Real Estate Investing

I am not a decorator.  My centerpiece pictures are hung to high.  The family photos lining the hall are arranged flatly - with no imagination altering the the bleak straight line that takes you from point A to point B.  I thought as I hung them I was doing better than how it turned out, but looking at the finished product was disappointing.  It’s been six years now, so maybe I should tackle them once again.

I’ve always heard the placing items in a group of three offers a certain symmetry that’s appealing.  So what do I have?  Groups of eight (my japanese tea set) and groups of five (the earthen crockware I inherited from my husband’s side).  The one group of three I had was glass bottles filled with rocks - one of the bottles broke.  I guess that’s what happens when you combine stone and glass.

All is not lost, however.  Lynnae of being frugal cruised Flickr Creative Commons for decorating ideas and presents some here.   I can handle this bowl of fruit idea.

I also like Heather’s Thanksgiving table decoration that can actually be used throughout Autumn family dinners.  Heather spent the weekend preparing a fabulous Thanksgiving meal so she could write about it on Home-Ec 101 this month.  Fabulous.

Speaking of candles, it looks like the clear glass container is the way to go.  Over at Pink Roses and Teacups, they used the same idea but the filler around the candles was acorns.

Finally, I like Sarah’s idea about just using your edible groceries (acorn squash, pumpkins) on your mantle as decoration.  She even uses the miniature pumpkin as a bath toy for her baby.

What kind of ideas do you have for decorating inexpensively?

I need to add vinyl soffits to my house to repair the peeling and rotting framing.  The wood columns on my front porch are beginning to show signs of water damage.  My gutters are abysmal.  And if all that’s not bad enough, I really need to invest in some energy friendly replacement windows (I prefer the double insulated, double paned ones).  We are estimating these repairs will cost around $4000 which we definitely can’t shell out at this time. However, this is the perfect time to begin renovations on houses - even if you have to take baby steps to do it.

Don’t wait too long to make repairs because the elements can cause major damage to your home if you don’t act in a timely manner.  Call a professional handyman or five to get free estimates.  While they are there, GET REFERENCES and then CALL THEM.  Then work on a budget to see which repairs would cause the most damage if not made and start there.

For us, we need to get the vinyl soffits done because they will protect the “bones” of the house.  After that, we’ll work on the gutters, then the columns.  The windows will come last because we do have windows in place right now and waiting won’t harm anything.

What repairs do you need to make?

• Mold in your crawl space?  That ranks HIGH on the list of repairs.  Get that remediated before you and your family fall sick.  Then add the moisture/vapor barrier to prevent further water intrusion.
• Sink dripping?  While a drip on from your faucet shouldn’t cause more harm than a higher water bill, a leak in your plumbing can cause major damage.  That should be fixed immediately.
• Inoperable smoke detectors are a MUST fix.  Why gamble on whether your home catches fire?
• If you have an outlet that’s not working, I’d go online to figure out how to replace it and then head to a home store for a new plug.  If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, call a qualified electrician.

What repairs are waiting to be made at your home?

I love seeing new listings in the summer.  Especially when it’s clear sellers love their yards and gardens.  First on our tour, though, is a house NOT for sale.  Bill at Bill’s Tennessee Paradise shows us his beautiful pool area.  Click through the link to see a couple more gorgeous photos.

More summer homes …

I love a back porch - especially when it’s screened in to keep out the mosquitoes and flies!

And what’s better than a screened in porch?  A shaded front porch with a big swing …

I also like a fenced in yard…

Say no more … I’ve found me a a hammock under a shade tree.