17 Household Products You’ve Been Buying But Could’ve Made Yourself All Along

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Having a well kept home requires maintenance and the occasional decor upgrade. Between cleaning supplies, Mod-Podge, and the ever important dog shampoo, a wallet can be strained to keep a place in tip top shape. Here are some handy DIYs for making a number of important household items that will take the pressure off of your finances while helping the environment and impressing your friends.

1. Create your own eco-friendly dishwashing detergent.
Use 1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda (or baking soda will work, as well), 1/2 cup citric acid, and 1/2 cup of kosher salt as a scrubbing agent. For a rinsing agent, vinegar does the trick.

2. Want to create your own Swiffer WetJet Solution? This is the formula for you.

   50% Water
    50% vinegar
    2-3 drops of dish soap

3. Bug spray is a valuable commodity in some places.
It is always a wise idea to be able to make your own natural protection against the crawly, buzzy and bity things in the world. Here’s a page with a number of helpful DIY recipes.

4. Get your homemade febreze on with this DIY.

5. Drano can be a real drag on your pipes. Plumbers will often charge more to work on pipes that have had drano applied due to the wear and tear it causes with their equipment.
We have good news for you! With 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of salt, and ¼ cup of cream of tartar, you have an all natural powder of drain cleaning dynamite. Pour the mix down the drain and then pour two cups of boiling water over it. After an hour, just run fresh water from the sink to flush it out.

6. We aren’t the only ones that benefit from bug spray. Your precious plants can always use a helping hand.
This DIY will help you create the eco-friendly insecticide you need to keep your thumb just a little greener.

7. You can turn your whole place into a giant chalkboard.
All you need is chalkboard paint made from 1 cup latex house paint, 1 cup acrylic craft paint, and 1 tablespoon of unsanded tile grout. Give your wee ones plenty to keep them captivated!

8. Mod-Podge is a must among home renovators. Here’s a snazzy DIY for making your own from Elmer’s glue and water.

9. Need to get that wood good and shiny, but you are tired of chemical wood polish?
Just mix 2 parts oil (preferably linseed oil or olive oil) with one part lemon juice. Polish it on with a soft cloth. Buff that beauty with beeswax and a microfiber cloth for a shiney finish.

10. Homemade polymer clay is perfect for making any number of household decor items.
Your imagination is the only limit. See how to make it from common household ingredients here.

11. This DIY will give you the skinny on making some amazing laundry soap. Save your clothes, and your money in one swoop.

12. Do your clothes look like they are imitating the neighbor’s pug? Get those wrinkles out with your own homemade solution.
Simply pour 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of water, and 3 tablespoons of liquid fabric softener into a spray bottle and apply to smooth out the wrinkles.

13. Do you have those stubborn (and perhaps embarrassing) stains you need to get rid of?
Mix one part hydrogen peroxide, one part baking soda, and two parts water to create your own stain remover and save the day.

14. Make buying glass cleaner a thing of the past with 1 cup of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl), 1 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Spray it on and do your thing.

15. With 1 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, you can starch up any fabric around the house you need to.

16. If there is one important way to keep a house smelling and looking pleasant, it’s to bathe the household pups.
Some of them need some pretty consistent bathing, which can get expensive. Now you can learn to make 3 different doggy shampoos with this DIY..

17. Ever wonder why kids eat glue? It’s because it is made out of all natural (and edible) ingredients.
Glue is deceptively easy to make. Check out this DIY for the details.

by: The Lighter Side

Additional Reading

Home Improvements
Whether you want to fix a faucet or add a new addition to your home, you need to know the facts and the pitfalls of home improvements. Here are some sources that can help.

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McLeansville really doesn’t have a true luxury market, especially if one defines luxury as homes requiring huge Loans. It isn’t so much that great homes don’t exist, but that they are extremely within your means in comparison to homes even just a couple cities away. McLeansville has a great cost of living where you can extend and get more for your money and that is a great thing for home buyers.

Also please explore our luxurious homes and these out-of-the-ordinary gems here. As a full service Greensboro - High Point - Winston Salem real estate team , we work with buyers, sellers and investors in real estate transactions spanning all of the price ranges and property types.

