What you need to know about non load bearing walls

If you’re planning a major remodel of your home, you’ll need to know about safely removing non load bearing walls. Most interior walls you are likely to remove during a remodeling project are non load bearing, but it’s important to know how to identify them before you begin demolition.

As always with significant renovation projects, consult a professional before you get into your home renovation.

Here is a basic guide to non load bearing walls:

What are examples of non load bearing walls?

Walls in your home exist for many reasons other than bearing loads. Here are some examples of non load bearing walls you’re likely to have in your house:

  • Closet walls.
  • Interior basement walls.
  • Walls between bedrooms.
  • Angular walls covering corners.

What is the best way to remove a non load bearing wall?

While demolishing a wall might make you think of sledgehammers, it’s much safer and more effective to remove non load bearing walls piece by piece. The basic strategy for safely removing a non load bearing wall is to begin with the outside layers and work inward.

It may seem simple, but it’s essential to hire professional help for removing walls of any kind. Even if the wall is not load bearing, you will need to install headers to support the weight from above. Removing a wall also requires altering electrical circuits, plumbing or gas pipes and HVAC ductwork in a safe and precise manner. Pipes and wires will either need to be capped off or redirected.

For safety reasons, it’s recommended that you consult an engineer or other construction professional for help removing a non load bearing wall. They can make sure all changes adhere to building codes and will keep you and your home safe in the future.

Keep this in mind when planning a major remodel of your home, and plan accordingly, so you have the support you need.

Host a Yard Sale Before You List Your House

If you intend to sell your home, you may want to host a yard sale. Thanks to a yard sale, you can eliminate clutter from your residence. Furthermore, a yard sale enables you to connect with your local community and inform community members about your plans to list your house.

Ultimately, there are many ways to ensure a yard sale is an instant success. These include:

1. Determine Exactly What You Want to Sell

You know you have a lot of items you want to remove from your house before you add it to the real estate market. As such, you should allocate time and resources to determine which items to keep and which items to sell.

If you have a variety of items you intend to keep, you may want to rent a storage unit. With a storage unit, you can keep your personal belongings safe until your residence sells.

Meanwhile, with items you want to sell at your yard sale, ensure they work properly and look great. You also may want to perform research to determine a fair price for these items based on their age and condition.

2. Pick a Good Date for Your Yard Sale

A Saturday or Sunday morning is the perfect time to kick off a yard sale. Select a date and time for your yard sale, and you can start counting the days until this event takes place.

Of course, as you consider yard sale dates, be sure to avoid scheduling your yard sale on a holiday. And remember, if you start your yard sale early in the day, you can give visitors plenty of time to check out your event.

3. Promote Your Yard Sale Properly

Create yard sale posters and set them up around your community. That way, you can promote your yard sale to a large group of community members in the days leading up to your event.

In addition, you may want to promote your yard sale online. Social networks make it easy to share information about your yard sale and may help you reach many people beyond your city or town.

As you get set to sell your home and host an upcoming yard sale, you may want to reach out to a real estate agent too. A real estate agent can help you get ready for the house selling journey and ensure you can achieve the optimal results.

A real estate agent is a home selling expert who is committed to client satisfaction. He or she will help you promote your residence to prospective buyers, analyze offers to purchase your home and much more. Plus, if you have any concerns as you navigate the home selling process, a real estate agent can respond to them.

Want to sell your home in the near future? Host a yard sale, and you can move one step closer to eliminating clutter from your home and adding your residence to the housing market.

3 Benefits of Hiring a Home Staging Professional

While there are many parts of staging you can do yourself, there are some important benefits to hiring a professional. A professional home stager can help you prepare your home for the market and can use their expertise to sell your home quicker and for a higher price.

