remodel

Before Painting Your Santa Cruz Home For Sale

Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 1:01am. 6 Views, 0 Comments.

Nothing makes a Santa Cruz home for sale look better than a new coat of paint.  Many people are intimidated by the thought of painting the exterior of their home, and hire someone else to do it.  But, you can do it yourself, with these easy steps:
 
Getting Your House Ready to Paint
The first thing that you’ll need to do is inspect the house.  Look at all the walls, under the eaves and around the doorframe and windows.  Check for peeling paint, mildew and rough surfaces.
You’ll need to gather a few tools before getting to the repairs and putting your Santa Cruz home up for sale:

• Power-washer
• 2-3” inch putty knife
• 2-3” inch pull scraper
• Wire brush
• Sander 
• Chlorine bleach

Preparing the Surface
Power-wash the walls so you'll have a clean surface.  You don’t…

3 Reasons to Have Your Santa Cruz Home Built With Sustainable Design

Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 10:20am. 25 Views, 0 Comments.

Some potential homeowners just don’t want a pre-lived in Santa Cruz home. They’d rather have their house built to their own specifications. They want a home that fits their needs exactly. If this is you, I understand and would like to help by giving you a glimpse into the future of home design.

The Future of Design

Thinking of the future might bring ideas of fantastic scientific miracles like smart houses that vacuum themselves. While building your Santa Cruz home and having it wired as a smart home may be a good idea, think, also, about sustainable design. Here are just a few reasons why sustainable design is a great idea:

1. Government mandates and incentives – Under the current administration, sustainable design is a big thing. In fact, many cities are…

How Can You Get Incentive Money, if You’re Not Selling Your Santa Cruz Real Estate?

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 11:11am. 33 Views, 0 Comments.

Not everybody is dealing with the worry of buying or selling Santa Cruz real estate. Some are quite happy where they are, have no intention of moving, and selling is the last thing on their minds.

However, there are a lot of incentives out there to do something in Santa Cruz real estate, and many are itching to dip into those incentives. So, if you’re not selling or buying, what can you do? Here are a few ideas:

Upgrades

Upgrades are something you can do to your home at any time. However, with the many government incentives out there, you can upgrade your home to be more energy efficient for less. For example, thanks to federal tax credits, you can install solar panels or a geothermal heat pump and get 30% back once you file your federal taxes.

Instead of…

Weekend Green Projects for Your Santa Cruz Home

Sunday, September 27th, 2009 at 1:01pm. 48 Views, 0 Comments.

Are you looking for something to do around your Santa Cruz home this weekend that will also help the environment? Why not do a quick green renovation at home. Incorporating green products and practices in your home save our natural resources and are better for your health. Here are a few simple projects you can work on this weekend.

1. Floors. You can easily replace the floor in a room during a weekend. Bamboo and cork floors are excellent environmentally-friendly choices because they are renewable sources. They come in a variety of colors and styles so you can find something that will match your current décor.

2. Paint. Painting a room is a quick and easy way to change its look. However, traditional paint is loaded with toxic fumes that can aggravate…

4 Places Santa Cruz Real Estate Agents Say, “Don’t Go Cheap!”

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 10:23am. 51 Views, 0 Comments.

As most Santa Cruz real estate agents will tell you, remodeling, decorating or repairing your home can go a long way towards getting it sold.  For that matter, it can add value to your property in case you want to sell later – that is, if you don’t choose the wrong places to buy cheap:

• Windows – Never buy a window based on which one is cheapest.  You want windows that look good, and, as most Santa Cruz real estate agents will recommend, you want energy-efficient windows.  During 2009 and 2010, you may be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency of up to $1500 when you purchase Energy Star windows.

• Paint – Paint is one of the biggest places people skimp when it comes to cost, and a big no-no.  Cheap paint may take several coats to look…

5 Fourth of July Safety Tips for Santa Cruz Homes

Saturday, July 4th, 2009 at 1:01am. 46 Views, 0 Comments.

The Fourth of July is an exciting – and delicious - time of year for owners of Santa Cruz homes.  There’s swimming, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, and, of course, fireworks.  While the lights are pretty and it’s a blast to set them off, a moment of carelessness can ruin a good time.  Following this list of common – and not so common – safety tips will help ensure that you have a safe and happy July 4th.

1.  Get rid of the weeds around your house.  Although most Santa Cruz homes are well taken care of, a lot of them have a little bit of weed growth here and there.  Making sure the weeks are cut short (less than 3 inches) or destroyed will lower the risk of stray sparks setting them on fire.

2.  Water your roof and the ground around your house.  Stray…