Who Can Buy a HUD Home?

Anyone who has the required cash or can qualify for a loan (subject to certain restrictions) may buy a HUD Home.  HUD Homes are initially offered to owner-occupant purchasers (people who are buying the home as their primary residence). Following the priority period for owner occupants, unsold properties are available to all buyers, including investors.

Mike Headley is a real estate salesperson and realtor. He lives in Kernersville, North Carolina; he owned and managed The Headley Group Realty. You can connect with him and his team at www.theheadleygroup.com or 336-904-6212.

Pimp Your Backyard on Labor Day

"Whether Buying or selling, to get ahead

in Real Estate; get ahead with THE HEADLEY GROUP REALTY!" 

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6 Ways to Bump Up Your Barbecue Decor (Just in Time for Labor Day)

No summer weekend (or fall or mild winter weekend for that matter) is complete without grilling a few awesome meals in the great outdoors. So why isn’t anyone ever enthusiastic about coming over to your place for some hot dogs, bean burgers, or even wagyu steaks? Could it be that your backyard barbecue decor is a little less than appetizing?

Well, look no further than these ideas to get the creative juices running. From hanging lights to a full-on bar cart, these simple tweaks will make your Labor Day or any old excuse for barbecuing all the more memorable.

Hanglights

Candles are fine, but unless you get an early start, you’ll be eating your grilled emu in near darkness. Instead, transform your backyard with better lighting, whether by spotlighting a few significant trees or adding solar-powered lanterns along the walkway. Lorena Canals, a home living expert in Hastings on Hudson, NY, likes Christmas lights for their price and ease of use.

“Just put in a few wooden posts if you don’t have a pergola to drape with them,” she suggests. Place the posts around the seating and grill area, and string twinkle lights in between. Or go old-school and hit up the hardware store for half a dozen Tiki torches. Insert them into the ground to light the way to your backyard, or arrange them to light up dark corners of your yard.

Lay a rug

Define your backyard barbecue space with an outdoor rug. There are literally thousands of inexpensive options that are relatively easy to clean and maintain.

 “Most backyard barbecue areas a have a cement, brick, or wood floor,” notes Canals. A rug adds instant warmth to cold flooring and makes your backyard look like an extension of your indoor style. A fire pit is another smart bonus outdoors.

“You can easily build your own with a DIY tutorial online or pick up one at your local home or garden center,” she says.

Or add a swing.

“A hanging chair or swing are two fun ways to inject a little energy into the party scene,” notes Jessica Sutton, lead curator with Dot & Bo. In particular, bold geometric patterns look great outside, like this black and white rug for $197.

Tap into the power of pallets

If you have a few extra wooden shipping pallets hanging around—or you know someone who does—you can get very creative, notes Canals.

“Pallets can be taken apart and made into the most perfect seating areas for your patio,” she says. Just toss on a few cushions—and you’re done. Or stand up two pallets and connect them with a slab of concrete to make a patio bar. Paint pallets in a coordinating color, install hooks on one side to hold bar towels, and then top it with a colorful set of melamine glasses on a tray.

Wheel in a bar cart

Your friends love you (really, they do!), but they aren’t coming to your backyard to watch you fiddle with marinated octopus on the grill. It’s all about the drinks—fresh mojitos, icy cold lemonade, rum punch, summer sangria, or plain ol’ beer. Add a bar cart or create an outdoor bar area off to the side, and stock it with an ice bucket, openers, and a serving tray, suggests Sutton. This bar cart from Dot & Bo is $272.

Arrange better seating

Your lawn chairs are most likely fine, but why not curate a look that’s way more inviting? Backyard barbecue furniture should have the same consideration as your indoor dinner parties. Think cozy and comfortable, and toss out a few outdoor cushions in bold colors and patterns that pop. Or take a cue from Sutton.

“One of my personal favorite arrangements is simple: Place an outdoor sofa facing two chairs to encourage conversation, and then add a side table in between the seating or use an ottoman,” she explains. A stool plays double duty, functioning as a table when topped with a tray or as additional seating when guests are over.

by: Jennifer Kelly Geddes

realtor.com

Know What to do...

