One of the most attractive features in many older homes are the hardwood floors. But years of wear and tear can leave them looking dull, scratched or dingy. If your home’s hardwood floors need a makeover, follow these steps to have them looking like new.

Sweep and repair

After emptying the room of all its furniture, give the floor a good sweep and vacuum to get rid of all the dirt and grit. This is also the best time to deal with repairs, such as sinking nail heads, filling in scratches or patching holes.

Clean with appropriate cleaner

Next, you’ll want to clean your floor with an appropriate cleaner, such as Murphy’s Oil Soap or Bona Floor Cleaner. It’s important not to use regular soap or harsh chemicals on your hardwood floor, as they can leave a residue or damage the wood with too much moisture. Let the floor dry.

Polish and seal

After the floor is dry, apply a thin layer of polish evenly around the room. The polish will help to moisturize the wood and leave it shiny. Polishes can be purchased with either a satin or glossy finish, depending on your tastes. Some floors benefit from a second coat; follow instructions on the label to determine how much time should elapse between applications. Be sure to give the floor plenty of time to dry before moving furniture back in – in some cases up to three days.

Buffing and waxing

Sometimes cleaning and polishing just doesn’t give your floor the love it needs to restore its luster, especially if it is already finished with wax or shellac. In this case, you can use a floor buffer to remove the top layer of finish off the floor. Buffers can be rented for around $50 a day, just be sure the buffer has a sanding screen so you don’t remove too much of the surface of the floor. Clean the dust and follow with a floor wax, which can be buffed to a shine once it dries.

When to call a professional

If none of the above techniques give you the results you desire, it may be time to refinish your hardwood floors. This technique requires more time and know-how, so even though you can rent a sander to do the job yourself, it might be best to hire a professional. Not only will they properly sand your floor, they will also re-stain and seal it, restoring your beautiful floors to their former glory, which, with the proper care, will last you for many years to come.

Nothing gives a home warmth and character quite like a well-cared for hardwood floor. It is worth the investment to refresh your floors; not only does it renew your home’s energy, it can even increase its value.

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Do you fantasize about downsizing? Do you dream of having less to take care of so you have more time for yourself to do the things you enjoy?

You’re not alone. Minimalism is trending in our culture right now, from de-cluttering your life with the KonMari Method to cultivating a capsule wardrobe. By the looks of it, many of us are craving less, not more.

Minimalism as a housing concept

This trend to minimize the amount of stuff we own has spilled over into the very homes we live in, and is most apparent in the tiny house movement. While the average American home is approximately 2,600 square feet in size, the tiny house movement extolls the virtues of living in homes that are no larger than 400 square feet.

Why are tiny houses so popular?

There may be some of you out there who can’t fathom why anyone would want to live in such an extremely small space. But there are actually some great arguments for re-imagining your life on a smaller scale. These include:

• Living in a way that decreases your environmental footprint and encourages eco-conscious choices.
• Decreasing the amount of money you spend on your home from month-to-month, including mortgage payments and general upkeep.
• Having more time, money and freedom to spend on things you love doing.

Is a tiny house right for you?

Paring down your possessions and living in a much smaller space isn’t necessarily for everyone. If you’re thinking of taking the tiny house plunge, here are some things you should consider first:

• Where will you put your home? Not all municipalities are on board with the tiny house movement or haven’t updated their zoning laws, so be sure you have secured a space for your tiny home before you build or buy it.
• Do you want to travel with your home? These small spaces can be built on a foundation or on wheels, if you’ve got a bit of wanderlust.
• Will this lifestyle work for your family? If you’re single, it’s easy to try out tiny house living. But if you have kids and pets, you have to consider their needs as well. Count on at least 100 square feet per person at minimum.
• How will you handle utilities? If you opt for wheels, you can hook up your tiny home in a RV campground. But if you are building on a piece of land, you’ll need to consider how you will get electricity, sewage, water and even Internet access. Be sure to include these costs when you plan.
• Why are you interested in a tiny house? If your primary goal is to save money, there may be better alternatives that don’t require such an adjustment in your lifestyle. However, if you like the idea of living in a more environmentally conscious way and spending more of your time pursuing your passions instead of maintaining your home, a tiny home may be just the ticket.

