While not everyone considers themselves a Weekend Warrior, every homeowner should have certain tools on hand.  A small hammer and duct tape are just the basics every person should own, and while a large toolset isn’t necessary, some items are. Keep this guide in mind the next time you head out to the home center or local hardware store. 

• Toolbox:  It may seem obvious, but keeping everything in one place will save time when you need an item in a hurry, and keep the box in a dedicated place in your garage or storage closet. 
• Claw Hammer:  Every home needs a hammer, preferably with a clawed end to remove nails or for prying hard-to-open objects. 
• Adjustable Wrench: An adjustable wrench takes the place of a wrench set, and, hence the name, can adjust to most average-size bolts. 

• Screwdriver:  Most people have two standard screwdrivers: flathead and Phillips.  There are screwdrivers that have changeable bits for different sized screws, and they are especially convenient. 
• Pliers:  Many types of this versatile tool are available, and the basic design is perfect for all sorts of jobs.  You can get specialized styles:  needle-nosed, pliers with wire cutters–the choices are endless.  Get what you think is best for your needs. 
• Boxcutter/Utility Knife:  A folding or disappearing blade would be best for this tool, especially if you have children. It’s a great tool to have for many uses, such as cutting insulation, trimming shingles, as well as repairing drywall. 
• 25-foot Tape Measure:  You never know when you’ll need to measure more than a yard-stick’s length, and a 25-foot style is great for measuring rooms, or outdoor projects. 
• Cordless Drill: Brian Kelsey, host of the online video series, Kelsey on the House, says a cordless drill will become your “…most-used tool in your tool kit,”  

Home centers will have an array of pre-filled toolboxes, and if that’s what suits your needs, purchase one of those. But if you know what you want, assemble a custom tool set to use for all your home projects/minor repairs.  Bob Vila provides a list with some extras not listed here, so if you’re a go-getter in the DIY field, see his recommendations for a little more than the basics. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Buying a new home is exciting, but after the euphoria wears off, it’s time to start thinking about how to pack up and move everything. Unless you have the luxury of hiring a moving company, getting all of your things loaded carefully and transported from one place to another is a major DIY project. Here are some tips to take some of the anxiety out of packing.

• Start deep cleaning and cleaning out as soon as possible. Cleaning your things as you pack them will make it easier when your bone-tired from loading and unloading.
• Have a throwing out party. Calling it a party will get the kids involved and make it sound like a good time, right?
• Have a garage sale for items that may not fit in your new home or you have out grown.
• Call donation centers to pick up items you are not taking with you or donate them yourself.
• Time to box it up. Start gathering sturdy boxes or reusable storage boxes, and lots of newspaper and/or bubble wrap.
• Keep everything safe. For your kitchen items, ball up several sheets of newspaper and cover the bottom or the box. This provides a cushion for your breakables.
• Wrap it up. Use blankets, sheets and towels to keep framed photos and artwork safe.
• Clothes are best left in their dresser drawer–just remove the drawer when you’re moving the main part of the furniture, then replace them when it gets to the truck or trailer, and new room.
• Hanging clothes can be placed in a flat sheet. Lay the clothes, with their hangers, onto the sheet. Tie up each corner diagonally to create a big hobo pouch, and the knots can be a handle. Unless you’re lucky enough to have tons of luggage, it’s an easier way to transport those clothes than trying to hold all those hangers on your hand. Not to mention less painful.
• Luggage can be used to pack up items you consider priceless. Just pack them in the same manner as you would have in a box or container, and that way you can keep a better eye on them or move them yourself.
• Bare necessities. Make sure each person packs their own bag of clothes and any necessities they will need for a few days. The first week in a new home can be a bit confusing, and if everyone has what they need close by, this will make things easier.
• The big stuff. Furniture is straightforward. If you want extra protection, use an industrial roll of plastic wrap, or for tables and chairs, use a large blanket or some towels on the seats or tabletop to protect the finish. Glass table tops and mirrors need to have some crisscrossed masking tape on them to help protect them from shattering–think hurricane-style. Use hair ties to keep cabinet doors closed on hutches or entertainment center doors.
• Get yourself together. After everything is boxed up, taped up, labeled and ready to go, leave the boxes in the rooms they belong in. Remove things from the truck by room, and make sure the containers get to the rooms they’re labeled for.

Preparing to relocate can be daunting, but if you use some common sense and think practically, you can cut down on the stress of moving. Organization is the key!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Thinking about doing some home improvements?  Whether it’s a kitchen or bathroom remodel, a whole-house painting, or floor refinishing, there’s a time of year when these jobs are easier to get completed, mainly because of how the weather affects not only construction, but the quality of the finished product as well.  Find the project you’re considering, and see when it’ll be the right time to get to work:  

Additions, because of needing a new foundation, could be started in late Winter/early Spring when the ground is still cold and more compact.  It makes for better digging and concrete pouring and setup. 

