Fall Fix-Up Helpful Tips

Bay Weekly

Decorate Affordably; Consign Profitably

       Accent décor can be a great way to move into a new season. The affordable way to add to your collection is to check out your local consignment store. Shop often and shop early to snag the best selection.

       Are you trying to stick to a decorating budget? Are you looking to get rid of unwanted items that you no longer use?

       If you’ve answered yes to either question, come to Second Wind Consignments.

      Established in 2009, Second Wind offers an ever-changing inventory of furniture, decorating accessories, housewares, tools, garden décor, costume jewelry, books and collectibles. Our standards are high for consignments. Every item in our inventory is carefully selected and displayed with complementary pieces to spark your creativity.

       Consigning a great way to clean out the house and make some money to invest in new pieces for your home. At Second Wind, consigning is as easy as shopping. Call for an appointment to drop off your items. We’ll do the rest.

       With great merchandise and a friendly staff, Second Wind will top your list of favorite shopping destinations.

Get Your Home Ready for Holiday Guests

      The holiday season and guests go together — sometimes on short notice. Here’s how to get ready quick.

        1. Mobilize the whole family and hand out cleaning/de-cluttering assignments. Focus first on high-traffic, visible areas.

        2. Have snacks on hand. Cookies you can pull out of the oven create a warm welcome to the senses and your guests.

        3. Get the family presentable. No one expects you to be dressed up for a pop-in visit, but neither do guests expect to see you in your pajamas. 

        4. Hit play for Christmas music in the background.

        5. Do a quick walk-through of the house. Do the bathrooms have clean hand towels and toilet paper? Is there any clutter or tripping hazards like kids’ toys in the hallways? Coffee table organized? Carry a laundry basket around to quickly collect items, and stash the basket in a closet for later.

        6. Check on those cookies, before the doorbell rings.

Ease Your Way into a Minimalist Garden

       The goal of a Minimalist Garden is to allow native plants and animals to interact in an attractive, sustainable landscape that requires minimal care and upkeep.

      1. Be patient. Plants and animals are on a different time scale than we are. Trees take decades to get established and live for hundreds of years. Native perennial plants require time to get established and acclimated to the ecology of your yard. Jack In The Beanstalk type plants that grow to maturity overnight are the stuff of myth. Plants need time to claim the space you have given them. The rule in the Minimalist Garden is to allow three years. Surrender a portion of your lawn grass to native plants, and give them time to reclaim the space. 

       2. Learn to love the animals. The importance of animal life to the ecology of your yard and garden cannot be overstated. Mammals, birds, insects and microbes are all essential to the health of any ecosystem. Remember, We need the animals and it is our responsibility to provide habitat so that they will thrive. What happens to the animals, happens to us. 

       3. Enjoy your outdoor space and the wildlife that sustains it. Reconnect with nature and the rewards will be plentiful. Have patience and be part of the solution rather than the problem. A rain barrel is a good place to start.

Take One Welcoming Step

       A quick way to add appeal to your house is to paint the front door.

What’s the Right Style Shed for You?

       When choosing a shed, it is important to consider style. A-frame sheds are the most popular because they compliment any style house, but the Dutch barn style with the gambrel roof offers more storage space. The Quaker-style shed has a roof that provides a little overhang that protects the door from the elements.

Moving Time: How to Care for Your Clocks

       Moving a grandfather clock can be intimidating. Sometimes, it’s best to call a professional to prepare the clock to be moved. You need to remove the weights and pendulum and secure the cables or chains. Chime rods can be fragile and difficult to replace, so wrap them in bubble wrap. Once you’ve done all this, treat the clock like a good piece of furniture and handle with care.

       Change the batteries in battery-powered clocks twice a year. This keeps the clocks on time and prevents acid corrosion.” 

Come to Warmth ­Proactively

       Most of our clients are reactive to a leaking water heater. Be smart, be proactive. It’s also heating service tune-up time; check out your humidifier, too!

Autumn Is Time for Pool Inspection and Repairs

       With pool season coming to an end, make the inspection of your pool a priority. It is especially important to check for damage, leaks and cracks before taking care of your fall maintenance requirements. If you notice your pool is damaged, do not wait until next season to take care of the repairs and renovations. If everything appears as it should, great! If not, you should have the issues assessed by a licensed pool professional. Winter months can be harsh increasing the already visible damage and creating more costly repairs for you in the spring. Keep your pool looking like an oasis so you are ready to jump in next season.”

Clean Windows Make Everybody Happy

      Here’s a tip! Let your wife know you will be taking the day off to clean the windows. Seal the deal by giving her a kiss on the cheek as she heads off to work. Pre-arrange for Malibu Window Cleaners to show up 30 minutes later, as you to grab your clubs and take off for the greens. After a great round on the course, you’ll arrive home just in time to greet your wife. She’ll be elated and you’ll be a hero. It’s a win-win.