Here are the three biggest reasons to hire a staging professional to help you sell your home:

Networking Power

If you’re working with a real estate agent to sell your home it’s likely they recommended you hire a staging professional to help. They might even have a specific individual or firm to suggest. Just by making that initial connection, you’re already benefiting from the powerful networking abilities that home staging professionals have. Home stagers “know all the right people” in the industry in order to do their jobs well. What does this mean for you? With access to a network of other professionals, stagers can help you get the best price for any materials or services needed to update your home. Painters, contractors or even furniture rental services are all examples of important contacts who can save you money. You also get the peace of mind that your staging professional has existing relationships with these other individuals or companies and knows what to expect in terms of service and costs.

An Objective Viewpoint

A home staging professional will provide you with valuable perspective. Having never lived in it, a stager won’t have the same emotional connection to your home. Even besides emotional attachment, they will see things you might miss as a homeowner simply because you see them every day. A staging professional will have a fresh and purely objective viewpoint on your home which will allow them to do their job to the best of their ability. They will identify potential issues, make suggestions or changes to prepare your home for potential buyers. The more experience they have in staging homes, the better: staging professionals are up-to-date on home trends and will cater to the current market with their knowledge.

Bringing Out the Best in Your Home

Staging professionals will see your home objectively but also strategically. When staging a home, it’s impossible to make everything absolutely perfect for every potential buyer. That’s why it’s important to find the best features of your home to highlight. Stagers can see the potential value in every aspect of your property and will know where best to apply your money and hard work. They might identify if you have under-used space and if you could rearrange your furniture to make your rooms seem bigger. They can replace or add new window treatments in order to emphasize a home’s natural light. A staging professional will identify and highlight what’s best about your home so that potential buyers will recognize and desire those features as well.

There are lots of details that go into staging your home for sale but the key benefit of hiring a professional stager is that they bring a fresh perspective. For example, what you might consider the best feature in your home might not be what buyers are looking for. You might need improvements in places you don’t notice because you see them every day. If you want the best possible price for your home, definitely consider hiring a staging professional to help.

Craft Your Own Miniature Plant Stand With This DIY Guide

Adding height variation to your plant collection can enhance the entire look of the collection. Even if you have your potted plants on a shelf, table or other surface off of the floor, some plants definitely benefit from sitting up higher. There are plenty of tabletop plant stands available on the market but they’re also easy to build yourself. Here are the materials and steps needed to make your very own miniature plant stands.

Materials & Tools

Square wood dowel
Dowel pins
Wood glue
Wood stain
Sealer
Rag
Plant pot
Measuring tape
Hand saw
Drill & drill bit
Sandpaper or power sander
Clamps

Process

  1. The very first thing you need to do is measure the diameter of the pot you want to use in the stand. If it’s a tapered or round shape, measure both the bottom and the widest point (whether at the top or in the middle).
  2. Measure and cut the wood dowel so that you have 4 “legs.” For the crosspieces, you’ll need one long piece and two smaller pieces to make the cross.
  3. Mark where the drill holes will go. Add drill holes to the center and either end of the crosspieces and into the middle of each side support. Make the holes approximately 1/2 inch deep.
  4. Use glue and dowels to connect the crosspieces. Add a bit of glue to the end of the dowel and fit it into each hole, clamping the pieces together to make sure it’s a firm fit. Once connected, you should have an X shape.
  5. Now add dowels into each end of the cross and secure them with glue. Attach the leg pieces by fitting the dowels into the holes you drilled in the center of each support. Use the clamp to hold everything steady while gluing.
  6. Make sure the glue is dry and check for any sign of wobbling. If you have some slight unevenness in the legs you can sand down the longest one or more to even them out. If there is a dramatic difference, you may need a hand or hack saw to correct it.
  7. Sand all the surfaces thoroughly to prepare for the stain or paint you want to use. Scrape off any extra dried glue you find, since it won’t take the stain or paint.
  8. Once you’re finished sanding and prepping, paint the visible surfaces and add a coat of seal afterward.
  9. Grab your plant pot and test out the stand. Check again for any signs of unevenness or wobbling and adjust accordingly. Experiment to find the best looking spot for your new tabletop plant stand to complement the plant itself as well as offer it the maximum light and air flow.

