Give Your Front Porch A Style Makeover!

Whether you are looking to sell your home or just think it’s time for a new look to improve your curb appeal, giving your front porch a makeover is an easy and inexpensive way to give your home’s exterior a fresh look. Here are a few simple ways to spruce up your front porch without taking a bite out of your wallet! 

Dress Up That Concrete Porch 

If your home has a simple concrete porch, there are a number of great ways to give it a more refined appearance that won’t involve replacing it. One option is using concrete paint. Available in many colors and textures, you can create the look of a more expensive stone porch at a fraction of the cost of replacing it. 

Plants And Flowers 

Adding plants and flowers to your front porch is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to add curb appeal to the exterior of your home. Choose plants that are appropriate to the light for your porch, and also choose plants in colors that complement the other colors in the exterior of your home. Select pots that accent the space, and consider quality hanging plants to add interest to windows. 

Final Touches 

One of the easiest ways to dress up your new porch is to choose interesting and complementary final touches. A new mailbox, a handmade or antique-looking street number sign, and a nice welcome mat can all make the space look more homey and finished. If you have the space, also consider adding a few chairs and a small table, or add the nostalgia of a porch swing. 

Creating curb appeal is of vital importance to making your home more appealing to potential buyers, and even if you are not selling your home, it is an easy way to give your home’s exterior a makeover without spending a fortune. And with spring just around the corner, it's the perfect time to spruce up your porch, grab a glass of lemonade, and take a time out from your busy day! 

As always, I welcome your thoughts! 

Be well,

Rhonda

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Decorating With Plants

When choosing a style of furnishing, color scheme, or fabrics for your new home, or when redecorating a room, plants often do not immediately spring to mind when considering what you need to complete your space. Plants can be, however, an inexpensive and beautiful addition to any room, and there are a great number of options that can complement and even inspire any décor. 

Choosing Plants 

Leaf Shape: There is a huge variety of leaf shapes to choose from when considering which plants are right for your room. Broad leaves look great on mantles or as part of larger arrangements, and long leaves can draw the eye up to interesting architectural features. 

Leaf Texture: From spiky to glossy or fuzzy, you can get really creative when selecting a plant that has a texture that matches your space. A prickly cactus would really accent a room that has a southwestern themed décor, or the fuzzy texture of a dusty miller looks great in an entirely white room or as part of a holiday arrangement. 

Color: With plants and flowers available in virtually every color imaginable, this is one area where using plants as inspiration for your wall color or accent colors can truly create a space inspired by nature. 

Matching Plants To Your Space 

What Kind Of Light Does The Room Get? While the size, texture, and color of your selected plant may determine whether it will fit into your décor, taking care that it will get suitable light and is placed in the correct spot will ensure that it will remain a vibrant and lasting part of your space. For those of us who do not have a green thumb (present company included!), silk plants have come a long way and often it's difficult to tell that they are not real.  I've been in quite a few showings where I've had to get close and personal to check whether it was real or artificial. 

Size Of The Space: Whether it is a large open-concept home or a cozy bachelor apartment, choosing plants that fit with the size of the room they will call home can make or break the success of any space. For large rooms consider using an arrangement of plants, or include large indoor trees. In smaller spaces a few well-placed plants with interesting colors or textures can really add interest to your space without overwhelming it.

Pets: Just remember when choosing plants that there are many species that are toxic to pets. Here is a handy guide from the ASPCA to help steer you in the right direction to keep your pets safe from ingesting poisonous plants. 

Plant Care: There are some innovative products available to assist in the care of your houseplants. Check out these 9  handy tools to make caring for you plants super easy! 

Whether you are choosing plants that match your décor or using them as inspiration to reinvent your space, plants can be a beautiful, cheerful, and inexpensive addition to any home. 

So what is your favorite way to use houseplants to embellish your home? 

As always, I welcome your thoughts! 

Be well,

Rhonda

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Unclutter Your Home In Ten Easy Steps!

Clutter, which is defined as things that lie about untidily (I love that definition!), is often linked to creativity. However, Let's face it. Sometimes clutter can easily take over our homes. So, just how much imagination will it take to tidy up your space? To be exact, you can make it happen in ten easy steps.

Step # 1: Set A Schedule 
You are much more likely to stick to a routine, whatever it may be, if you work on a schedule. In addition, this allows you to clean when you can minimize interruptions and maximize your time. Try scheduling one hour a week to tackle on area of your home. You will be amazed how much you can accomplish in that short time frame.

Step # 2: Set A Goal For Each Room 
If you can visualize what you want, you will be better able to achieve it. By setting goals for each room, you can note the things that need changing and work toward that goal one day at a time. It's also a good idea to only tackle on room at a time. If you are working on the clutter in your bedroom today, don't worry about the clutter in the kitchen. Leave that for another day.

