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Electrical Safety Hazards - Tips to Prevent Them

Wednesday, July 26, 2017
by The Hat Team

Electricity is a beautiful thing.  It provides warmth in the winter and cools you off during hot summer months. It gives you light in the dark and makes chores like washing/drying clothes and doing dishes so much easier.  You take it for granted because you’ve always had it and you certainly can’t even imagine what life would be like without it.  Because it is such a normal part of your life, you probably don’t stop to think about how dangerous it can be.  It is important to be educated about possible electrical problems in your home so that you will know how to deal with them before they happen.

  1. Do you know how old your home is?  Often older homes don’t have the capacity for electricity that current technology uses.  If you have never had an electrical safety inspection by a professional, now is the time to do so.  If your home’s electrical wiring has not been updated to safely handle all the current that your family uses, it is crucial to have it done .
  2. Is your electrical panel hot to the touch?  It shouldn’t be.  Check the brand of your panel. Several brands are outdated or faulty and should be replaced.  A faulty electrical panel can lead to a fire.  That is not something anyone should risk.
  3. Outlets should not be hot either.  If you feel an electrical outlet and it is warm or hot, it means there could be a problem.  There are dangerous issues indicated by a warm/hot outlet. Whether it’s too much demand on the outlet, faulty or melting wiring, or other precarious situations, you don’t want to ignore it.
  4. Keep plugged in appliances away from water.  This seems obvious, right?  But sometimes limited space forces us to use electrical appliances near sinks or bathtubs.  Whether you are blow-drying your hair at your bathroom vanity or your kitchen only has one plug for your toaster and it’s right by the sink, be extra careful.  If a plugged-in appliance gets wet, don’t unplug it. Go to your electrical panel and unplug the power source for the outlet you’re using.  Then you can unplug it.
  5. Make sure you are using the correct wattage light bulbs.  Using a higher wattage than can safely be accommodated by a lamp or light fixture may overload its wiring, which is a fire hazard.  It’s ok to use a light bulb with wattage equal to or less than that called for on the lamp’s socket.  If you want brighter light, look for a lamp that uses a higher wattage bulb.
  6. Use an experienced, licensed electrician to handle your home’s electrical repairs and/or replacements.  Professional electricians are well-trained and have years of on-the-job experience before being granted a license.  They will know current codes and regulations and can safely navigate any problems they might come across.

It’s easy to prevent electrical hazards if you are informed and educated about what to be aware of.  So, don’t take electricity or your family’s safety for granted!

 

http://www.homesforsaleinmontgomeryalabama.com/Blog/Organizing-Your-Home-Made-Simple

http://www.homesforsaleinmontgomeryalabama.com/Blog/Tips-for-Remodeling-Your-Home-and-Where-to-Start

http://www.homesforsaleinmontgomeryalabama.com/Blog/Things-to-Accomplish-Soon-After-Moving-Into-Your-New-Home

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How to Make Your Outdoor Space More Inviting and Fun

Wednesday, July 5, 2017
by The Hat Team

This time of year folks begin to get outdoors to do more around their homes because it is nice and warm outside.   It’s also a good time to do a bit of work outside the house and make your outdoor space more inviting and fun for family and friends.   Below is a list of ways in which you can accomplish this.   

 

  1. 1. If you already have landscape lighting, why not purchase a few fun colored lightbulbs to use in them for different holidays.  This will definitely make your outdoor space a lot more fun.  

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  1. 2. If you are getting tired of mowing your grass then, you may want to replace your grass with a garden.  You might want to add a garden of flowers or a garden of vegetables or even put in a koi pond.  Any of these ideas will help to keep you from spending your summer evenings mowing the grass all the time. This will make your outdoor space more fun. 

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  1. 3. If your patio furniture is old and outdated, now is the time to go out to purchase some that allows you to show your style more effectively.  Outdoor furniture always makes outdoor spaces more inviting and fun. 

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  1. 4. Adding a new doorbell to the outside of your home may seem like a small thing.  However, if you find a nice one that lights up the front door, it can do wonders towards making your home seem more inviting at night.   

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  1. 5. If you don’t already have a swimming pool, summertime is a great time to add one.  Not much can make your outdoor space more fun than a swimming pool for all to enjoy.   

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  1. 6. If you do add a swimming pool, why not go out and make it really fun and cool by adding an outdoor shower to the mix.  This type of thing is pretty rare unless your home is at the beach, so your outdoor shower may quickly become the talk of the neighborhood.   

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There are so many ways in which to make your outdoor space more inviting and fun; these are just a few of them that you may want to try.   

