If you are selling a petite house, don’t automatically fall into the mindset of “buyers won’t be interested in my property because it’s too small.” While it is true that a large number of potential buyers will be turned off by the size of your home, there is a specific type of home buyer that is attracted to small properties; a first time home buyer. First time home buyers are a niche market that you need to target in order to sell your tiny home, and you should plan for customized home improvement projects to benefit this target market.

According to a survey conducted by the U.S Census Bureau, “The average first time home buyer is 33 years old and has a household income of $64,100 per year.” What do these stats tell us? They tell us that we will need to cater to a market of young and hip professionals, and we will have to carry out our home improvement projects accordingly.

What does a young, hip and professional first time home buyer want in their starter home? Modern accents. Therefore, our goal is to transform the bathroom from cramped, busy and messy to modern, simple and streamlined. The good news is that this goal can be attained with just a small investment of $500 and a weekend of your time. What will you need? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Below is a chart of the items you will need to purchase and their average cost.

According to HGTV (Home and Garden Television), “You will recoup a rate of 102% on a minor bathroom renovation. Since this small-scale, yet highly effective home improvement project will cost you just under $500, this project falls into the “minor bathroom renovation” category. Ok, it’s time to get the ball rolling. When choosing your wall color, stay as neutral as possible.

While it is true that colors that are associated with modernism tend to be on the bright and bold side of the spectrum, sticking to a modern paint palette that falls on the “safe side” is ideal for a minor bathroom renovation. After all, you are trying to sell a house here, right? A safe and modern color palette will appeal to the masses, in turn pulling in a wider range of interest from the first time home buyer set.

The next most important factor of your bathroom makeover is to build cohesiveness. In order for the bathroom to appeal to buyers, the eye needs to flow throughout the room without obstruction. The easiest way to build a visual obstruction is to place a black finish wrought iron towel rail into a bathroom with nothing but stainless steel finishes. The towel rail will stick out like a sore thumb, consequently breaking up the flow provided by the stainless steel finishes. Choose hardware and accents in the same finish. If your faucet has a stainless steel finish, make it a point to purchase matching hardware and accents.

Another thing to remember when transforming your bathroom is to choose a vanity that blends in with your modern theme. Nothing will turn off a buyer (especially a choosy first time home buyer) like a bulky vanity that looks as if it were catapulted from the late 70’s. Remember, modern is synonymous with up-to-the-minute and antonymous with ancient.

Jazmin Espinal is a professional freelance writer and the owner of Capital Web Writing, a web content solution for businesses and webmasters. To contact Jazmin or to see samples of her writing, please visit CapitalWebWriting.com.

Photo by recubejim

Privacy fences are cropping up around homes everywhere.  Homeowners interested in improving the security and value of their homes are installing a privacy fence to keep important stuff in and bad guys out.  While privacy fences are not cheap, most would agree their cost is worth the benefits.

Four Benefits of Privacy Fence Installation

Added security.  When casing houses for easy access to out-of-sight doors and windows, privacy fences present an obstacle most burglars would rather not deal with.  They would have to find a way to either scale the fence, or remove a section of it, and both options would increase their chances of being detected. Privacy fences also prevent someone from pilfering your collection of yard equipment in the backyard and walking off with it.

Keep pets (and kids) in.  Fencing is a must if you are a pet owner, or have small kids, and deciding what type of fence you need depends on a number of factors.  If you have a large dog, it is possible they will be able to jump over shorter picket or chain link fencing.  Larger dogs may also have an easier time burrowing under flexible fencing.  Another concern is the curious fingers of a neighborhood child reaching through a fence to pet Fido, who is having none of it and tries to take off a child’s finger.  If you share these same concerns, consider a privacy fence.  They are taller, more structurally sound, and have no openings for Fido’s snout.

Increased privacy.  As the name suggests, privacy fences improve privacy around your lot.  For more homeowners, that alone is worth the installation costs.  No more kids peeking through the chain link when you’re out sunbathing.  No more neighbor’s dogs chasing you back inside your house.  Like the saying goes, “Good fences make good neighbors.”

Add value to your home.  Privacy fences are one of the few upgrades you can make to the exterior of your home that actually hold some value should you decide to sell.  Other projects are often not worth the added cost.  Privacy fences are aesthetically pleasing, create separation from neighbors and protection from would-be burglars, while providing a safe surrounding for children and pets.

