Tag Archives: Escanaba

Updating Your Home

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Love it? Hate it? While searching for prospective homes, you will find homes with oak cabinetry. It is a beautiful wood, but paired with an outdated kitchen, it can make the home look aged. There are many ways to update a kitchen look without changing the look of the wood cabinets (whether you love it or not).

  • Backsplash – Add a modern backsplash to your kitchen. It is amazing how this can transform a space.
  • Paint – Choose a complementary paint color. I love the choices listed in this article.
  • Knobs/Pulls – Some oak cabinets have REALLY dated knobs or pulls. Update to a modern look.
  • Curtains/Drapes – Change out those 70’s curtains!

Whether you are the home buyer (have a vision) or seller (give a facelift) there are ways to upgrade a space without spending a fortune.

Location, Location, Location!

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One of the most important factors when buying a home is location. Anyway you slice it, this has to be part of the equation when buying. After all, this is something you can’t change. Possible questions to consider before purchasing that next home are:

1.) Do I like this area?

2.) What do I think of the neighborhood?

3.) What schools will my kids be going to?

4.) How far is the closest grocery store, restaurant, hospital, etc?

5.) How far is my commute to work, school, etc?

The exact questions will vary for everyone, but the concept remains the same, where your piece of real estate is located will matter and needs to be a determining factor.

Happy Tails Story Time

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Are you settled in your new home but it feels a bit empty? Head down to the Delta Animal Shelter and adopt your newest family member. One fun activity the the shelter puts on is Happy Tails Story Time. It is a monthly event for children ages 3-5 and a caregiver to come listen to a story, engage in an activity and meet some of the animals. This event is enjoyable for the adults, children and animals.

Home Buying: The Search

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Buying a home is a big task. It can be overwhelming at times. One way to simplify the process and organize your thoughts in a list. I tried to find the perfect app to help make it easier to remember the houses we were looking at. However, nothing was a good fit so we resorted to an “old fashioned” pen and paper list. When we were purchasing our home, our family sat down and made a list with the following categories:

MUST Haves

DEAL Breakers

WISH List (Bonus items)

MINUS (Non-deal breaker negatives)

Our list looked like this:

MUST Haves:

  • At least 3 bedrooms
  • At least 2 bathrooms
  • Updated Kitchen
  • Updated Bathroom

DEAL Breakers:

  • Creepy Basement
  • Outdated electrical system

WISH List:

  • Garage
  • Fenced Yard
  • Updated Exterior

MINUS

  • Small lot
  • Really close neighbors
  • Outdated utilities

After writing our list, we numbered each house and took a copy of our list to have an easy way to remember the big items for each one. It really helped with our search and we were surprised when we found our house, how it match our list. Of course it did not match perfectly, no house can ever be PERFECT, but it helped find the one that was right for us.

What does your list look like?

Struggling to find a cold weather activity?

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McLain State Park, Hancock, MI

It may be cold in the U.P. during winter, but there are a number of outdoor adventures to take advantage of, like snowmobiling, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing,snowboarding, ice fishing hiking, hockey, ice skating, skijoring, sledding, build a snowman, walking your dog, etc. What type of outdoor adventures do you enjoy in the winter?

Winter Wonderland

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This morning we woke up to the trees frosted over. As long as this winter has been, it truly was beautiful. I love the times where the buzz of life is paused and we can appreciate the moment. The frost did not last long, as the sun came up, just as many moments in life pass us by. Nature’s reminder to stop and breathe from time to time.

Sledding at Ludington Park

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Winters in the U.P. are long, so it is important to find activities to participate in to get out of the house. One fun activity is sledding at Ludington Park. On sunny winter days one will find people basking the sunshine overlooking the frozen lake as they enjoy a ride down the hill. This activity has it all: a beautiful view, fresh air and a thrill. Enjoy this winter activity and many more after the purchase of a home here.

Ideas to increase the value of your home to potential buyers

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There are multiple ways to increase your home value from minor tweaks to major upgrades. What are some ways to add value to your home without breaking the bank?

1.) Installing new knobs and pulls on your kitchen cabinets.

2.) Painting the rooms in your home to present a fresh, new look to potential buyers.

3.) Change out the front door to make your home “pop” with curb appeal.

4.) Upgrade or change out light fixtures if they are dated or don’t go with the property.

5.) Add crown molding

6.) Upgrade appliances

For more ideas to increase the value of your home, check out the following links:

1.) Realtor.com

2.) HGTV

3.) DIY Network