or ailing loved one, or office space to accommodate a new or growing home-based business. If your home no longer meets your needs, you have two basic choices in resolving this problem: Adding on or moving on to a new home.
So how do you know which option is best for you? Are you better off looking into local builders, or is shopping Ann Arbor homes for sale your best bet? The answer to that question depends on your particular circumstances, and here we'll outline some important considerations that can help you make a solid decision on whether to add on or move on.
- Do you love your home?
Does your home have unique features that would be difficult to find in a new one? Perhaps your neighborhood is perfect for your family, with an awesome community, great local schools, and wonderful neighbors. If so, adding on and settling in for the long haul may be the right choice for you. If, on the other hand, you're not emotionally attached to your home or neighborhood, moving on might be a more practical route for getting into a home that has enough elbow room to meet your needs.
20
Antiquing Around Ann Arbor: 6 Shops to Visit
When you're browsing Ann Arbor homes for sale, you're probably imagining what your dream home will look like once you've settled in. After all, a house doesn't really feel like home until you've had a chance to give it your own personal touch.
While there are plenty of excellent places to find home decor, shopping at vintage and antique stores gives you the opportunity to get your hands on one-of-a-kind items you won't find anywhere else. If you want to give your new home a unique sense of style, try shopping at some of these popular area antique shops.
- Treasure Mart: 529 Detroit St., Ann Arbor
With the perfect blend of both thrift and antique items, Treasure Mart resale consignment shop is an excellent source for your home decor needs. They have plenty of high-end furniture, rugs, artwork, home items, and an array of oddities. Plan to spend some time digging around as you never know what you're going to find!
31
8 Fireplace Safety Tips to Protect Your Home
Throughout the year, our REALTORS® enjoy showing potential buyers homes for sale in Ann Arbor complete with fireplaces perfect for warming your home. During Michigan's cold winter days, please consider these eight fireplace safety tips.
- Clean It
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) reminds us that a clean chimney is less likely to lead to a chimney fire. Removing creosote deposits, soot, and ash can go a long way toward preventing these often unseen fires deep within your chimney.
17
6 Coffee Shops in Plymouth for Your Daily Cup of Joe
Sometimes, the hours get away from you and the next thing you know you barely get any sleep before work. The only thing that is going to get you through the day is your coffee fix. It's always good to know the closest coffee shop to your home.
Our REALTORS® want to ensure you get the best cup of joe before work. Here are six coffee shops located around the Plymouth area to make sure you have your caffeine fix before work.
- Espresso Elevado - 606 S Main St., Plymouth, MI 48170
At Espresso Elevado, their mission is to craft and share coffee in a way that can elevate the experience. They also happen to be an award-winning artisan coffee roaster. On top of that, their coffee beans are organically grown to ensure you are getting the highest quality coffee. Now that you know a great coffee shop in the location try looking at some Plymouth homes for sale.
10
Let Curb Appeal Sell Your Ann Arbor Home
Gray skies, snowy weather, and stark, leafless trees can create a rather bleak look during the winter months – a look you'll want to overcome if you're working on selling your home. So what do you need to know about creating curb appeal against such a dreary backdrop? Here are some tips that can help ensure that your home looks warm and inviting this winter, creating a great first impression for potential buyers as they shop Ann Arbor homes for sale.
- Check Your Exterior
The exterior of your home is in full display once the leaves have fallen from the trees. Step back and take a look at your home with this in mind. Is the siding dirty and dingy? A power-washer can take care of that. Are there areas of fading or peeling paint? Touch them up. Loose or missing shingles? Get them repaired. Clogged, damaged or loose gutters? Get them cleaned and fixed. These small things can make a big difference regarding that all-important first impression, making it clear that you invest in proper home maintenance.
5
Plymouth's Local Guide to Outdoor Winter Fun
With a chill in the air and winter on its way, it's almost time to layer up and enjoy all of the cold-weather fun available in the Plymouth area. Whether you enjoy skiing, snowboarding, sledding, or learning to do something new, you'll find no shortage of outdoor fun around Plymouth. There are activities available for all ages, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy fun, family-friendly outdoor attractions throughout the season. Our REALTORS® have all of the exciting details, in our one-stop guide to outdoor winter fun in Plymouth, MI.
Outdoor Winter Fun Near Plymouth
- Stock Up on Supplies at Sun & Snow Sports – 338 S. Main St., Plymouth, MI 48170
No matter how you plan to enjoy all of the outdoor winter fun in Plymouth, it always pays to start the season with the right supplies. Sun & Snow Sports, located in Plymouth, offers everything that you need to enjoy the season. Stock up on ski/snowboard supplies, pick up comfortable cold-weather gear or have your skis/snowboard tuned up for the season. Sun & Snow Sports also offers rentals, perfect for trying something new. - Local Skiing at Alpine Valley Ski Area – 6775 Highland Road, White Lake, MI 48383
With all of your supplies in hand, you'll be ready to hit the local slopes at the Alpine Valley Ski Area, located in White Lake. Alpine Valley features 25 trails, with options for every skill level. There's an extensive area for beginners, a large terrain park, and challenging runs to test the skills of experienced skiers. Keep an eye on the special events schedule as well, because there's always something new and unique coming to the Alpine Valley Ski Area. - Ski and Snowboard Lessons at Mt. Brighton – 4141 Bauer Road, Brighton, MI 48116
Looking to brush up on your skills, or learn to do something new? Ski and snowboard lessons at Mt. Brighton are the perfect way to develop your skills on the slopes in a relaxed, educational setting. There are lessons available for kids, teens, and adults, along with racing and terrain park lessons for all ages. When your lesson is over, hit the slopes to enjoy the many trails available at Mt. Brighton, or head to the lodge from some hot cocoa and well-earned relaxation. - Sledding at Plymouth Twp. Park Sled Hill – 46640 W. Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth, MI 48170
Sledding is one of the most popular winter activities for kids in every community, and Plymouth homes for sale make it easy to carry on the sledding tradition. Start by heading to the Plymouth Township Park Sled Hill, where outdoor winter fun is always on the menu. The Plymouth Township Park Sled Hill is open throughout the winter, weather permitting, and has long been a favorite of local families. - Sledding at Heritage Park Sled Hill – 24915 Farmington Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48336
Is one great sledding hill not enough? No problem! The Heritage Park Sled Hill, located in nearby Farmington Hills, is another great spot to bring the family for some winter fun. The sled hill is open throughout the afternoon every day of the week. It's a great place to keep the kids busy on snow days or to enjoy a fun family outing on the weekend.
No matter the season, the Plymouth area is a wonderful place to call home for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors. Contact us at Remerica Hometown REALTORS® to buy, sell, and learn about homes in the Plymouth, MI area.
Remerica Hometown Realtors
41025 Ann Arbor Rd. E.Plymouth, MI 48170 734-459-6222