If you’re considering living in a tiny home, take time to educate yourself about the lifestyle and prepare for all the potential issues that may arise. While tiny house living has been an incredibly positive experience for some, it may or may not be the perfect situation for you.

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If you’re a homeowner who has been looking for ways to increase the square footage of your living space, but you’re hesitant to build a new addition to your existing home, have you thought about looking up?

Unfinished attics are an excellent way to increase the size of your home while avoiding some of the obstacles like zoning restrictions and easement concerns that come with building an addition.

Convert your attic into a new living space

Attic conversions can be used in a number of ways to cater to the growing needs of your family. Some of the best uses of an attic space include:

• Bedroom – Having a peaceful place to slumber away from the noise and activity of the more heavily trafficked areas of your home can be a real blessing, especially for those who have trouble sleeping. Just be sure to include a closet and a window in order to claim the space as a bedroom when it comes time to sell.
• Media room – Do you have a teenager who needs some privacy and a place to hang out, or do you love throwing home parties centered around films or sporting events? Consider turning your attic into a home theater.
• Playroom – Perhaps you have smaller kids who need their own space to play without making the rest of the house a mess. Attics made great hideaways for kids, transporting them into their own little creative space.
• Home office – Do you work from home, or wish you had your own space to pay bills or work on that novel you’ve always wanted to write? A quiet attic office could be just the thing you need.

Attic conversion considerations

While reclaiming your attic as usable living space helps you avoid some of the pitfalls of building a new addition, they do have their own particular set of challenges that you should consider before diving in.

• Building codes – You’ll need to follow the “Rule of 7s” in your attic room, which states that at least half of your attic space if seven feet tall and seven feet wide and contains at least 70 square feet of space. In addition, you will likely need to beef up floor joists so they can handle the extra weight of people and furnishings. If you’re planning to use your attic as a bedroom, it will also need at least two exits including a window and a staircase to the rest of the home.
• Access – If your attic has a pull-down staircase, you’ll need to factor in building a permanent staircase. Straight staircases take up the most room but are easiest to construct. Switchback stairs or spiral staircases take up less room, but remember how much room you’ll need to maneuver furniture up into your new space.
• Electrical/Plumbing/HVAC – You’ll need to bring in licensed contractors who can determine the requirements of your new space and how they will fit into the existing system of your home. If you’re thinking of adding a bathroom, it’s best to locate it over an existing bathroom or kitchen so you’ll have less plumbing to install.

While tackling an attic conversion can be a big project, most homeowners find that in the end, having a brand new living space without constructing an addition was worth the effort.

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One of the most daunting challenges of buying a home is choosing and getting approved for a mortgage loan. There are many types of mortgages out there and if you’re unfamiliar with the differences between them and how they relate to your personal financial situation it might seem impossible to make a choice.

Let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of one particular type of mortgage – an FHA loan.

What is an FHA loan?

A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan is insured by the government and can be a good choice for homeowners with lower credit scores or those who don’t have much saved for a down payment. A credit score as low as 580 can still get you approved for an FHA loan, and it only requires a down payment of 3.5 percent of the purchase price. FHA loans are available as both fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages and can also be used to refinance your home.

Advantages of an FHA loan

With such flexible qualifications an FHA loan is a great opportunity for those who may not otherwise be approved for a mortgage. Some of the specific advantages to this type of loan include:

• It’s easier to use monetary gifts for your down payment.
• It allows you to have a higher debt-to-income ratio than other conventional lenders might allow.
• It allows first-time homebuyers who may not have 20 percent saved for a down payment access to a mortgage loan.
• It allows those who may have had credit problems in the past to own a home.

It’s important to understand that the government is not the one lending the money for the home purchase, they are simply guaranteeing the loan should you default. This makes lenders more willing to approve loans for a wider range of people since there is minimal risk for them.

Potential disadvantages of an FHA loan

Getting an FHA loan seems like a no-brainer, right? While it sounds like the perfect type of loan, there are responsibilities and potential pitfalls you should understand before you decide.