Exterior door replacement would be convenient any time except Winter, just in case there are any issues and the doors aren’t a quick switch. 

Exterior painting, for many reasons, is a better idea in early to late Summer, when temperatures are above fifty degrees. 

HVAC work, in non-emergency situations, should be done in the off seasons–new heater in warm months, air conditioning before it’s sweltering outside. 

Interior remodeling like kitchen and bathroom redo’s, can be done practically any time.  The main thing to keep in mind here is warm months are busier for contractors, and that can mean a job done in a hurry, or higher prices. 

Outdoor projects, even though a popular time for construction is the warmer months, should be started in late Winter, simply because you want to be able to spend your Summer enjoying your new outdoor space! 

Refinishing hardwoods is probably best completed during the times of year when humidity is low for the best finish, and so windows can be opened to allow air circulation to help get rid of any associated odors. 

Roofing, believe it or not, may get better results in hot months of the year, as the most common materials used will need warm temps for the best performance. 

Window repair/replacement is managed well during warm months or when frequent rain isn’t a factor. 

Keep in mind that Spring and Summer are busiest time for contractors.  If you are hiring your job out, the process should be started long enough in advance that you don’t have to be put on a wait list.  On that same note, during slower months, a contractor may give you a deal on the work, because there aren’t other jobs to be done, and you get their full attention!  Planning is key for a smooth finish on any project, any time of year. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Sometimes it’s necessary to leave your old home before it sells, and even if it’s in a safe community, there are steps that should be taken to make sure the home and its components are secure.  Criminals are pretty savvy these days, and you don’t want your home compromised, especially when potential buyers are there for a showing. 

• First and foremost, make sure all your doors and windows are locked.  Most of those who are looking for easy access will find it.  They don’t care to draw attention to themselves by smashing windows and creating a lot of noise. 
• Check with your insurance agent and make sure you’re covered properly for a vacant house. 
• Talk to your RealtorⓇ about the lockbox that will be placed on your entryway.  Make certain it’s electronic, because the agent can not only get in without a key, but can keep track of who’s used the lockbox to enter, and when. 

• If you don’t already, have motion sensor floodlights installed around the perimeter of your home.  This will help deter anyone who is creeping around after dark. 
• Ask a relative, trusted neighbor or hire someone with good references to keep an eye on things, especially if you’ve moved more than a short drive away.   If you have a neighbor whose driveway is close by, ask if they would be willing to use your driveway to park in. 
• The landscaping should be maintained to keep any suspicion that you’re not there, and it should be taken care of by a reputable landscaper.  Your RealtorⓇ should be able to help you find someone for this job.   
• Secure outdoor components–your light fixtures and even the HVAC unit can be stolen, and it’s not as uncommon as you’d think. The light fixtures can be motion-detection activated, and the HVAC unit circuit box can be locked, and make it more difficult to get to with fencing or a security cage. 
• A home security system is now more affordable than ever, and you don’t have to pay a monthly service fee to a company. Do some online research and find a system that connects wirelessly and has a coordinating smartphone app.  You can keep an eye on things yourself, and if there’s anything suspicious, call your contact and ask them to check your house for you.   

The cost of keeping your electricity and Wi-Fi connected to the vacant house can’t compare to the peace of mind and protection it can offer while selling your home.  That doesn’t count the money you would save from repairs for damage or stolen items to be replaced.  Protect your investment by protecting your vacant house while it waits for new owners. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Once you decide to sell your home, you want it to look its best, and a total remodel may be out of your budget.  Thankfully, there are some quick and affordable updates to add to your home to give it some extra style and character, not to mention the added value! 

• You can add crown molding to your rooms with little carpentry know-how.  Plaster-covered foam molding is available in many styles, and anyone with a measuring tape, hand saw and some paint can install it.  This Old House has a how-to for this easy update. 
• Clean up and, if necessary, paint your front entry door.  Add a new light sconce, and get a new welcome mat. 
• Electrical outlets are usually not something you think about upgrading, but outlets with a built-in USB port are available at home centers, and are impressive to potential home buyers because of the convenience they offer.  Put them near the kitchen counter, and a few in the bedrooms for easy access. 