 

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

 

Outdoor Space 

Links:  http://www.foxnews.com/real-estate/2017/03/23/28-outdoor-projects-everyone-should-know-about.html?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1703044 ,  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hometalk/10-easy-ways-to-make-your_1_b_7024910.html  

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Items to Throw Out Before You Move

Wednesday, June 21, 2017
by The Hat Team

Moving from an old house into a new house can be an exciting. It can also be a very stressful time for those folks who don’t like to throw anything out.  Don’t worry.  You can keep most of your items, but there are a few that should most definitely be thrown out before you move and those are listed for you below.   
 

  1. 1. If you have a lot of old towels and rags lying around your house, whether you use them or not, you might want to get rid of those before you move  into another home.  These types of things can carry bacteria on them.  And you don’t want to start out in your new place with dirty items when you can purchase new ones once you arrive.   
     

  1. 2. Make-up is good to have but it does have a shelf life.  Once that has passed, it isn’t really good to keep it around.  Avoid the compulsion to throw all of your old makeup into a box and take it with you.  Although you use it once or twice, there really is no need for it because it won’t look as nice as a new pallet of makeup.   
     

  1. 3. Soaps, deodorants, nail polish,  and sunscreen may be things you use on a regular basis but you really don’t need to take up space in your moving boxes for these types of items.  These things don’t cost a lot of money and can easily be purchased anywhere.  
     

  1. 4. Once you start packing and you find a ton of USB cables, realize that you don’t need them all and get rid of a few of them.   You may have a friend in need of a USB cable that you can bless with one or two.   
     

  1. 5. Don’t pack paperwork unless it is absolutely necessary.  Of course you will have to keep important contracts and tax information, but most of the paperwork you’ve collected over the years is likely now obsolete and can be thrown out before you head out.   
     

  1. 6. Last but not least, go ahead and let go of all of the clothes you can no longer fit into.  Donating these types of items can many times be a big blessing to others.   

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These are just a few ideas of things you might want to get rid of before you move.  By doing this you will avoid having to unpack all sorts of unnecessary items and will save yourself a ton of time in the process.   

 

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

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Selecting Plants and Flowers for Home Garden

Wednesday, May 31, 2017
by The Hat Team

Many of us select plants for the garden at our Montgomery, AL home based on their visual effect—color, height, size of blooms, etc. And so we should, as the sight of our plantings should be pleasing to our sense of sight. As we plan our garden, however, we should also be aware of the other four senses—and include plants which appeal to each of them.

SMELL: Aromatherapy is a powerful practice. With nothing more than a simple scent, the brain can be triggered to remember long forgotten memories, emotions, and feelings. With that being said, it is important to carefully select the flowers you want in the garden of your Montgomery, AL home. With a few simple choices, you can create your own "memory lane' or relaxing oasis. In terms of fragrance, it’s hard to beat roses or lavender. Wisteria and jasmine are scented climbers which can really enhance the sensory pleasure of a garden, and amaryllis belladonna and spirea both add pleasant scents.

SOUND: Few of us associate the sense of sound with our garden, but the rustling of long grasses and the chirping of birds add a much-appreciated dimension. To attract songbirds, use fruit-bearing understory trees like dogwoods and service berries and shrubs such as viburnums and hollies and introduce low growing perennials and dwarf shrubs like creeping juniper and cotoneaster. You can also plant vines, ground covers, and sunflowers to increase chirping and tweeting.

TOUCH: Texture in garden design refers to the surface quality of the plant. Plant textures range from delicate and fine to coarse and bold. The feel of the foliage in your Montgomery, AL home’s garden is not the only element of texture, however, as the texture can change with the play of light and shadow and even with viewing distance. Plants with thread-like leaves call out to be touched, so consider adding cosmos, baby's breath, asters, and grasses. In addition, iris and lamb’s ear will each provide softer tactile experiences.

TASTE: The world of herbs is nearly without limits. Think about basil, chives, rosemary, chamomile, cilantro, mint, and parsley, to name just a few tasty garden additions. Consider, too low bush blueberries or ligonberries. Lesser known, but equally valuable as salad additions are the flowers of the hibiscus shrub, columbine, and daylilies.

Some of the plants you have selected for your garden will serve more than one purpose and will appeal to more than one sense, so be sure to sniff, feel, taste, listen to, and view each of them!

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

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Sprucing Up for Spring

Wednesday, May 17, 2017
by The Hat Team

It is that time of the year again, spring has sprung. As you begin thinking about spring cleaning, don’t forget to include the homes exterior in your plans. Whether you are selling your property or plan on calling it home for awhile, every house could use a boost in curb appeal. Curb appeal creates the first impression of your home. If selling your home, curb appeal reflects how well the property is cared for and intrigues buyers to take a look inside. Curb appeal is also a way to showcase your personality and create welcoming scenery for your guests. Spring is the perfect time to spruce up your home’s exterior. The following tips will help you attain enchanting curb appeal.