• Interest rates are typically higher for FHA loans.
• Buyers are usually required to pay their own closing costs.
• Some sellers may be less inclined to accept an offer from a buyer who is pre-approved for an FHA loan.
• FHA loans may end up being more expensive in the long run. Borrowers must pay two mortgage insurance premiums. One is paid upfront at closing and the other is a percentage of the total loan price that is paid monthly.

Is an FHA loan right for you?

There is no one-size-fits-all mortgage for homebuyers in today’s market. An FHA loan is one opportunity that is available to homeowners who may be trying to get their financial lives in order but who don’t want to put off home ownership for too long.

In the end, it’s important for potential buyers to evaluate all the options available to them and to choose a loan after they’ve thoroughly considered all the pros and cons. A real estate professional can be a powerful ally who can help you better understand your choices and how those choices will affect you down the line.

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Have you filed your taxes yet?

We know — tax season isn’t anybody’s favorite time of the year (except, of course, for tax accountants). But if you’re expecting a refund, now is a great time to reinvest that money in your home. Whether you’ll be getting a check for a few hundred dollars or a few thousand, there are great ways you can put that money to good use.

Save it for a down payment

Are you hoping to buy a home in the near future? As you probably already know, you’ll be expected to put down a down payment — anywhere from 3.5 to 20 percent or more of the purchase price. If you’re expecting a refund in the thousands of dollars, adding it to your down payment savings account is a fantastic way to get yourself closer to home ownership. And if you manage to save more than 20 percent, you’ll eliminate the need to buy mortgage insurance, saving you even more money down the line.

Pay down your mortgage

Even if you have a great rate on your mortgage loan, making an extra payment will still help you save money in the long run. By paying off more of your mortgage early, you will pay less interest over time. You’ll build equity more quickly and will own your home outright sooner. You may also be able to eliminate the cost of mortgage insurance once some of your loan has been paid off.

Purchase additional insurance

An inevitable part of owning a home is also purchasing homeowner’s insurance. This protects you from liabilities should someone get injured on your property and sue you. Unfortunately, most homeowner insurance policies are not comprehensive. By purchasing umbrella insurance, you get additional protection once your primary insurance coverage limits are reached, and as an added bonus, it also applies to your vehicles. For around $300 a year, you get about $1 million in coverage. It’s a very small price to pay for peace of mind.

Audit your home’s energy usage

Leaky windows, drafty doors and energy-hogging appliances all needlessly eat up your money. If you’d like to find ways to cut your energy costs, consider using your tax refund for a home energy audit. While there are free programs available from many local power companies who will send out a professional to look at your home and offer advice about where to make changes, the biggest bang will be to hire a private firm to do a comprehensive audit of your home. While you’ll be paying more up front, the audit is much more detailed and could potentially save you up to 30 percent on your energy bills should you decide to implement their suggestions.

Make needed home repairs

If your refund is less than $1000, perhaps one of the best ways to use it is to make some needed home repairs that you’ve been putting off. You can repaint, add some new landscaping, buy a programmable thermostat or finally organize your garage. The money spent will go a long way to contributing to your overall enjoyment of your home.

While it may be tempting to splurge on a big treat, spending your tax refund wisely on your home can improve your financial health for the long haul.

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Are you starting to feel a little bored with your house? Are you daydreaming about making some changes? At some point, most homeowners want to spruce up their home a little bit – and may even try to handle some of those upgrades on their own. But beware – there are certain projects you can DIY, and some that you shouldn’t.

Go ahead and DIY these projects

If you’ve got the itch to get your hands dirty and feel a sense of accomplishment (and not to mention potentially save some money), these home improvement projects fit the bill. They can be easily done with a little bit of know-how and some elbow grease, without requiring too much expertise or special equipment.

