Real Estate Blog

    A New Year, A “New” Space?

Now that the holidays are over you may be getting ready to start your search for a new home or just trying to make your current space better serve your family’s needs.  After the holidays, many are trying to find “homes” for all of the new gifts received and put away decorations.  This process can take some time, especially if you have more items than space!  The one major way to regain some space and perhaps a new perspective on your current living space is to declutter.  If you are thinking of moving, do you want to pack and move items that you haven’t used in a long time or that you know your family no longer needs?  If you plan on staying in your current home and just want your space to be more calm and useful, you may want to re-evaluate the items you are storing to determine what could be rearranged, discarded or donated.

Although you may not have the time to devote to a full KonMari “tidying” project, don’t underestimate the power of starting the process on a smaller scale to regain some valuable space and calm in your home.  As you move through your home, think about the areas that cause the most frustration and how removing unnecessary items would make the space more pleasant or efficient.  Do you have to park your car outside in the cold because your garage is full of items you rarely use?  Do you avoid preparing meals in your kitchen because you don’t want to search through the pantry?  Do you have kitchen items stored in another part of your home?  Does it take you forever to choose something to wear because there are so many items in your closet that you are overwhelmed or do you wear the same few items because they are easily accessible?

The best way to start the decluttering process is to decide what to keep, move, donate or discard as you sort through items in your home.  Whether you start with a room or drawer, have a plan about what happens to the items you find in each space.  A good place to start would be with duplicate or excess items.  Also think about where items are stored and try to keep similar items together so you know what you have after you have finished this process.  Some people may have a difficult time getting rid of items they feel are “valuable”.  How valuable could something be to you or your family if it has been stored in a box that hasn’t been opened in years or buried in the back of a closet?  Could those items be more useful to another person or family?  If you don’t immediately know someone who could benefit from your excess items, remember that there are many organizations that will be happy to get your donations and many offer free pick-up services!

Once you declutter, be vigilant about what comes back in to your home!  Think carefully before accepting items from others who are cleaning out their spaces.  Just because an item is “free” doesn’t always make it a good value if you must store it and will rarely use it!  If you buy something new that will require storage, think about what you could pass along to make room for the new item.  Keep in mind that everyone in the space should be involved in making decluttering decisions for their own items as well as maintaining the new space that has been created. 

...."You've Got A Friend in Real Estate" 

Jarod Tanksley 615.403.8265

www.BrentwoodandBeyond.com (more Blogs and helpful info)

Brentview Realty 615.373.2814

Middle Tennessee has experienced a mild winter so far, but as temperatures drop below freezing later this winter, it's always a good idea to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to protecting your home from frozen water pipes, which can lead to busted water pipes if not handled correctly. Here are a few things to remember to protect your home.

Obviously exposed pipes are the most vulnerable, so do an exterior, crawl space, basement, and attic check to see if you find any exposed pipes. If so, attaching insulated sleeves to these pipes, which can be found at any hardware store, is a great start to protect your home. Also check to see if there are any cracks or holes that might have been made for cable or other hookups over the years. Seal any of these openings after you've added extra insulation.

While you're outside, you should unhook, drain, and put away any hoses. Irrigation systems are also at risk for damage, and there are several things you can do to prevent a big mess in your yard. This link contains great information and a downloadable PDF with very detailed instructions if you want to do it yourself, or you can call a professional to show you how.

Inside, the biggest concern should be those faucets that face an outside wall, especially an outside northern wall, as those usually receive the biggest blasts of cold air. For many, that is usually the kitchen sink. On those subfreezing nights, open the cabinet doors so the heat from your home will circulate around those pipes. Also, keep the faucet on a slow drip. This method doesn't keep the pipes from freezing, but it does release the pressure, which is what actually causes pipes to burst.

If you turn on your water the next morning and the flow is slow or stops, you have a frozen pipe and you need to call the plumber before you have a mess on your hands. His service fee is much cheaper than his service fee plus water damage. If a pipe should burst, quickly turn off the main water supply to your home and leave faucets open until the repair has been made.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, use caution when trying to warm up your pipes. Never use an open flame! Hair dryers and heating pads applied to the pipes can help, but use caution with your electrical sources around water.

Using preventative measures during the freezing cold days ahead can save you a lot of money and headaches. Your homeowners insurance or warranty may cover most of the costs of a busted pipe, but they will not cover the huge inconvenience of cleaning up the mess and possibly being displaced from your home.

Stay warm, my friends and remember....."You've Got a Friend in Real Estate"

Jarod Tanksley 615.403.8265 #doyouknowjarod

www.BrentwoodandBeyond.com  (more bogs & helpful tips)

Brentview Realty 615.373.2814