How To Avoid Problems With Your Hot Water Heater In Your Home

You may not think much about your hot water heater. Unless of course, your hot water heater ends up breaking down. Hot water is so important in our homes, yet we take this resource for granted. Hot water does a lot in our homes from clean our laundry to disinfect our dishes to heat up our showers. We use it without thinking about it.  

If you neglect your hot water heater it can cause some costly damage to your home. Your basement could end up flooded. Pipes can burst. You can be without the use of hot water for days- even weeks- if you’re not vigilant about taking care of your hot water heater. 

Once water is gushing from the source, the best course of action is to simply shut the water off to your home. Before you even get to that point there are some tell tale signs of damage to your hot water heater that can be detected before major issues arise. First, if you notice any type of water around your hot water heater, you should get it checked out. Don’t look at it as “no big deal.” Any type of moisture or water stains around the water heater itself are a sure sign that something isn’t right with the unit.

As a homeowner, you should know just how old your hot water heater is. Usually, the installation date on the heater is noted somewhere along with the serial number. The typical hot water heater lasts about 9-11 years. If you live in an area with hard water, this number can vary.   

The Cleanup

Once the damage is done to your hot water heater you’ll likely have a large cleanup project on your hands. You’ll need to call water extraction services that will help dry out the area and clean up any baseboards that can become hazardous. Sometimes, these projects can get a bit bigger than you’d ever expect. After the water is pumped out, the cleanup has only just begun.  

Why Hot Water Heaters Fail

The minerals from water tend to build up (especially in the case of hard water) and cause the unit to rust out form the inside. While the inside of the tank contains glass, it does have metal pieces that can rust. You can replace certain parts of the hot water heater from time to time to keep it in good working order, the best prevention is to replace your water heater when the time is right. Don’t let the unit sit until way past its expiration date.

Being The Homeowner

As a homeowner, you probably wonder if something like a broken water heater were to happen if your insurance would cover the cost of the damage. The insurance will cover the cost of cleanup and repairs. The insurance will not cover the cost to replace the hot water heater or any labor costs. The only way the entire cost would be covered is if you have a home warranty. 

A simple thing that you can get to help alleviate major damage to your home from a hot water heater is to get an alarm. This little device is inexpensive and will alert you when any water hits near the areas of the alarm. This could save you a lot of costly damage and repairs. The most important thing that you can do in your home to prevent major damage from a hot water heater is to stay vigilant and keep on top of maintenance and replacement timelines.           

How to Set Realistic Expectations for the Homebuying Journey

As a homebuyer, it is paramount to establish realistic expectations for the homebuying journey. That way, you can take a step-by-step approach to achieve various goals along this journey and acquire your ideal residence faster than ever before.

Setting realistic homebuying expectations can be simple. Now, let’s take a look at three tips to help you set realistic homebuying expectations.

1. Assess Your Home Must-Haves and Wants

Dozens of homes are available in cities and towns nationwide. If you establish realistic homebuying expectations, you may be better equipped than others to determine exactly what you want to find in your dream house. As a result, you could reap the benefits of a quick, seamless homebuying experience.

Oftentimes, it helps to create a list of home must-haves and wants prior to searching for a house. This list can be updated as you proceed along the homebuying journey and will serve as a guide to help you discover your ideal residence.

2. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

With a mortgage in hand, you can narrow your home search to residences that fall within your price range. Then, you can speed up the homebuying journey and find your ideal residence in no time at all.

To get pre-approved for a mortgage, you’ll want to meet with banks and credit unions. These financial institutions generally offer a broad array of mortgage options. Examine all of your mortgage options closely, and you’re sure to find a mortgage that matches your finances.

Also, don’t hesitate to ask mortgage questions when you meet with potential lenders. Banks and credit unions employ friendly, knowledgeable mortgage specialists who are happy to help you in any way they can. Thus, you can gain expert insights from these mortgage specialists that could help you make an informed mortgage decision.

3. Collaborate with a Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent understands what it takes to purchase a home in any housing market. Therefore, he or she can help you prepare for the real estate market and establish realistic homebuying expectations from day one.