• Paint – If you want the biggest bang for your DIY buck, this is the best place to start. Painting a room, or even an accent wall or a piece of furniture, will quickly change the energy and aesthetic in a space without too much effort or expense on your part. The key to a good paint job is preparation – be sure to fill holes and sand them, and tape and protect anything you don’t want to find splattered later.
• Update hardware – If you want to give a new look to your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, and easy DIY is to change out the hardware. All you need is a screwdriver and some time. Be sure to buy new pulls or knobs that match the existing holes.
• Change out faucets – This is a great first-time plumbing DIY that can make a dramatic difference. If you have a wrench and know where to shut off your water, you can swap out a leaky faucet or upgrade to a more functional or designer model. Don’t worry – you can totally do this on your own, and think of how good you’ll feel when you’re done!
• Install a chandelier on a dimmer – Installing a chandelier with a dimmer switch is not as hard as you think and can quickly transform your room into a cozy and inviting space. Be sure to buy special dimmable bulbs and turn the power off at the breaker box before you start.
• Replace your showerhead – Replacing a showerhead is so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. You can upgrade your shower experience by installing a new model with special features like mood lights or massaging jets. You can even save money by going with a low-flow unit.

Hire a pro for these projects

Once you’ve gotten a few projects under your belt, you might feel like there isn’t any home improvement project you can’t DIY. However, there are certain things that should always be left to the pros, including:

• Knocking down walls or building a new addition.
• Repairing faulty wiring or other electrical work.
• Repairing plumbing, other than a clogged drain or replacing a faucet.
• Installing new siding.
• Replacing windows.
• Hooking up a new gas appliance.
• Installing new tile.
• Refinishing a hardwood floor.
• Repairing the roof.
• Installing a new fence.
• Anything that requires a permit, unless you are a professional. This could lead to serious problems when you try to sell later.

Once you understand what you should and shouldn’t attempt on your own, have fun! Tackling small DIY projects around your home will refresh and re-energize your space and make it feel like new again.

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The post When You Should – and Shouldn’t – DIY appeared first on Barrington Area Real Estate - The Luby Group.

You’re probably familiar with the idea that little things add up to a lot. But did you ever stop to think about how that can be applied to the upkeep of your home?

Homeowners know that one of the responsibilities of ownership is keeping up with regular maintenance and repairs. While it may sometimes feel overwhelming, there are simple, ten-minute projects that you can do that will make a huge difference in your quality of life at home. Fit them in between episodes of your favorite Netflix binge, and you’ll feel like you’re hardly putting in any effort at all. Here are some of the easiest projects to get you started.

Easy home repair projects

Sometimes it isn’t worth calling a handyman or your brother-in-law to come over and help. These are easy fixes you can complete by yourself in ten minutes or less:

• Fix a squeaky door – If you’re tired of the squeaky kitchen door alerting your spouse to your midnight snack attacks, spray some WD-40 on the hinges and open and close the door a few times to work it in. You can also try petroleum jelly.
• Sticky windows – Don’t let a hard-to-open window keep you from enjoying a nice summer breeze. Spray silicone lubricant (found at home improvement stores) onto a rag and wipe into the track of a plastic, wood or metal window frame. Dry lubricants like PTFE spray can be used on a vinyl window.
• Silence a squeaky floor – While it’s not a permanent fix, sprinkling talcum powder into the cracks between floorboards will help to temporarily silence those noisy floors.
• Replace a broken toilet lever – First pop open the back to make sure the chain is still attached. If it’s broken, buy a replacement toilet lever kit. Don’t let these instructions worry you – it’s very simple and with the exception of going to the store to get the kit, it won’t take you more than ten minutes.

Easy home maintenance projects

If you want to avoid costly repairs due to negligence, it’s important to keep up with regular home maintenance chores. The following projects are so simple you have no excuse to put them off:

• Change the filters on your air conditioning unit and furnace to keep them running smoothly, especially in summer and winter.
• Replace batteries in smoke detectors once a year.
• Clean lint from your dryer exhaust with a long, flexible brush or a vacuum hose attachment.
• Vacuum the coils on your refrigerator once a year.
• Flush the garbage disposal in your sink once a month with a mixture of baking soda and hot water.
• Check fire extinguishers.
• Test your garage door opener regularly to make sure that it reverses automatically if there is an obstruction.
• Clean the filter on your stove’s range hood. It can get quite greasy, but cleaning it is easy.