• Cleaning the grout in the bathrooms, or even re-grouting can make your floor and tile look shiny-new. 
• Upgrade your doors’ and cabinets’ hardware for every room if it’s outdated. 
• Paint rooms a neutral color; grey and beige–even a mix called “greige”–are trendy right now if you don’t want all-white walls. 
• Add potted flowers or plants to your front entry for a welcome sight–just don’t forget to water them! 
• Check your crawl space for any falling insulation, and replace it. 
• Change out any dated light sconces and chandeliers. 
• A new shower curtain and decorative towels can do wonders for your bathroom. 
• The right backsplash in the kitchen can really make it stand out and look like new.  There are many DIY options, and the self-stick products on the market now make this task go much faster for the novice. 
• A chair rail and wainscoting in the dining area adds a nice eye-catching architectural detail. 
• Most experts advise taking down your window curtains while your home is on the market, but you want some color on the windows.  A cornice box is an easy project to try, and cover them with your (now) old curtain fabric. 

You want your home to make a great impression as soon as a possible new owner walks to the front door.  Small details can make a big impact on their decision, and as the seller, it’s your call on what makes your home sell.  Walk through with your Realtor, and ask for suggestions from them, as they are the expert.  Tackle what projects are within your budget, and hopefully you’ll soon be reaping the rewards! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Walk through your local garden center and finding what’s right for your landscape and gardening skill level can be overwhelming.  Not everyone wants to spend the warm months of the year taking care of needy plants, and there are many available that will offer color all summer and don’t need a lot of attention! 

• Daylilies come in hundreds of varieties and colors and are almost plant and forget.  Plant different cultivars in a sunny spot about twelve inches apart, keep them watered well for the first few weeks, and you’ll be rewarded with pops of color all Summer. 
• Everyone loves sunflowers, and they are easy to plant from seed. There are even varieties available that are only a few feet tall that would work in containers.  If you plant seeds, try planting each set every two weeks for six weeks, and once they bloom, they’ll bloom until Fall. 
• Who wouldn’t like grass that doesn’t need mowing?  Ornamental grasses such as zebra grass, purple fountain grass, blue fescue, and Japanese blood grass grow to be different heights and can add interest as well as color with little maintenance.  
• If you have a shady spot, impatiens are non-stop blooms if you keep them cool.  Some call them “cowboy flowers,” as they can look almost dead, and give them a drink of water, and they come back to life! They’re great in containers and hanging baskets and can brighten any dark spot in the yard. 
• Attract butterflies to your yard with a butterfly weed plant.  Since it is a native wildflower, it is practically carefree, and butterflies love the nectar.  Planting from seed can make flowering take a year or two, so look for an older plant already in flower in your garden center. 
• Zinnias put on a show all Summer, and come in many colors and bloom varieties, and all it takes is a scattering of seeds.  Like sunflowers, if you plant them every two weeks for about six weeks, they’ll bloom successively for many weeks. 
• Portulaca is a succulent plant that grows low to the ground and blooms in bright pink, orange, red, white and yellow.  When everything else is drooping in the heat of Summer, because of their heat tolerance, will be shining bright. Another plant for those shady places is fern.  There are many cultivars, and ferns thrive in shade, and you get a bonus because they come back every year. 
• Trumpet vine is so easy to grow, it is commonplace along country roadsides, climbing power poles, blooming with bright orange trumpet-shaped flowers.  Plant this with some support, and besides looking pretty, hummingbirds enjoy it! 
• Look for easy care hybrid roses.  Not only are the modern cultivations easy to keep, they bloom all season. 

Check with your local cooperative extension service if you need advice on what is good to plant for your local climate, or find your region in this article from Better Homes & Gardens™ for more ideas.  Gardening can be as time-consuming or as carefree as we want–we just have to pick the right things to grow. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

When buying a home various factors come to mind immediately-location, price range, home style, home condition, wish list for the interior and exterior, number of bedrooms and bathrooms desired; just to name a few. One component which can be overlooked by some but is extremely essential to many would be the local school system in the neighborhood. I highly value my communities’ school system.

Studies have found that home buyers would give up one aspect of their home to have their children attend a ‘better’ school district; this speaks volumes to how important education is for parents’. For some parents there are alternatives such as private schools but that is not the case for many. Even if buyers don’t have or plan to have school-age children in the house, the quality of nearby schools can have an impact on how much you pay, and how much a home sells for down the line.

In the past year Orange county public schools  has succeeded in the improvement to maintain outstanding schools for all of our children. Through strategic planning and organizational development our schools continue to advance! Good local schools are amongst us in high numbers and will provide our children with the learning and education they should receive but with the type we wish for them to obtain as well.

For additional information on our school systems please visit Florida Department of Education.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

This time of year folks begin to get outdoors to do more around their homes because it is nice and warm outside.   It’s also a good time to do a bit of work outside the house and make your outdoor space more inviting and fun for family and friends.   Below is a list of ways in which you can accomplish this.

