Wall art is one of the easiest ways to give your home character by providing a glimpse into your tastes and preferences. Follow these picture hanging tips to decorate your walls.  

Do

• Use odd numbers of items when possible.
• Hang pictures at eye level.
• Use toothpaste to fill in nail holes.
• Buy a picture hanging kit.
• Group four small frames into a square.
• Utilize wall shelves and picture ledges to showcase your art.
• Use decorative ribbon and knobs when hanging art.

Don’t

• Leave a lot of space between your sofa and wall décor (aim for 4 – 6 inches).
• Put one small picture on a large wall (and vice-versa).
• Hang a lot of pictures in a straight line.
• Nail collages to the wall until you’ve arranged your frames on the floor.

Removing clutter from your kitchen can be easy with a strategy. For an organized kitchen, follow these helpful tips.

Prep the kitchen. Go through your regular kitchen clean up routine. Clear countertops, empty the dishwasher and fill your sink with hot soapy water to quickly clean dusty and dirty items.  Get your summer dishes out for the nice weather in Southeast Minnesota!

Grab bins. Use four big bins or tubs for sorting your kitchen clutter into the following categories:

1. Belongs in kitchen (for the season you probably wont need those hot chocolate mugs in the summer in Rochester!! Get out your lemonade glasses!)
2. Belongs elsewhere (take items that do not belong in the kitchen out!)
3. Storage (Store holiday items in this bin!)
4. Donations

Gather garbage bags. A couple of big garbage bags will be needed for items that you want to discard.

Start sorting. Go through one drawer or one cupboard at a time. Pull items out of the storage space and utilize the bins to help you decide what to keep or toss.

Ask questions. As you look at the items, ask yourself when that item was last used.

• If the answer is never or more than a year ago, that item should go in a garbage bag or the donation bin.
• If it’s been more than a month since an item has been used, put the item in the storage box.
• If it’s something you use often, put it back in its spot or in one of the belongs bins.

Put away bin items. Once you’ve gone through your kitchen, you will be ready to take action on the items in the four bins. Now that your kitchen items are categorized into different groups, you will be able to efficiently relocate them to their appropriate spots.

Kitchens are a main piece to a home.  This is where family meals are prepared and time is spent.  Make your kitchen a place you enjoy and know where things are at.

Use this handy list to get a jump on your home maintenance this spring!

1.  Check batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working properly. Having these safety devices functioning properly will provide you peace of mind.

2.  Examine air filters to see if they need to be replaced with clean ones.

3.  Perform a visual inspection of the roof for damages after our winters in Rochester, Minnesota they need a good check.  Look for raised, cracked, or missing shingles that need replacing before the spring showers hit.

4. If you have a wood patio or deck, now is a good time to seal or paint it to protect from the scorching summer sun  in Rochester, Minnesota.

5. Inspect window and door screens, and use a repair kit from your local hardware store to mend any tears you might find.

6. Hire an inspector to service your heating/cooling system.  You want to make sure that no damage occurred during the winter and it will ensure that your cooling is in tip top shape for the hot summer ahead.

7.  Look for loose or leaky spots on your gutters that need fixing make sure all drain spouts are pointing away from the home as excess water collection can damage its foundation.

Check all of these items of your list so your home is in great shape! Enjoy the sun!

Buying a home in Rochester Minnesota has never been easier!

More often than not, window treatments are not one of first things on someone’s mind when they are trying to sell a house. Window blinds and shades are often considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime purchase like roofing or flooring. This is mainly because custom treatments can be rather expensive and most people just assume they won’t make a big impact on whether or not the house sells. Any interior designer or realtor will tell you, this could not be further from the truth. Stylish and well-built window treatments not only make an impact, they boost the resale value of your home considerably. There are a few things you can do to ensure your window treatments make an impression on prospective buyers.

Window treatments that insulate can add a lot of value to your home as many people these days are “going green” and also trying to save money on their energy costs. Cellular shades are ideal for this as they let light filter in without the heat from the sun. There are even several types of honeycomb shades that meet the criteria for tax credits because of the energy they save. Sticking to neutral colors is best so that the shades can easily match the new homeowner’s décor.

Real wood plantation shutters can make an impressive statement as shutters are considered furniture for windows. The only down side to this option is that real wood shutters are a much bigger investment than most window treatments. If you are on more of a budget, opt for fauxwood shutters. Again, for the sake of the next homeowner’s décor, it is probably best to go with a neutral color like white as opposed to a unique shade of wood stain.

Custom blinds, shades and shutters can be rather pricey and since you are going to be leaving these treatments in the house, you may want to go with something more economical. Neutral color or sheer curtains can add extra incentive for the homeowner as their home will already look put-together when they move in. It is also important to remember to replace any blinds or shades that are broken or have obvious tears or dings. And obviously, always clean your window treatments before potential buyers come over. Following these guidelines will ensure that your windows will look their best and give your house’s resale value the extra boost it needs to get sold.

“Being green” is the rage these days and for a good reason.  It protects our natural resources, our environment, but did you know it can help you cut down costs around your home?  Read on for some easy home energy saving tips that can help your wallet and the planet!

PERFECT TEMPERATURE: When running your air conditioning, the ideal temperature is 78 degrees,  for every degree below that setting, your energy cost will increase 5 percent.  The same goes with the furnace.  Set your thermostat at 68 degrees during the winter months.  In that case your energy will cost will rise 3 percent for every degree above that setting.

LIGHTS OUT: When you leave a room, make sure the lights are shut off.  If you are forgetful about flipping the switch, let sensors and timers do the work for you.  A good investment? A three-way lamp, they save energy by using the lowest light setting needed for that time of the day.

BEST BULBS: Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s).  According, to the US Department of Energy by using CFL’s you can save up to 50 percent of your lighting costs.  They also use a quarter of the energy as your standard bulbs and last 1o times longer.

COOL DOWN: Let hot foods cool to room temperature before sticking them in your refrigerator. Your fridge has to work harder and uses more energy to cool down the hot foods and their containers.  However, be careful not to leave your food out too long or it will spoil.

FULLY COVERED:  Make sure unfinished spaces in your home like basements, crawl spaces, and attics are insulated properly for your geographic region.  Something you might not, think of is insulating your outlets.  Those little spaces can let cold/heat into your home.  Placing insulating plugs into outlets that are not being used can keep the air out.

Coming Soon!