Keeping up with the small tasks around your home will go a long way towards making sure everything stays in good working order. And when it comes time to sell, you’ll have much less to worry about. So hit the “pause” button on the remote and take ten minutes to complete one of these easy tasks. You’ll be glad you did!

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You’ve spent countless hours and energy getting your home just perfect. You’ve labored over the right paint, the best furniture and even invested in some art. But have you put in enough thought about how you are protecting your home? While you can invest in a state-of-the-art system, there are plenty of ways to improve your home’s security without breaking the bank. Here are six that we recommend.

1. Install a surveillance system

   While it may seem like it would be expensive, there are deals to be had on DIY home security systems. If you’re willing to spend a couple hundred dollars, you can outfit your home with a camera system that you set up yourself that constantly monitors your property. If peace of mind is your biggest priority and you have a little cash to spare, this is one of your best options.

2. Trim back the bushes

If your property has thick bushes or tall hedges, it offers more places for a burglar to hide. By keeping your trees and bushes trimmed and tidy so that you can see your neighbors, it also means that they can see you if anything suspicious happens on your property. While it’s nice to have a little privacy, don’t completely wall yourself in.

3. Light it up

   Don’t give a criminal a leg up by providing lots of dark places in which to hide. Strategically place exterior lighting around your home, concentrating on walkways, entrances and garages. If you don’t want the expense of installing new lighting, considering swapping out some of the bulbs with motion-sensor lights that will alert you if there’s any activity in the area.

4. Beware of dog

   There are plenty of reasons why dogs are man’s best friends. One of them is certainly because they tend to be protective of their owners. Dogs will often alert you if anything seems out of the ordinary and will deter most would-be thieves from breaking in for fear of being bitten. Don’t have a dog? You can still post a “beware of dog” sign in your window or on your gate or put a large dog bowl by your back door. Sometimes the suggestion itself is enough to scare off a potential burglar.

5. Make friends with your neighbors

   While having a nosy neighbor can sometimes be a headache, use it to your advantage. Neighbors are usually the first ones to notice if something is amiss, so make sure to tell them when you are going to be out of town. It also helps to know your neighbors so if someone unfamiliar is snooping around they can be easily identified. If your community has a neighborhood watch program, join. Neighborhoods are stronger and safer when people come together and are all invested.

6. Use common sense

   The best home security doesn’t cost you a dime – it’s good, old-fashioned common sense. Be sure to close your garage door when you aren’t inside. Lock the gate to your backyard when not in use. Don’t leave valuables sitting outside unattended. Close and lock windows when you leave. Stop mail and newspaper deliveries when you are out of town so they don’t pile up. The best defense is always a good offense.

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Nobody wants to smell pet odors when they’re looking at a potential new home. Nor do they want to see piles of pet hair on the carpet. But are there ways to actually use your pet to your advantage when selling your home? Here’s a look at how best to deal with pets when your home is on the market.

Minimize the negative

Not every potential buyer is going to feel the same way about your pets as you do – especially if your beloved pet is something other than a dog or cat. Follow these tips to best minimize any negative consequences of pet ownership while you’re selling:

• Repair any damage caused by the pets, including carpets, hardwood flooring, walls, furniture and outdoor areas. Your home is not ready for showing until these issues are addressed.
• Remove pet stains and odors by having carpets and floors professionally cleaned.
• Tidy up the yard, especially if you have a dog that spends a lot of time outside.
• Relocate your pet during showings. Ideally, your home should be shown by an agent while you are away, but don’t leave your pets behind. Either have them boarded during the duration of the selling process, or at the very least take them with you when you leave for a showing. This is doubly true if your pet is something like a snake or lizard that may potentially scare a buyer.
• Clean, clean, clean. It cannot be emphasized enough – if your pet is not being boarded while you are selling, be sure to thoroughly clean and vacuum the house before each showing. Potential buyers could have allergies, or there could be lingering smells that you don’t notice because you’ve lived with them for so long. Smell has a powerful effect on our emotions, and you don’t want to lose a sale simply because the odor in your home left a buyer with a negative feeling.
• Remove litter boxes, food and water bowls, and pet toys while the home is being shown.