1. If you already have landscape lighting, why not purchase a few fun colored lights to use in them for different holidays.  This will defiantly make your outdoor space a lot more fun.
2. If you are getting tired of mowing your grass then you may want to replace your grass with a garden. You might want to add a garden of flowers or a garden of vegetables or even put in a koi pond.  Any of these ideas will help to keep you from spending your summer evenings mowing the grass all the time, therefore making your outdoor space more fun.
3. If your patio furniture is old and outdated, now is the time to go out to purchase some that allows you to show your style more effectively. Outdoor furniture always makes outdoor spaces more inviting and fun.
4. Adding a new doorbell to the outside of your home may seem like a small thing, however if you find a nice one that lights up the front door area it can do wonders towards making your home seem more inviting at night.
5. If you don’t already have a swimming pool, summertime is a great time to add one. Not much can make your outdoor space more fun than a swimming pool for all to enjoy.
6. If you do add a swimming pool why not go out and make it really fun and cool by adding an outdoor shower to the mix. This type of thing is pretty rare unless your home is at the beach, therefore your outdoor shower may quickly become the talk of the neighborhood.

There are so many ways in which to make your outdoor space more inviting and fun; these are just a few of them that you may want to try.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Let’s face it, many times when folks visit the islands they tend to not want to come home from such places.  This is the case typically because the beach is a very relaxing place to be with all the warm air, salt water and sunshine.   What if you could decorate your home to have an island feel?  There are ways to go about turning your home into a tropical oasis.  A few of those ideas are listed below for you.

1. A good way to get started making your home feel like an island paradise  is by beginning to think outside of the box.  Do not be afraid of using bold colors in rooms in which you want to transform.  You can choose bold teal colors that mimic the look of the ocean for your family room then perhaps you can use some wallpaper in your kids’ bathroom that has sea creatures on it.  Don’t worry, as long as you keep it classy, not tacky, you will be able to get away with doing all sorts of wild colors and designs to achieve your beach house feel.
2. Another way to decorate your home to have an island feel is to add some accessories throughout the house that help you achieve the look. Throw pillows with sand dollars and seahorses on them are a great start.  You can even use seashells you have gathered on your trips to the ocean to decorate with.  Putting some seashells in glass vases with a bit of sand in them is a great way to achieve beach décor.
3. One way to give your home an island feel is to use a lot of candles that are scented with tropical scents.  Lighting these daily will help you to feel like you are on vacation when you are sitting in your own home.
4. Lots of ceiling fans throughout your home is another way to create an island oasis inside. You can also use ceiling fans outside on your porch area to take the feel outside.
5. Wicker and rattan is your friend if you want your home to feel like an island. Use it liberally.
6. Using a lot of tropical plants to decorate the inside of your home is another good way to get the island feel you are searching for.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Most home sellers work full time, and getting the house prepped to be put on the market can be a second full-time job, depending on their to-do list.  As most every seller knows, curb appeal is vital for a great first impression, and carving extra time is a luxury, but with these tips and ideas, it can go from zero to fabulous in a weekend! 

• Cleaning Pressure wash the exterior siding, fencing, the porch floor, concrete walkway and driveway, and as dreadful as it may be, clean out gutters. 
• Painting These exterior items may need paint:  front door, shutters, window sills, exterior trim, garage doors, porch floor and railings, mailbox and address numbers. 
• Replace Lighting fixtures that are dated or weathered should be replaced, and put up new address numbers, or mailbox if paint doesn’t improve their appearance, and get a new welcome mat. 
• Inspect Go around the house and look closely at exterior trim, shutters, and window sills.  Examine concrete for damage, and make sure walkway pavers are stable and in perfect condition.  Make certain that all landscape lighting or irrigation systems are in working order. 
• Lawn Care Not only should the lawn be mowed but using an edge trimmer to neaten up the walkways, driveway and planting beds makes a big difference.  Seed any dead areas of the lawn.   
• Landscaping Weed flower beds, add seasonal easy-care plantings (annuals are best for season-long blooms!) and new mulch.  If a tree needs more than minor pruning, call a tree specialist. 
• Decorative Remove personal yard flags, add some potted plants on the porch, highlight a shady spot with a simple outdoor bench and a few plants, and clean up outdoor furniture cushions or replace them. 

Much like the interior of the home, the outside should be clean, in working order, and clutter-free.  Before you get outside, go online and search recently sold homes in your market for some curb appeal inspiration, then put in a weekend’s time, and get that house sold!  

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.