"Whether Buying or selling, to get ahead
in Real Estate; get ahead with THE HEADLEY GROUP REALTY!" 
call us at 336 9046214

Hurricane Insurance: What Homeowners and Renters Should Know..

Tropical storms and hurricanes can cause major property damage. If you live in an at-risk area, be sure your home is protected.

Peak hurricane season runs from mid-August to late October, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As a homeowner or renter, you may wonder, “Do I have enough insurance protection to withstand a potential hurricane?”

Unfortunately, you might not want to hear the answer.

 Don’t wait until a storm is in the forecast to think about insurance. Call your insurance provider now and get to know the details and limits of your policy.

Throughout hurricane season and beyond, you want to have peace of mind that your investment is fully protected.

If you’re a homeowner

Like any responsible homeowner, you’ve got a standard homeowners insurance policy. And even though most policies offer a wide range of protections, hurricanes may only be partially covered.

When purchasing a home insurance policy, you want enough dwelling coverage to completely rebuild your home if it is destroyed by a covered peril. Remember, this is the cost to rebuild your home, which isn’t the same as what you originally paid to purchase it.

Not sure if you have enough dwelling coverage? Use a home insurancecalculator to help estimate your home’s replacement value and then compare it to the amount of coverage on your policy.

If you’re a renter

If you live in an apartment, your building is likely covered by your landlord’s policy. It’s up to you, however, to purchase protection for the items in your apartment.

The perils covered by your policy depend on your specific policy and provider. Generally, wind, lightning and hail damage — all common during hurricanes — are included as covered perils. Water damage, however, can be a different story.

For more information on how to protect your home and your family before a storm, check out this hurricane disaster guide.

BY HOMEINSURANCE.COM ON 2 SEP 2016

By Samantha Alexander

GOOD TO KNOW STUFF...

"Whether Buying or selling, to get ahead
in Real Estate; get ahead with THE HEADLEY GROUP REALTY!" call us at 336 9046214

HIRING A HANDYMAN WHEN SELLING YOUR HOME

As you get ready to sell your home, you may discover the need to make numerous repairs and updates. But when do you have the time? Most jobs you can do yourself, but others require a little more skill. Maybe it's time to consider hiring a handyman.

Hiring a handyman can prevent waste and overcharging, as the handyman will only charge you for hours worked. Plus they keep their rates low with low overhead and by not having to pay other workers.

A handyman is someone who can handle small painting and carpentry jobs that can be completed quickly. He typically works alone, charges by the hour plus materials, and in some states is required to be licensed and carry insurance.

If you think you're going to more extensive work, you should consider a contractor. A contractor differs from a handyman by taking larger jobs that require going behind walls, or tearing out and rebuilding areas. Contractors supervise specialized tradespeople such as plumbers, electricians, and craftsmen.

Before you hire a handyman or a contractor, make a list of the jobs you need done. If your list is composed mostly of repairs and some updating like painting, a handyman should suit your needs.

To hire the right person for the job, do the following:

1. Get recommendations from family, friends, or your real estate professional. She may know an individual or company that specializes in "make-ready," a room-by-room clean-up, touch-up and fix-up. You can also contact sites such as HomeAdvisor  to hire workmen.

2. Interview several handymen before making your decision. Make sure the handyman you hire has the experience and equipment to do the jobs you need and is willing to guarantee the work.

3. You want someone you'll feel comfortable having around your family and in your home. Hire only personnel who are bonded and insured.

4. Inspect the work while it's in progress and when it's finished. Most professionals want to do a good job out of pride of workmanship. Handymen also rely heavily on referrals, so if you're pleased, you'll recommend the handyman to your family and friends.

What you don't want to do is leave small repairs undone. Home buyers notice if maintenance has been ignored, and may conclude the home is in need of greater repair than it actually does.

SOURCE: Written by Realty Times Staff on Wednesday, 24 August 2016 3:07 pm

We hope you are having an awesome and productive Day!

Today is an excellent day to start for Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem real estate, with some markets having increased as high as 28% over the past year. If it's been a while since your last home evaluation, now is the perfect time to find out what your home is worth.

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If you would like to take advantage of this offer, please give us a call, or send an email to headleygrouprealty@gmail.com or visit 

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