CURB APPEAL tips from Kathi as featured in the Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle

Paper: Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle (MI)
Title: Increased curb appeal boosts neighborhood merit
Date: September 15, 2010

Curb appeal can go far beyond home maintenance, landscaping and design. It's also a crucial element to maintaining the value of a home and the surrounding neighborhood, especially with more and more foreclosed properties popping up, marring the aesthetics of neighborhoods across metro Detroit and making it more important than ever to stave off blight by keeping homes and lawns in tip-top shape.

Whether selling or staying put, maintaining a home and increasing its curb appeal not only helps maintain a home's value, but also enhances the surrounding neighborhood's allure, said Kathi Jones-Cutler, a Realtor with Max Broock in Birmingham and a staging expert.

"People want to live in a nice neighborhood, and they can tell at a glance if a home is well cared for.
Things like overgrown shrubbery, rust on railings, peeling paint, tired-looking lawns … all those things send out red flags that the home hasn't been well-maintained," Jones-Cutler said. "If a neighborhood has well-cared-for homes - no matter what size - people want to live in that neighborhood; they feel comfortable investing in a stable and desirable community." Not only are well-maintained homes more desirable, they also cost less in the long run: Many costly repairs can be avoided by taking on such projects as painting wood so it doesn't rot, and having the roof cleaned to increase its longevity, Jones-Cutler said.

Click here to read the entire article: Increased curb appeal boosts neighborhood merit

My book, Cashing in on Design, will be available at 1/2 price for a limited time!  Purchase a copy today for only $9.99 plus tax and shipping. 

Do you have any friends or family members that enjoy home design or real estate?  This book make a great gift ~ just in time for the holidays.  Please email me at kcutler@comcast.net with any questions or feedback about my book.

Sincerely,
Kathi

Save Your Roof Now !!!

I recently had my roof cleaned by Ugly Shingles.com and couldn't believe the difference.  I learned that the black streaks on my roof were actually eating my shingles.  I called uglyshingles.com and they came out right away, now my roof looks like new.  This is news worth passing on!

Elegant Foyer Transformation

Left is the "after" foyer of a client I recently did some work for.  The stairway received a new wood and wrought iron railing that adds a richness to the space.  New carpet in a shade that compliments the walls and wood floors was installed.  Accessories on the existing chest and mirror above offer a stunning first impression.

Before Photo

Introducing a New Division to our company!

Welcome back to a new and improved blogging experience by Kathi Jones-Cutler!  My team and I have been quite busy with our new division to our business: Turn Around Real Estate, LLC, designed to help distressed sellers with their real estate dilemmas.  My team and I can help you and can even negotiate a CASH offer on your home in as little as 24 hours!  Call us today to find out more: (248) 719-1888.

Recycled Wine Bottle Candleholder

Make a candleholder by inserting a taper candle into the opening on top. You can place the bottle on a candle plate and cover with polished pebbles. The candle, plate and pebbles can be found at local Dollar Stores.

Decorate for Dollars

Add some artistic detail to your room with inexpensive frames from the Dollar Store. I purchased three frames (same size) and framed two vertical tear sheets from magazines and the other with leaves from the yard.

Total cost $3.00

Total time 20 minutes

Easy, fast, and Cheap!

Healthy Meals from the Dollar Store

Stop at your neighborhood Dollar Store and look for groceries to make healthy delicious meals. The following is a recipe that my family, Mom and Dad, would like to share with you to warm your insides and fill your belly!

Salmon Soup

1 tablespoon of flour and butter

3 Cups of Milk

1 160z can of Salmon

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a saucepan melt butter, add flour to make a roux.

Over low heat, stir in milk until it thickens.

Add salt, pepper (to taste), parsley.

Optional: 2 drops Tabasco.

Simmer heated thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Pedistal Serving Piece

Left: This glass pedistal cake plate is great for serving delicious desserts. It's easy and inexpensive to make.

Above: The before photo - this glass plate and candlestick were purchased at a garage sale for less than two dollars. Just glue the plate on top of the candle holder and you'll create a lovely serving piece. Easy and affordable...it makes a great Christmas or Hostess gift.

Back to Basics Money Saving Tips

Back to Basics.........
Remember the old days when we didn't run to the store to buy a case of paper towels? And who would have thought that we would actually be paying to drink water from disposable plastic bottle, when we have perfectly good water available right out of our kitchen tap? Oh, I know it's convenient to take the bottle with you, but have you ever heard of a thermos? It keeps liquids cold or hot and best of all it is reusable.
Well, I remember not having an abundance of paper towels to go through. Instead we used "rags" yes, rags. We would use them to clean our windows, counters, floors, mirrors, furniture even sop up messy spills! Then we put them in laundry washed and "air dried" them using clothes pins-(I think they still make them) on the clothes line. Then we reused them.
Result:

• spend less money
• use less energy (air dry vs. dryer)
• fewer trips to the store, save gasoline
• zero plastic bottles, better for the enviornment

It's Back to Basics...
There are a lot of ways to save money by going "back to basics" - for example instead of throwing glass jars away re-use them filling them with fresh coffee beans, candy, coins, liquids, bath salts, buttons, safety pins, nails and screws. If you paint the lid and add a few colorful stickers and ribbons you will have a special hand made gift. The lucky recepient will be touched by your thoughtfulness and creativity.

Create Using Door Mats

Colorful door mats can not only welcome visitors, they can also brighten various rooms inside your home.

Ladybugs in the laundry room, Ferns in the garden room, Paisley prints in the the bathrooms. These mats are durable and weather resistant. A real bargin at Garden Ridge stores located across the country!