Remodel for Comfort and Safety Now and in Your Future

      As we have completed many projects for clients in the past, we have installed many useful tools that have helped make clients’ homes more marketable. You can also implement these same elements in your own home.

      For example, most of us see pullout shelves and mixer cabinets in design and only think of them as a novelty, when, in fact, they are so much more than that.

      Over the past year, my wife and I, the owners of Annapolis Kitchen and Bath, have been taking all of our life experiences and sharing them with our clients and designers to make our kitchen and bath projects livable homes for the future. Whether a client plans on living in there forever or selling it in the next four years, it is always beneficial to plan for a universal design that will be functional for everyone.

      Larger doors allow for walkers or wheelchairs so the user has access to as many rooms as possible. Sophisticated design features that are fashionable and desirable such as a Beach Entry Shower (roll-in shower) are not only great design features, but also make a home easier for someone who is aging in place or has special needs.

       If you start thinking about your future needs and those of your loved ones, not only will you feel a sense of peace knowing that you will be taken care of, but your home will also be more marketable.

Storm-Ready Gardening

      The Mid-Atlantic’s unpredictable weather patterns are infamous. The top 50 storms in Maryland have all occurred in the months of September and October. Property damage has included unnecessary destruction from loose limbs, untethered patio furniture and garden containers that have been lifted by high winds.

Shore up Container ­Gardens and New ­Plantings

      If you have space to store your planted containers, wait until the first light frost; then drag them into the garage or shed. If you intend on leaving them out, you’ll want to insulate the pot with straw bales or burlap covering over the entire planting.

Treat Your Water for Purity and Health

      No one likes turning on the tap to find the water smells of sulfur or has an unpleasant taste. Poor water quality isn’t just a matter of taste or aesthetics; it can also affect your health and finances. 

      Improving water quality with water purification systems and water softeners can reduce your chance of illness and ensure your home appliances run more efficiently. Proper maintenance of water treatment equipment is also important, as improperly maintained filtration equipment will be ineffective.

Tips for Choosing a ­Construction Contractor

       Are you planning to build a small storage house? How about adding a room to your house? Perhaps you want to build a garage? Whatever construction project you’ll have, you would want to DIY everything so you can save a hefty amount of money.

       However, do you have the time or the skills? If not, it’s best to leave the job to a reliable construction contractor. If you don’t know how to find a contractor that can help you, here are tips you can follow:

Get help from your local government

       If you aren’t sure what company to hire, you can always pay a visit to your local government. You can ask for a list of contractors who are verified and registered to operate in your local area. Rest assured, you won’t have to be afraid of scams anymore.

Browse the BBB website

     Better Business Bureau is one of the legit places you can look for a reliable construction contractor that will help you with your project. You can search specifically in your area and look for companies that have higher ratings.

Family, friends, and colleagues

      One thing that can help you with your search is to ask for referrals from your friends, neighbors, family members, and even your colleagues. If they have similar suggestions, you might want to consider those because it’s a sign that they are satisfied with the results.

Visit or talk to company owners personally

      The right construction company will not go after you. Instead, you come to them. As the old adage goes, Seek and you shall find. Visiting companies firsthand will allow you to have a deeper understanding and know the company well. You can conduct interviews and ask probing questions that will eventually lead you to the answers that you’re looking for.

Gather different estimates

      One of the things you should never miss out on when hiring a construction company is collecting estimates. Although it’s only a document, you’ll easily know that the company is legit if they provide you with a detailed quotation of all the expenses that you need to pay for your project.

       Don’t hesitate to ask for help when it comes to construction. 

Take a Pantry Audit

       Get ready for the upcoming holidays by giving your pantries and cupboards a good audit. It’s that time of year where we stock up on the good stuff for all the yummy meals and treats we indulge in as family gathers. It’s nice to keep a clean house, and stay prepared but you can go beyond a simple cleaning to further reduce anxieties or stress by getting organized now. 

       Take some time to toss expired product and spices that have lost their freshness. Give away what you know you don’t really need to those who could use it — and feel good about it! Make room for staples like sugar and flour that you know you’ll be using a lot of here shortly.

        Finally, organize your Tupperware! This tip is huge, as we all know there is nothing quite like holiday leftovers. Prepare now to indulge later.

Turn on Fall in Your Flowerbeds

       It’s time to clean up your flowerbeds. Pull those summer annuals, and plant your pansies and violas. Garden favorites for generations, colorful pansies and violas thrive in cooler temperatures, blooming in our area until December or even January. They will come back up in early spring and be some of the first color in your yard. You get two seasons out of one planting! This month is the best time to get them in the ground.