Step # 3: Create A Timeline 
When do you hope to have your home completely free of clutter? One week, two weeks or even a month? Depending on your schedule and the amount of clutter that you have, it may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before you can kick back and relax again.

Step # 4: Start Small 
The clutter in your home didn’t appear overnight, and it won’t disappear overnight either. If you start small, you will be less likely to get frustrated and give up midway through your cleanup.

Step # 5: Categorize Your Clutter
When cleaning, it’s important to categorize your items into groups. By separating the items that you want to keep, toss and donate, you will be able to move through your clutter quickly and efficiently. 

Step # 6: Letting Go
This is a tough one, I know! A good rule of thumb for uncluttering your home is to get rid of anything that you haven’t used within the past year. If it’s still useful, consider donating it to a good cause. Otherwise, toss it. There, I said it!

Step # 7: Storing Your Seasonal Apparel 
When storing seasonal clothing, purchase a sturdy plastic storage bin with a lid and roll your clothes instead of folding them in an effort to maximize storage capability. When full, snap the lid on and slide the unit into your closet.

Step # 8: Closet Organization 
Did you know that your choice of clothes hangers can greatly impact the storage capacity of your closet? Wire hangers take up less space and can save your shirts from getting that annoying shoulder bump that often arises from the use of plastic hangers. There are many space-saving closet products out there to help if you have minimal closet space to work with.

Step # 9: Shoes Blues 
When it comes to storing shoes, many homeowners are fighting a losing battle with clutter. How many pairs of shoes do you own? How neatly are they stored? If your shoe storage has you down, try purchasing clear lidded shoe boxes. These handy creations can house each pair of shoes and can be stacked neatly in your closet. And best of all, you can see your shoe collection without having to sift through a sea of sandals.

Step # 10: Read The Labels 
If you have medicine, food or anything else with an expiration date in the home, check to make sure that the items are still good. If the expiration date has already come and gone, throw them away.

It may seem like a daunting task, I know.  Even getting through one area of your home will breathe new life into your space and will give you the motivation to tackle the next project. In the end, you will feel lighter, brighter, and more at peace. And I guarantee you will all of sudden look around and remember all the things you love about your home!  What are your favorite de-cluttering ideas?

As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Be well,
Rhonda

photo credit: www.aadesignbuild.com, A&A Design Build Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling, Germantown, Potomac, Rockville, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Washington DC, Interior Design, Aging in Place via photopin (license)

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Decisions, Decisions...a quick guide for first time home buyers

Buying your first home is both exciting and a little intimidating. The thought of your very own place is thrilling. You can already imagine exactly how you will decorate from choosing the perfect paint colors, to selecting the furnishings that truly match your style.

On the other hand, it can be a little scary. Once you've found your dream home, you are faced with trying to understand everything that goes along with the arduous process.  Negotiating a price, getting through inspections, securing financing, working with your attorney regarding title work, closing statements and finally getting to the closing table can be downright exhausting. Luckily, there are professionals that can help you each step of the way. Your real estate agent or broker is a valuable resource and can connect you with reputable professionals for each task at hand. There may certainly be bumps along the road, but that's OK. With a little patience and some good old fashion perserverance, you will be a proud homeowner before you know it!

But of course, before negotiations can get  underway, you have to choose your new dream home.  Currently in this market there is an abundance of inventory. You can spend days, weeks and months looking at properties in just one area alone, never mind if you have two or three other locations that might interest you.  It can become very overwhelming and you could end up in a massive state of confusion. Like Mom always said, a little preparedness will go a long way. Taking some time before you start looking at properties, and putting together a simple plan of attack will save you time and sanity in the long run.

The first crucial step is identifying your price range. Talking with a mortgage professional can help determine what you can comfortably afford. Then, determine a few basic features you might be looking for in a home, such as location, number of bedrooms, baths, and lot size. Now you have something you can build from.

During this process, you are going to learn a lot about yourself. In the beginning, you may feel like you only want to look at a Cape Cod style home, but in the end, find that you like the colonial or ranch style much better. You may start out thinking that you want a move-in ready home, but in he end, realize that you don't mind putting in some work to keep the cost down and being able to choose the color of your counter tops, cabinets and floors.

As you view the interior of various properties, you will quickly realize the things that are must haves, and the things you might be willing to compromise. This will continue to help narrow down the search. One of the most important things to remember is that the perfect house does not exist. You very well may have to forgo the finished basement for now, but be able to have that two-car garage you've been dreaming about. 

And then, one day, it will happen. You will walk into a house, fall in love, make an offer, and enter the ring. We can save the negotiation process for another day, but regardless of whether your offer is accepted or not, you've learned a ton just going through these first steps.  Even if this particular house isn't meant to be, you will be well equipped to continue your journey to find your new home.

As alway, I welcome your feedback and thoughts.

Be well,
Rhonda

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