Typically, a real estate agent first will learn about your homebuying goals. He or she then will help you map out a successful homebuying journey, one that concludes with you discovering your dream house at a budget-friendly price.

A real estate agent offers plenty of support at each stage of the homebuying journey too. This housing market professional will set up home showings, keep you updated about new residences that become available and help you evaluate houses. And if you want to submit an offer on a home, a real estate agent will make it easy for you to put together a competitive homebuying proposal.

Achieving the optimal results during the homebuying journey sometimes can be difficult. But if you establish realistic homebuying expectations, you may be able to streamline the homebuying journey and ensure that you can purchase a great house that suits you perfectly.

Prep Your Home for the Market with These Selling Tips

It’s a competitive market for home sellers right now. That means it’s more important than ever to make your house stand out from the competition and draw visitors to your listings and open house, as well as attracting interested buyers with excellent curb appeal.

All of these preparations take time and planning. However, if done correctly, you’ll not only bring more potential buyers to visit your home, but you’ll also be able to increase your asking price based on a few key aesthetic upgrades.

In this post, I’m going to fill you in on some of the most time and cost-effective ways to prepare your house for sale to bring the most number of potential buyers.

Make a revitalization budget

Before you start spending on your home upgrades, take the time to make a budget for the things that are the most important to making your home look and feel great. This budget will help you keep your spending in check and get the most out of your sale preparations.

Start working on curb appeal

Without spending much money, many homeowners can drastically increase the curb appeal of their home. Pressure washing the siding and sealing and sweeping the driveway is a great start.

Before taking photos or receiving visitors, trim and edge the lawn and lay down some fresh mulch. You don’t need to spend hundreds on flowers to make a substantial difference on curb appeal.

To make your home stand out and look up-to-date, apply a fresh coat of paint to your front door. Choose a color that complements your home, but one that also “pops” and grabs your attention.

Declutter and organize

Preparing your home for sale also happens to be a great time to start packing away some personal belongings. Family photos and other items that are unique to your family are best left out of your photos and distract viewers from being able to picture themselves in your home.

Since our homes are built to live in, many of us keep our things in convenient places rather than tucking them away. Now is a good time to try and find ways to integrate some minimalism in your home so that visitors don’t feel crowded by clutter.

Spend money on the right items

Some home upgrades just aren’t worth the time and money they’ll take to perform before selling. So, it’s best to prioritize the things that will have the most impact on visitors and viewers of your real estate photos.

A new welcome mat and cabinet handles are a great example of inexpensive upgrades that can make a home feel new again.

Take a look around your home and find the accessories that look dated or worn and see what you can accomplish on your budget.

Which Home Improvement Projects Add Value to Your Home?

Home improvement projects not only help you personalize your space to suit your style, but they can also boost your property value. When you are investing in a home improvement project, it’s important to choose one that is going to allow you to enjoy the greatest return on your investment.

These home improvement projects typically add the most value to your home:

Kitchen Remodel

A kitchen remodel is one of the most costly home improvement projects that you can take on, especially if you decide to renovate your kitchen from the ground up. However, this is also one of the most valuable investments that you can make in your home. A renovated kitchen can provide you with anywhere from a 50 to 80 percent return on your investment, depending on the choices that you make and the amount of money that you invest in the project.


New Windows

Installing new windows in your home is an improvement project that will increase your quality of life inside your home while also ensuring you enjoy a generous return on your investment when you go to sell. It is important to opt for energy-efficient windows to get the most cost savings and see the highest returns. Don’t forget about the rebates and tax credits you may be eligible for when you invest in energy-efficient windows.

Improved Deck or Patio

When you make a commitment to improve your outdoor living space, you are investing in your own enjoyment of your home. However, a freshly painted deck or a new patio can also add a lot of value — either project can offer a 30 percent to 60 percent return on your investment.

Basement Refinishing

Finishing the basement in your home can transform this storage area into a new, functional living space. If you add luxury features, such as a full bathroom or a wet bar, you may find that you see an even larger return on your investment from this project.