Start With A Checklist

The first step to enhancing curb appeal is to determine what needs improvement. Take a walk around the outside of your home pretending that you are a potential buyer and take note of things that could possibly impair your first impression. Be sure to consider all factors from possible missing shingles on the roof to rotten wood around windows or doors.

Landscaping

If your home does not receive routine yard maintenance, a through clean up can make all the difference. Start by removing debris, giving the grass a fresh cut, eliminating weeds, and trimming over grown bushes or trees. Keep in mind that bushes should never exceed the height of window sills or extrude growth beyond the threshold of sidewalks. Use a pressure washer to clean the exterior of the house, making sure to leave all windows sparkling. Replace any rotten wood and touch up chipped paint.

The Front Door

Establishing a welcoming entry can really improve the first impression of a visitor or potential buyer. Make sure the pathway and porch leading to the front door is well lit. Use decorative porch fixtures that compliment the color of the house and other hardware. Lining walkways with solar powered garden lights gives the yard a vivid glow after dark. Make the front door a focal point by repainting it a warm, inviting shade that contrasts from the siding and shutters. Use a classic shade of red or go bold and try yellow. 

 

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

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Spring Maintenance Check List for Your Home

Wednesday, April 19, 2017
by The Hat Team

Spring cleaning has likely already become underway in your household.  What you may not have given much thought however is spring maintenance for your home.   There are several things that folks generally check around their homes before the winter months but there are also a few things you need to check in the early spring months.  Below is a spring maintenance check list for your home.   
 

  1.  Springtime means it is time to start mowing your lawn again.  If your lawn mower has been outside all winter due to lack of storage space you may need to do a bit of maintenance on it before you get it going.  Sharpening the blade is always a good idea before a new season so that you get a nice clean cut on the grass.  It’s also a good idea to check the oil on your lawn mower before beginning to use it for the warm season.   

  1. Spring is a great time to check your house for worn paint areas such as your shutters.  If you find worn or chipped paint on your house what better time to fix that than in the typically perfect weather of spring.   

  1. Be sure to check your crawl space vents for any debris that may have accumulated there over the winter months.  Also you want to keep your eye out for any animals such as snakes or rodents that may have made their home in your crawl space over the last few months.  Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong and repair anything that may be broken such as the vent covers.   

  1. Get your flower beds and any garden areas ready for spring by cleaning out any debris that may have accumulated and trimming back any old growth.  It is also a good time to add mulch to your flower beds and fertilizer to your garden.  
     

The above list of spring maintenance ideas is just a start in the right direction.  There is certainly much more that you need to do in and around your house before the summer time approaches.  Once you get started with these, you will likely find and think of more things that need to be done.   

 

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

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How to Clean Your Grill

Wednesday, April 5, 2017
by The Hat Team

Spring is here and that means that summer is right around the corner!  Summertime brings with it many things but one of the awesome things about summer is that it means many meal prep times will move from inside of the kitchen to outside on the grill!  Yum!  You will have to do your part to get your grill ready for all the outdoor cooking that is about to begin!  Below are a few ideas on how best to clean your grill for the upcoming season! 

 

  1. The first place to start when beginning to clean your grill is to clean the grates.  These can get quite dirty during the outdoor cooking season.  If you were smart when the last season ended you cleaned them and wiped them down with cooking oil, however if you didn’t, there is still hope. One good and easy way to clean your dirty grill grates is to place them into your self-cleaning oven and let it do the work for you.  Another way to get your grill grates clean is to simply put them in the dishwasher.   

  1. Clean the burner tubes by simply brushing them and wiping them clean.   Be sure not to use any metal brushes as these have been deemed unsafe if the metal pieces come off and get into your food.   

  1. Clean the grease collection tray by scrubbing it with a clean damp cloth.   

  1. If you happen to have a charcoal grill, your cleaning process will be a bit simpler than with a gas grill.  Scrub the grill with a nylon brush and then clean the grates and that is it!  If you have old charcoal simply throw it out and buy some new for the season.  
     

These are just a few ideas on how to clean your grill to get it ready for the upcoming outdoor cooking season.  The best way to clean your grill is honestly just to clean as you go. If you do your part to clean up after yourself after each and every meal you will have a much easier time when it comes time to get the grill out again for the next season.  If you don’t do your part to clean as you go, at least now you have a few ideas on how to get rid of the grit and grime easily.    

 

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

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Organizing Your Home Made Simple

Wednesday, March 22, 2017
by The Hat Team

It is almost time for the seasons to change once again as we move from winter slowly into spring.  As the seasons change many people find that they like to get things around their home organized to make the transition seem smoother.  Organizing your home can be made simple with a few of the following tips. 

