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RealtyTimes®  has some very good advice for avoiding Holiday disasters.  Here are six tips they give.

Tip 1 – Keep Overnight Guests Comfortable

There’s nothing more relaxing and rejuvenating than a hot shower – especially during colder weather.  Be sure to set your water heater to a comfortable temperature if you’re having guests stay overnight.  Many water heaters sold in America have a factory setting of 140 degrees, but dropping down to 120 degrees will still provide a warm shower.  Reduced water heart temperatures will help you avoid scalded guests and higher utility bills.

Tip 2 – Clear Your Driveways and Walkways

Slick or poorly lit walkways can be hazardous to grandparents, older aunts and uncles and young children.  Remove snow and treat icy conditions before your company arrives.  It’s also important to provide adequate lighting.  Security lights and solar-powered lamps lining your walkways will help you eliminate dangerous conditions.

Tip 3 – Decorate Responsibly

Holiday decorations can quickly turn a celebration into a disaster.  Here are some helpful tips to ensure you are decorating wisely around the house:

Avoid flammable decorations: Paper, lace and fabric decorations look beautiful, but they can pose a threat to your home.  Opt for non-flammable and flame-retardant options to keep your home safe.

Never leave candles burning: Candles make the holidays special, but they can also pose a serious threat.  In fact, there are almost 11,000 candle-related fires each year, resulting in 150 deaths and 1,200 injuries.  Never leave candles burning overnight and keep them out of reach of children or pets.

Water your tree: Your Christmas tree can also pose a threat.  A lack of water can dry out your tree, resulting in a serious fire hazard.  Be sure your tree has adequate amounts of water during the holidays.

Tip 4 – Kennel Your Dog

Find a safe place for your dog if it doesn’t do well with visitors or small children.  The CDC notes that 4.5 million Americans suffer from dog bites each year.  Small children are particularly susceptible because they don’t always know not to make sudden movements or poke fingers and hands at dog’s faces.

Tip 5 – Be Smart in the Kitchen

               There are two things to take into consideration when preparing for a holiday meal.  First, be sure to safely prepare your food.  Always cook chicken and turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  This will destroy all bacteria and foodborne illnesses and prevent your guests from getting sick.  Second, never leave your kitchen unattended while in use.  The American Red Cross found that cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and related injuries.

Tip 6 – Prevent Drunk Driving

               If you have spare bedrooms, offer the additional space to guests.  You can also prevent over indulgence by limiting the amount of alcohol served during your holiday gatherings.

Conclusion

There are many other ways to ensure that your holidays are safe and fun, but these are just a few of the essential tips that will prevent a holiday disaster.

 

According to RISMedia housecall not all home renovations are equal!  ROI or return on investment is different for every upgrade or renovation that you might consider.  This is especially important if you are considering doing this to make your home more appealing.

Prospective buyers will usually focus on the kitchen and the bathrooms.  A kitchen that is budgeted for 6 to 10 percent of the total home value will get you the highest ROI.  This makes the kitchen the best room in the house to make ready for selling your home.

These are the top 5 projects in priority for receiving the best return on investment.  They are as follows:

• Replace the Front Door
• Install a New Fireplace
• Remodel the Kitchen
• Convert the Attic Into a Bedroom
• Replace the Exterior Siding

If you are interested in the simplest and most inexpensive renovation ideas, focus on these.

• Fix All Windows and Doors
• Wash Down and Paint Walls
• Update Lighting Fixtures
• Replace Worn and Old Carpets

According to an article in RIS Media’s Content Solutions, staging you home should not cost an arm and a leg!  While HGTV says $2,000.00 is a good number, you can accomplish the same effect for far less.  Here are the five ideas suggested in the article.

1. Pack Away Personal Items

Packing away personal items is one of the simplest — and cheapest — things you can do to sell your house or condo quickly.  The main reason is to allow the buyers to view it as their potential home. Pictures are extremely distracting and potential buyers will stop and stare at people just to see if they know anyone.

