August 2023: Cost Effective Ways of Maintaining Your Home

In the summertime, you have to at least get a few lobster rolls, hot or cold, it doesn’t matter because they’re so good either way. I was in a lobster roll type of mood when I sat down for lunch, so I went with a nice, chilled roll. The lobster roll was very proportionate in terms of the amount of mayo and spices compared to the actual lobster. Nothing in this roll was too overpowering and I will definitely be ordering this lobster roll again the next time I sit down at the Capital Burger, which will probably be this week. On the FoodiePhil scale, this gets a solid 8.6. I’ve never had a bad experience at this restaurant, and you can tell they only use the freshest ingredients! For dessert, I went right down the street to Jonquils Café & Bakery. On top of the amazing desserts that they offer here, they also offer the finest coffees & teas! I went with the Hazelnut Caramel dessert, and I can honestly say that I’ve never had anything like this in my life. I would highly recommend coming here for a nice treat that you can’t find anywhere else! It’s tough to rate this one on the FoodiePhil scale because I’ve never had it before, but they really set the bar high here, so I’ll go with a 9.0 on the Hazelnut Caramel!

Where should I go next?! Send me your recommendations!

In this week’s article, I want to highlight the cheapest ways to maximize your home’s value. Instead of replacing cabinets and doing a full-on renovation, I want to talk about the cost-effective ways of maintaining your home.

1. Update Your Kitchen
2. Deep Cleaning
3. A Well-Maintained Exterior & Yard

1. Update Your Kitchen

When buyers are looking at homes, one of the best ways for them to gauge how modern and updated your home is, is to look at the appliances in the kitchen. If your kitchen has run-down cabinets and an outdated refrigerator/freezer, you have options! If you’re planning on selling the home and do not have an updated kitchen, you will not get the type of money that you’re looking to get for the home. This does not mean that you have to completely redo everything, though. If you have cabinets that could use some TLC, adding a fresh coat of paint, and even changing the color of the cabinets, as well as adding new hardware, will increase the value of your home and save you money from doing a full replacement on each cabinet in the kitchen. You may have to invest in a refrigerator/freezer as those are not something that you can paint over, but there are many ways to update your home without doing a complete overhaul.

2. Deep Cleaning

When I say you have to deep clean the home to maximize value, I’m not talking about dusting or vacuuming. Hiring a professional cleaning service to get those rarely cleaned areas, which is oftentimes areas that are just too hard to reach, will not only have you living in a clean environment, but it’s also something that you won’t have to worry about if you decide to sell the home. Taking the time to have vents cleaned, baseboards touched up, blinds dust-free, or simply replacing an ugly doorknob will go a long way when marketing your home. Windows are also a big thing to consider here. They need to be crack-free and cleaned on the interior and exterior. Even if you just want to live in a clean place, you will know that all bases have been covered.

3. A Well-Maintained Exterior & Yard

We all know how important it is to have a clean and updated interior, but not all homeowners put as much time or focus into the exterior of their homes. Good landscaping offers a great presentation to potential buyers. New shrubs, sod, and plants can really add up so it’s best to focus on what you already have. Trimming the trees and shrubs will make sure there isn’t any overgrowth and adding potted plants around the entryway of a home is a great way to add more color and make it a more visually pleasing atmosphere. Another thing to keep in mind is the back deck, which are all wood-based. Power washing can really transform the way a back deck looks and can be a highlight of an open house viewing. Power washers also are not something that needs to be purchased, you can easily rent a power washer for a very reasonable price.

We feel that taking these steps in improving the appearance of your home's interior and exterior will add value to the home that you would never have considered.

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