  1. One way to organize your home is to get rid of “junk drawers” throughout the house. Many times folks tend to throw things they don’t know what to do with into a drawer that soon becomes a drawer full of junk. While these drawers DO keep the junk out of the eye of those that come to visit, you just never know when someone may open one of them looking for utensils or other useful items and you may be embarrassed by them.  Simple fix…..throw out the junk once and for all and have no more junk drawers in your home!
  2. Another great and simple way to organize your home   is to organize and de-clutter your pantry.  Typically there are items in your pantry that you haven’t used in years and they end up just sitting there taking up space.  This is very true for old canned food items that tend to have a shelf life of forever.   Once you get this simple organizing of your pantry complete, be sure not to let it get messy again by throwing away things you don’t use periodically. 
  3. Yet another simple way to organize your home  is to use all of your closet space for things you will actually use instead of just getting things out of the way.   If you have a lot of games for example why not make a game closet just for the purpose of storing all of your family games.  This type of closet will make it more likely that your family may have a game night once a week because you will know exactly where to go to find the games. 
  4. Keeping all of the books in the house in one spot is another great organization tip.  If you have various bookshelves in your home, you can utilize them for other purposes and keep one for only books.  Organize each shelf for books from each family member if you have a lot of books.  

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

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Tips for Keeping Your House Ready To Show at Any Time

Wednesday, March 15, 2017
by The Hat Team

So you have your house on the market and you are eager and ready to sell it as quickly as possible?  Here are a few tips for keeping your house ready to show at any given moment throughout the day or night. 

  1.  If you are a busy working person in society it is likely that you don’t have time to keep your house spic and span twenty four seven.  However you CAN make the house look as if it is clean all the time by simply getting rid of some of the clutter.  Two of the main rooms you should concentrate on to accomplish this are the bathrooms and the kitchen.  Make sure that all counter space is clean and free from any clutter in each of these rooms.  Also a good way to make the kitchen look less cluttered is to take any and all items you have posted on your refrigerator off while you are trying to sell your home. 
  2. Another way to keep your house ready to show at any time  is to clean eye catchers first.  Items you should clean first are such things as the ceiling fans, floors, countertops, stovetops, ovens, trash cans and bathroom fixtures.  These places can get dirty quickly and will be noticed by folks who come to tour your home so make sure they are clean at all times. 
  3. Do a few extra things like adding a touch of color to each room with pillows to make the space pop.  Also if there are any beds left unmade or any areas of the house that need a quick pick me up do your part to make that happen on a daily basis before you head out the door.
  4. Another tip for keeping your house ready to show at anytime   might be to use an essential oil diffuser in the main room of the house so that it always smells fresh and clean. 

These are just a few tips for keeping your house ready to show at any time of the day or night.  You never know when you might get a call to show your house at the last minute and by doing these simple things you will always be ready.  This doesn’t mean you will be guaranteed an offer by any means but it does mean that your chances may be greater!

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

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How to Spruce Up a Boring Kitchen

Wednesday, March 1, 2017
by The Hat Team

The kitchen is a place in the home where many hours are spent preparing meals and spending time with family.  If the kitchen is boring and not ecstatically pleasing to you or your family, no one is going to want to spend any time there.  Below is a list of a few ways in which you can spruce up your boring kitchen and make it a place where you really love to be.  

  1. One of the first ways you might think about to spruce up a boring kitchen is buying new appliances.  The typical type of appliance these days is stainless steel.  Another type of appliance that folks are using these days are the ones that look just like cabinets.  Whatever type of appliance you decide to buy, you will be helping your kitchen look as good as it possibly can.
  2. Another way to spruce up your kitchen is by changing the paint color.  If your kitchen is older, it is possible that the paint has gotten worn over the years and adding a pop of color with new paint can make all the difference in the world.
  3. Yet another good way to spruce up a boring kitchen  is by changing the cabinets.  You can choose to have all new cabinets put in or you could just change the way they look by painting them.  Antiquing is a popular way to refinish and spruce up furniture.  Antiqued cabinets are very beautiful and can make a kitchen look really nice. 
  4. Buying some new lighting for your kitchen is an easy way to spruce it up.  You can get as crazy as you want with lighting when it comes to making your kitchen an exciting place to be.  Go to your local hardware or lighting store to see what all is available for you to choose from. 
  5. New flooring in the kitchen is another way to make it look updated.  If you currently have laminate you may want to change it to tile, or you could choose to extend the hardwoods from the family room or whatever room adjoins the kitchen into the kitchen.   

These are just a few ideas for sprucing up a boring kitchen.  Hopefully they will get you started in the right direction for making your kitchen a room that everyone wants to congregate in.  

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

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Sandra Nickel, REALTORS
1067 Woodley Road Suite 1
Montgomery AL 36106
334-834-1500
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