Maximize the positive

Conventional wisdom has always been that evidence of pet ownership put off potential buyers. But many experts are now challenging that idea. Sellers are beginning to find ways to use their pets to their advantage. After all, many people today share their home with their pets, and knowing that they’ll be able to do that in their new home could be a selling point. Here are some ways that you can maximize the positive:

• Pets can help make an otherwise sterile home feel cozy and lived in. Sometimes including a cute and well-behaved pet in a photo will help make a space feel more livable. If strategically placed, a pet can even draw attention to a home’s best feature, such as a fireplace or picture window.
• If your pet is exceptionally well-behaved (like a therapy dog), they can boost the perception of your home during a showing. But the pet needs to be calm and reassuring, and you should limit it to one pet.
• Dogs and cats should be the only pets you might consider including. It is not advisable to include snakes or other types of pets that might make buyers uneasy.

Ultimately, the decision to include a pet should be discussed with your real estate professional. They understand your local market and will have a better idea of whether or not your pet could potentially be a selling point.

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The post How to Sell Your Home When You Have Pets appeared first on Barrington Area Real Estate - The Luby Group.

When we’re out shopping for a new home, however, we need to take into consideration the length of time we plan on owning that home. Do we see ourselves living in this area for years to come? Will we be raising our children here? Is it possible that our aging parents would come to live with us in this house?

If we answer “yes” to any of these questions, we need to think about stairs!

When we first have children, we think about the danger to them of stairs as they are learning to crawl, climb and walk. Some families wait to move into a home that has stair until after their children are old enough to negotiate the stairs.

A great many family homes these days incorporate beautiful stairways with living areas on the main floor and bedrooms above. We don’t really think about those stairs as we are aging in place because we use them every day. In fact, the majority of the nation’s homes are built with two or more stories, or they are set over a basement. Many of those homes also do not have a bedroom or full bath on the main floor. It is only when something happens to our health … we break a leg, have surgery, an older parent comes to live with us … that we rethink having stairs.

As you age, the stairs once more become a danger zone that can slow you down or reduce your quality of life. If you are unable to negotiate the stairs, they become an obstacle in your home or even a hazard due to potential falls.

Ranch-style houses, so popular in the middle of the last century, have fallen out of favor. They do not have the curb appeal of a two-story structure and sometimes they get a bad rap for having less space, or for having a larger footprint so that there is less available yard space. For ease of living and convenience, however, a single-story structure can span the decades much more easily than a multi-story townhome or two-story home over a walk-out basement.

While you certainly should buy the home of your dreams, when you are looking for homes, consider adding in these options to your quest:

• No stairs, OR
• A bedroom on the main living floor
• A full bath on the main floor
• A limited number of stairs at access points such as the front or back entry or from the garage into the house.

If you are building your new home and intend to live there well into your retirement years, and, you love the look of a beautiful staircase, take care to design in such a way that you can add a lift to the stairway if necessary. Or, configure the design so that you have a full bath and bedroom suite on the main floor. In fact, in a program created by the builders association and AARP, builders can earn a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist designation. Certified builders can look at your home to determine if there is a way to increase the access in your home as you age.

As always, let your real estate professional know your needs and concerns so that we select homes specific to your requirements to fall in love with.

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If you,

• Are lured by the shiny new home in the brochure and it calls to you, or
• Pass by the fluttering flags of that new sub-division, and your car automatically turns in, and
• A walk through model homes every weekend is your idea of relaxation

You may be in the market for a new-built house.

After all, when the house is new, you can specify some of the materials, fixtures or appliances; assure that the home meets current energy-efficiency standards; and, you know that no one has lived there before you with their three dogs, six cats and a host of other pets you might be allergic to. In addition, newly built homes come with a warranty. Some new home warranties offer protection for costly components such as heating and air-conditioning units and appliances for as many as ten years.

In fact, the advantages for customization and participating in the design choices may be a great part of the draw for you. Surveys show that nearly twice as many people in the process of looking for a home to buy prefer a new home. The “work” is done for you … there’s no donning of painter’s clothes or trips to home-improvement stores for replacement fixtures. You move in to that “new home smell.”