In addition to attracting buyers, you want the buyer’s agent to enjoy showing the home because even if this particular buyer isn’t interested, the agent might represent someone who would be a good match.

The cost: $2 to $3 for a roll of packaging tape. You already have the scissors on hand and you can often score the boxes for free from a neighborhood store.

2. Clear Clutter

Clearing clutter is the hardest thing for most people to do because you are emotionally attached to everything in the house.

Most homeowners are amazed at how much clutter they have after living in a home for a number of years. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Clutter collects on shelves and countertops, and in drawers, closets, garages, attics and basements, etc.

Remove items from countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms. Put things in boxes and neatly stacking them in the corner of the garage. Anything extra should go in a small, rented storage unit.

Pack up 90% of your home!

The cost: The price of a storage unit varies (around $45 a month for a 5-by-5-foot unit).

3. Rearrange and Neutralize

Rearrange the rooms in your home to reel in prospective buyers. Make sure each room has a distinct, useful purpose.

Not sure how!  Tour builders’ models to see how the rooms are furnished.

Remember builders are experts on preparing their product for prospective buyers.

Also closets should be neat and organized. And get rid of things you haven’t worn in years.

If your home has been painted recently, consider yourself ahead of the game. If not, take a paintbrush to the rooms that need it most. Sellers who paint the interior of their home will see a large return on the investment.

There is nothing like neutral paint on the walls, trim and doors and it’s worth its weight in gold and gives the appearance of a clean and new home.

The cost: Anywhere from $12 to $50 per gallon for paint, plus another $10 to $50 for other painting supplies (primer, brushes, dropcloths, etc.)

4. Scrub and Deodorize

Make sure your house or condo shines from top to bottom.

Cleaning and deodorizing a home before every showing is a must!

The goal is to help buyers imagine themselves living in the home.

If buyers see an unkempt home or smell something when they first walk in, they become turned off immediately. It spoils that first impression.

Have the house professionally cleaned so that everything is spotless — windows, sliding glass door tracks, garage, basement, ceiling fans, etc.

Bake something in the oven such as cookies or a pie, bringing cinnamon sticks to a slow boil in a pot of water or using air freshener to mask smells before each showing. Ridding the home of litter boxes is also a must.

The cost: Varies by the location and size of the home, but typically less than $100 to clean a 4-bedroom, 2,500-square-foot home. Cookie dough runs about $3.

5. Enhance Curb Appeal

Whatever you do, do not overlook the home’s exterior when selling.

Curb appeal is the buyer’s first impression of your home.

And remember, you only have one chance to make a first impression.

Mow the lawn, make sure the sidewalk and driveway are free of clutter and debris, and ensure the house number is easily visible.

It may also be beneficial to pressure-clean the exterior of your home, driveway and sidewalk, if needed.

Another valuable low-cost solution is to use mulch or pinestraw.

It makes everything look trim and neat.

The cost: Mulch costs around $3 per bag and pinestraw around $5 per bale. The cost of renting a pressure washer varies, but you may be able to get one from a local hardware store for around $50 per day. It may cost double that to purchase a pressure washer.

If you want to move in before Christmas, better hurry to this renovated home on The Avenues only two blocks from Krispy Kreme and three blocks from Zesto’s.  This Avenues bungalow has been renovated with updates with an open floor plan!  The living room has a fireplace and hardwood flooring  that opens into a dining room which has open access to a new kitchen.  The kitchen has new flooring, new cabinets, new countertops, new appliances, new water heater and light fixtures.  The laundry room is just off the kitchen and has new flooring and cabinets.  The tile bathroom has been renovated to include new vanity, mirror, fixtures and a new tile floor.  The bedrooms have good closet space, hardwood floors, fresh paint, new hardware and doors and the master bedroom has a walk in closet.  The fenced rear yard is spacious.  This home is convenient to downtown Columbia, USC, Vista, Riverwalk, Zoological Garden, interstates, dining shopping, medical, etc.  and did I mention just two blocks from Krispy Kreme!