Any home improvement project — regardless of its size or scope — is going to require an investment of your time, energy and financial resources. When you select value-added home improvement projects, you may find that your investment pays off in dividends when you list your home on the market for the highest possible price.

4 Home renovations you might want to avoid

Renovations can increase the value of your home. However, not every renovation project is a good investment. Unfortunately, many renovations can actually lower your home’s resale value and cost more than you bargained for. If you’re interested in renovating your home, make a note of these projects to avoid:

Too much texture

While texture on walls and ceilings can enhance the aesthetics of a house, it’s not always a good investment to add. Not only are highly textured ceiling and wall finishes often considered dated, they are extremely difficult to remove. To increase texture without hindering future offers, try experimenting with texture in your wall decor and furniture.

Full carpet

Hardwood floors are a well-known plus for potential homebuyers. Conversely, a home with too much carpet might receive fewer offers and lower appraisals. Carpet shows age and damage much easier than wood and laminate, and can also cause issues for those with pet or dust allergies. If you want to add new floors, experts recommend reducing the amount of carpet in your home rather than adding more.

Bold paint colors

Paint is not permanent, but dramatic colors on walls can be a turn-off to potential homebuyers. Color is highly subjective, making neutrals and shades of white a safer bet for a renovation project. Potential buyers would rather consider your home to be a blank canvas than a personalized work of art.

Swimming pools

Adding a swimming pool is not always a wise investment, according to real estate investment experts. Not only is installing a pool an expensive renovation process, the ongoing required maintenance can seem like a huge undertaking to potential buyers.

If you live somewhere with six months or more of hot weather during the year, a pool may be a smart project to invest in. However, it may be more beneficial to spend that money on a patio renovation or other outdoor upgrades instead.

Not every home renovation equals a return on investment. While customizing your home to meet your personal needs is an enormous advantage of homeownership, it’s also helpful to be mindful of the future. By knowing which projects to avoid, homeowners can enjoy their home while boosting property value.

Enjoy a Positive House Selling Experience

Every home seller wants to enjoy a positive property selling experience. Yet ensuring your home selling strategy goes according to plan may be difficult, particularly for a seller who lacks property selling expertise. Lucky for you, we’re here to provide the help you need to achieve the optimal results at each stage of the home selling journey.

Now, let’s take a look at three tips to help you reap the benefits of a positive home selling experience.

1. Set an Aggressive Initial Home Asking Price

How you price your home will have a significant impact on how quickly your residence sells. If you establish an aggressive initial home asking price, you should have no trouble stirring up plenty of interest in your residence as soon as your home becomes available.

Check out the prices of available houses in your area that are similar to your own residence. Then, you can establish a price range for homes in your area and price your house accordingly.

Furthermore, it often helps to evaluate the prices of recently sold houses in your city or town. With this housing market data at your disposal, you can find out whether you’re getting ready to sell your home in a buyer’s or seller’s market.

2. Remove Clutter

Clutter is problematic, particularly for a home seller who wants to streamline the property selling cycle. Fortunately, home sellers who identify clutter now can eliminate this problem before they list their houses.

Antiques, paintings and other excess items inside your home should be removed. You can always rent a storage unit, which will enable you to keep these items safe until you sell your house. Or, you can host a yard sale or sell excess items online prior to listing your residence.

Don’t forget to remove lawn decorations and other clutter from outside your house as well. By doing so, you can instantly improve your house’s curb appeal and increase the likelihood of a fast, profitable home sale.

3. Consult with a Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent is prepared to do everything possible to ensure you can enjoy a positive house selling experience. In fact, this housing market professional will offer plenty of support at each stage of the home selling journey.

Usually, a real estate agent will meet with you before you list your house. He or she then will craft a home selling strategy designed to help you accomplish your home selling goals. Next, a real estate agent will promote your house to dozens of potential buyers, set up home showings and open house events and keep you up to date about any offers to purchase your residence. And if you decide to accept an homebuying proposal, a real estate agent will guide you through the home closing process.

Ready to reap the benefits of a positive home selling experience? Take advantage of the aforementioned tips, and you can seamlessly navigate the home selling journey.