Whether preparing to sell a home, or just making some needed upgrades, one of the most efficient ways to add value is by painting your house, inside and out.  Fortunately, paint supplies and paint itself are not that expensive, and can it is a task that can be accomplished by the average homeowner.  Here are six house painting tips that will help add value to your home while saving a little money in the process.

Not long ago I painted the entire interior of a house we were planning to sell.  It took a few weekends to work my way around the whole house, but I did it, and picked up a few tips along the way. (I also picked up a case of carpal tunnel syndrome, so it might pay to get painting estimates.

Six Tips For Painting Your House

1. Scrape loose exterior paint thoroughly. Exterior paint that is loose needs to be scraped from wood surfaces before painting over.  If left on the house, it will prevent the new paint from properly bonding to the wood and the new paint will eventually peel away prematurely.  Look for a paint scraper in your local hardware store.

2. When painting inside, painter’s tape is your best friend. I went through a lot of painter’s tape!  I used it to tape trim around doors and windows, and to cover baseboards and paneling that I did not want to get wall-color paint on.  Be sure to peel away the tape before latex paint completely dries, else it will peel away the paint bonded to the tape and leave an uneven edge next to trim.

3. Move furniture to the center of the room.  My basic strategy was to pile as much furniture onto the beds and move them to the center of the room.  Sometimes I had to move everything to the left side of the room and paint, and then move everything to the right side and paint.  This depends largely on the room size, and whether or not you have storage space to hold furniture over the weekend.

4. Cover remaining furniture with a drop cloth.  Drop cloths, plastic tarps, and even newspaper will do in a pinch. The point it to cover all remaining furniture so paint does not splatter or drip when rolling ceiling and walls.

5. Open windows and run ceiling fans to improve ventilation.  Today’s latex-based paints do not come with the same ventilation concerns as their oil-based counterparts, but I have found paint fumes can eventually lead to a bad headache.  I like to open windows and turn on ceiling fans while painting rooms to improve ventilation.  Don’t forgot to lock windows back when you are finished.

6. Cleanup, cleanup, cleanup.  My least favorite part of painting is cleaning up after.  I generally drop all brushes, edgers and rollers in a rolling pan and head outside.  Do not clean brushes with latex paint in your kitchen sink as the paint can dry and clog drains downstream.  Once in the backyard I fill a small bucket with water and a little dish washing soap.  You can use a paint thinner or cleaner if you want, but I’ve found a little soap does the trick.  Thoroughly wash and rinse all brushes, rollers and pans to remove as much paint as possible.  Really work the soap and water down into the paint brushes to prevent hardening around the roots of the bristles.

Photo by eschipul

For most of us our home is our largest investment. The extreme temperatures in winter can wreak havoc on our homes and our wallet, so take steps to prepare your home for the winter months ahead. Even if you got a late start on winterizing your home, it is never too late to prepare your home for winter.

Prepare Your Home for Winter

1. Add some antifreeze to the base of portable basketball goals filled with water.  During winter months the water in the goal’s base can freeze and expand, cracking the base.  Purchase a brand of antifreeze that is safe for kids and animals just in case.

2. Consider a thermal insulating blanket for your hot water heater.  Hot water heaters are often the least-efficient appliance in your home.  This is especially true if your tank is store in an outdoor storage room or garage (as ours is).  When temperatures drop the tank has to work extra hard to keep the contents warm.  Consider adding a thermal insulating blanket for your hot water heat to insulate the water from surrounding temperatures.

3. Consider a tune-up on snow blowers and other snow removal equipment. Shoveling your drive is an obvious essential. Seniors or those with injuries that make shoveling more difficult should consider a service such as this Burlington snow removal company to come in and clear the driveway.

4. Add insulation to attics and crawlspaces.  Inadequate insulation in attics allows heat to rise up and out of your home in winter, forcing heating systems to work harder to keep your home warm.

5. Inspect fireplace damper to make sure it is opening and closing properly.  One year, in our old home, the damper wasn’t opening properly, but we did not discover it until we lit a fire and the living room filled with smoke.

