Posts in category 'Homeownership'

If you have a small yard or a hilly landscape, you can still enjoy container gardening year-round. Growing potted plants is a little harder than growing plants in the ground, but our REALTORS® have some gardening tips to help you develop a green thumb in no time. Are you ready to grab your gardening gloves and start planting?

1. Make a List of Plants You Like
   Before you head to the nursery, think about how you want your container garden to look. Do you want drought-tolerant succulents, leafy green ferns, colorful blooms, or a variety of different plants? If you're a beginning gardener, go online to get ideas of plants you like, then make a list or take pictures with you to the nursery.

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When George Gershwin wrote "Summertime, and the livin' is easy," he wasn't thinking about homeowners.  But the sooner you get summer maintenance out of the way, the sooner your summertime blues will fly away, and you can finally relax. Our REALTORS® have compiled a list of things to tackle in the early part of the season to help you keep your home looking its best and save you money in the long run by resolving issues while they're still small.

• HVAC Inspection and Tune-Up
  Before you turn on the air conditioning, clear the unit of any debris that may have accumulated in or around the unit. Clean the coils, inspect the wiring and change the filter. You may find it worth the price to pay a professional to clean and tune up the unit annually, especially if your unit is on the roof. A licensed technician will do more than inspect for damages. He will check elements for wear and tear, lubricate moving parts, and advise you as to the expected life and efficiency of the unit. If you wait until the weather is hot and the unit fails, you may wait for days for costly repairs!

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Getting a new puppy is exciting for everyone in the family, but it's also a big responsibility everyone needs to tackle. To celebrate National Puppy Day on March 23rd, let's talk about how to puppy-proof your house from your newest addition to the family! Here are a few tips from our REALTORS® for keeping your puppy safe and your home chaos-free.

• Keep your trash secured. Trash is one of the number one puppy magnets in your house. Not only does it smell good (to your pup), but it's like a huge toy box full of things to explore and smell and eat! Trash cans that tuck away into drawers are popular in Nassau County homes for sale, but if you don't have one, you can invest in a heavy-duty trash can with a lid. Smaller trash cans with lids and foot pedals can also be purchased for bathrooms and bedrooms.

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If you're ready to give your home a thorough cleaning, our REALTORS® suggest you start with a bottle of distilled white vinegar. It's an affordable, natural cleaner that easily cuts through grime, bacteria, and mildew, and it's perfectly safe to use on a variety of household surfaces throughout your home.

• Make Your Kitchen Sparkle
  Your kitchen is a busy place. In addition to a buildup of grease, grime, and bacteria on appliances and surfaces, your kitchen may have lingering odors from your stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal, and trash cans. Cleaning your dirty kitchen with white vinegar is easy and fast with these cleaning tips.

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Owning a home means taking care of minor problems before they become major difficulties. When you buy a new home, however, getting to know everything about it can lead to a few surprises. Our REALTORS® offer the following tips to help you handle some of the more common emergencies you may find yourself dealing with.

• Know Where Your Shut-off Valves
  When you find a home you like out of the many Nassau County homes for sale, one of the first things you will want to do is find shut-off valves. These will include the main shut-off valve for water, as well as the gas line if your home has one. If the home is all-electric, know where the fuse box is located. In many situations, especially with broken pipes, knowing where the main shut-off valve is the best way to stop the water so damage will be kept to a minimum.

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