On the other hand, you may be drawn to the complete customization that a remodel or re-design of an existing home offers you, the charm of older architectural elements, or the sheer excitement of taking something old and remaking it into your perfect vision.

If you:

• Detour through mature neighborhoods on a regular basis, and
• Avidly follow home-improvement shows on the cable stations, or
• Look for open house signs on the weekends in your favorite neighborhoods

You’re probably a candidate for a pre-owned home.

When you buy a previously owned home, your priority often is the stability of the neighborhood, the maturity of the trees and landscaping, the nearby schools that have a history of high achievement, and other intangibles that come from the community. Existing homes often have a lower price tag and, since the neighborhood infrastructure already exists, they often have a lower tax obligation.

Of course, with an older home you will have to make updates to appliances, carpeting and roofing sooner than with a new home, but you can request a home warranty from the seller as part of your purchase negotiation. Check with your real estate professional about home warranties.

You’ll find conflicting information on whether new homes are larger than older homes, and vice versa for the same dollars. The trend at the beginning of this century certainly was toward larger homes, but in recent years buyers seeking energy efficiency or homes nearer to their work, restaurants and nightlife are opting for the smaller existing homes in neighborhoods meeting those requirements.

Before you decide which is best for you, let your real estate professional show you the homes available in both categories — existing pre-owned or new-built, or even recently built (within the last five years) — so that you can make a truly informed decision.

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The post New? Pre-Owned? How to Choose… appeared first on Barrington Area Real Estate - The Luby Group.

Household Emergencies

From plumbing disasters to leaky roofs, household emergency tend to occur at the most inopportune times. Waking up to a flooded kitchen because the dishwasher leaked, or coming home from work during a rainstorm to find a puddle forming in the dining room, to having sparks leap from the outlet you just plugged your new lamp into, household emergencies require specialists that are available at odd hours. Having easily accessible contact information can save you valuable time during the emergency (you might have trouble searching a browser for help if you have no power).

NOTE: an emergency repair company may not be the same one you use for installing new faucets and fixtures or putting on a complete new roof. These on-call experts know how to stop the damage from getting worse and make immediate repairs. This list is not exhaustive, but includes:

• 24-Hour Plumbers: locate a couple different emergency plumbers (in case one is already responding to another call) and make certain they can deal with leaky or burst pipes, plugged toilets and other plumbing disasters.
• Emergency Roofers: Rather than reroofing your home, or even finding the actual cause of the leak, an emergency roofer will immediately place a protective cover on your roof until the bad weather has passed to stop additional damage. Once the weather improves, they will inspect the roof to determine the actual cause and propose a more permanent repair solution.
• For electrical or natural gas emergencies, your local utility provider will have specific instructions. In general, however, if it is an electrical emergency, switch off the breaker to that location in your home so that power is no longer going to it. Contact your utility and follow their instructions. You may need to hire an emergency electrician, but start with your power utility first, as they may have emergency procedures to take care of you.
• The same is true for gas leaks. If you smell weak gas in your home, open the doors and windows to air it out. Check for an extinguished pilot light (in a water heater, fireplace or your stove). Switch the pilot knob to the OFF position. Wait for all of the odor to dissipate before relighting the pilot. If you are unsure of how to relight the pilot, call your gas company for assistance. If you don’t know the source of the leak, or if the odor is strong IMMEDIATELY remove all family members and pets from the house. DO NOT us a telephone inside the home. DO NOT use a lighter and DO NOT switch on any lights. Call the gas utility from a cell phone OUTSIDE or from a neighbor’s house.

Natural Emergencies

No matter where you live, natural disasters and weather emergencies can happen at any time. Learn where the nearest shelter is if you live in a flood or tornado-prone area. If you live near the ocean, get a map for the tsunami evacuation routes for your neighborhood. Turn on the emergency weather alert app on your smart phone to get advanced warning of emergencies. The American Red Cross has free apps that give addresses and information on the nearest shelters to your location and other disaster information.

If you need assistance locating shelters or have other questions about your neighborhood, your real estate professional can guide you.

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