6. Install a programmable thermostat. One of the best winterizing tasks you can do is install a programmable thermostat.  They allow you to automatically create a heating schedule for your home.  At night you can allow inside temperatures to drop down a bit, but warm things up just before the alarm clock goes off. Similarly, you can allow the temperatures to drop inside your hours when it is empty during the day, but warm things up before you arrive home from work.

7. If you vacation during the winter months, leave your heat on and set it to 55 degrees.  This will help reduce the chance of interior pipes freezing.

8. Drain gas from lawnmower and store for the winter.  It’s also a good idea to store the lawnmower or tractor indoors during extremely cold temperatures.

9. Install fresh batteries in all smoke alarms.  We change the batteries in our smoke alarms twice a year, around daylight savings time changes.  It’s a good idea to periodically test alarms to be sure batteries are still working properly.

10. Inspect fire extinguishers and recharge if necessary.  Replace any extinguishers older than ten years.

11. Insulate water pipes that may be exposed to freezing temperatures.  If water in pipes freeze, chances are the expansion will cause them to burst and you’ll be stuck with a huge bill from a plumber.

12. Caulk around windows to prevent cold air from seeping in around cracks.  If you are not sure your windows needed additional caulking, try the candle trick.  On a windy day, light a candle and place it near your window with indoor cooling/heating systems turned off.  If the flame flickers when a gust of wind picks up it is an indication air is seeping around your windows.

13. Install a carbon monoxide detector.  Gas-log fireplaces and furnaces can give off toxic carbon monoxide gases.  Follow manufacturer recommendations on placement of monitoring device.

14. If your windows are not made of newer insulated glass, consider installing storm windows.  New, energy-efficient windows often two layers of glass with insulating air in between.  Older, single-pane models allow cold air to more easily seep in and make rooms feel cooler.

15. Arrange for a professional inspection of your furnace.  Just like automobiles require periodic maintenance, furnaces require servicing by a professional.  It’s worth the cost of a service call.

16. Inspect driveways and pathways.  Patch cracks with a cement or asphalt kit to prevent water from entering the cracks, freezing, expanding and creating even larger cracks.

17. Be sure to close attic windows. Attic windows provide needed ventilation in the heat of summer, but allow warm air insulating your ceilings to escape in the winter.

18. Stock up on firewood.  Store it at least 50 feet away from your home to prevent fire and termites from coming too close to your home.

19. Apply sealant to decks.  Sealant helps prevent wood damage from extreme freezing/thawing cycles.

20. Be sure there are no flammable materials stored close to your furnace.  This one seems obvious, but many fires are started during the winter months because of flammable items being stored too close to furnaces.

21. Have chimneys cleaned and inspected.  Buildup in chimneys can lead to dangerous conditions such as fires and inadequate ventilation.

22. If you installed summer screens on doors and windows, replace them with the glass equivalents stored during the summer.  Adding the extra pane of glass back to storm doors will ad a layer of insulation against colder temperatures.

23. Clean gutters.  A clogged gutter can lead to a flooded basement when snow melts and the water has no where to run off.

24. Drain garden hoses and turn off any outdoor water faucets.  Remove nozzles or sprayers from the end of garden hoses and be sure to drain any water left in the line.

25. Bleed the valves on any hot-water radiators.  Open slightly until water appears and close again.

26. Move potted plants inside, or closer to the home to prevent damage from freezing temperatures. The temperature near your home’s exterior walls will be a little warmer than out further in your yard.  It also helps to cover outdoor plants with a sheet to insulate them from sub-freezing temperatures.

27. Clean patio furniture and store it away from winter.  In some areas winter storms are often accompanied by high winds.  During these storms, outdoor furniture can be scattered about your yard (and your neighbor’s yard).  Since you won’t likely be using it, look for a place to store it until spring, for example, try using storage units.

28. Check with manufacturer to determine if spare refrigerators or freezers stored in unheated garages are safe to operate at extremely cold temperatures.  Extra refrigerators and freezers are great for stockpiling grocery deals, but if the temperature drops below the inside setting of your refrigerator or freezer it can cause the unit to operate inefficiently.

29. Seal areas around dryer vents, cable outlets and mail chutes with a caulking gun.  Look for cracks or holes around outdoor fixtures such as vents and outlets as these spaces allow cold air from outside to enter your wall space and make indoor heating less effective.

30. Insulate electrical outlets and light switches on outside walls. This can be accomplished by adding a few foam inserts around wall plates.