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Dressing Up the Guest Room

Written by Marybeth Heckler on November 9, 2020. Posted in Homeowner.

There’s a great scene in a classic episode of Friends where Phoebe has to stay with Chandler and Monica in their guest room. Monica, always the over-the-top personality, greets her with warm cookies and a “Welcome to Hotel Monica.”

Now, most of us aren’t going to go quite that far with our guest rooms and accommodations. But when you have family and friends staying with you, especially for an extended period of time, it’s important to spruce up the guest room to make it look, and feel, comfy.

Here are four ideas on how to create a cozy nest for your guests:

Make it warm and inviting — First and foremost, your guest room should look warm and inviting and not just like a storage room that you clear out when guests show up. Make sure that you have nice cushiony comforters and fresh sheets on the bed. But also, get sheet sets and linens that work nicely with the color scheme of the room. Speaking of color schemes, one area that can add an extra layer of comfort is by painting the ceiling, especially if you choose a warm color to accent that of the walls.

It’s not just a bedroom — Remember that your guest may not want to spend every waking moment in the main living area of the house with you. At some point, they are going to want to retire to the guest room to unwind. Besides the obvious choice of a bed, your guest room should also feature a chair that they can sit in to relax. If possible, create a little reading nook with a comfy chair and a reading light so they can just sit and read or reflect quietly.

Share your space — Let’s face it: a lot of us use our guest rooms as storage space. If you have a dresser in the room that you use to store your off-season clothes, clean a section out of it for your guest. No one likes to live out of a suitcase, and they can unpack and feel a little more at home. And speaking of sharing, make sure that you give your guest your wi-fi password on a note in the guest room so they don’t have to ask for it.

Hotel touches — Lastly, you can make your guest room feel a bit like a five-star hotel with a few little touches. From mints on the pillow to warm cookies and coffee or tea on the table, these are all ways to make your guest feel at home. And if you can pull off towel sculptures of animals then go for it!

Your guest room doesn’t have to be a bland setting with only a simple bed. If you dress it up a little bit and give it a little flair, then you can make a home away from home that your guests will want to visit again.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

How to Organize a Playroom

Written by Marybeth Heckler on October 5, 2020. Posted in Homeowner.

All of the time that kids have spent at home lately, thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak, has probably left you with a disorganized and chaotic house.

This is especially true of your child’s playroom. With the holidays coming up, you might want to get this area under control before you add even more items to their play area.

Here are tips to get the chaos of your child’s room under control and organize their playroom:

Sweep through the room for trash — Before you try to do any organizing, you need to get rid of some of the items your child doesn’t need anymore. First, throw out any items that are broken. This includes toys that are falling apart, puzzles or games that are missing pieces, and anything else that is trash. Make sure you do this alone. Your kids may get a little sentimental and want to hold on to broken items and you don’t need that. Now is the time to absolutely get rid of whatever is broken.

Clear out items to donate — Now that you’ve gotten rid of the broken toys, go through with your child and help them pick out toys that they don’t play with anymore. Point out to them that it is especially nice to help those who are less fortunate by donating toys, games, and puzzles. Encourage them to practice charity and, at the same time, clean out the room as much as possible.

Get a system of bins — Playrooms don’t tend to be very big and you want to maximize as much floor space as possible so your child can actually play. To do this, get a bin system that is vertical and goes higher rather than taking up a lot of horizontal space in the room. Get multiple smaller bins instead of one large “toy box.” With the toy box, your child will throw everything out as he or she looks for that one toy they want to play with. With smaller bins, they have less things to go through to find what they want. Also, use clear plastic bins so you can see inside easily.

Sort by type — After you set up the bins, organize and label them by categories. If your child loves race cars, then you might want to create a bin to just hold these. If they are into board games, then separate those into an individual bin. Whatever system works best for you is ok, but it is essential to have some kind of system.

Only get down one bin at a time — Your child might have a couple of toys that they always gravitate towards. But if you want to get them to play with a variety of toys, you might want to consider only getting out one bin a day. This way, your child has fewer options and doesn’t feel overwhelmed. And, if the bins are stacked up, they won’t be able to get into the other toys that you haven’t put out for them. Plus, cleaning up one bin is a lot easier than five or six bins.

Getting your child’s room clean and organized isn’t just an important activity for keeping your home orderly. It’s also an important practice to help teach your child so that they can learn responsibility and how to keep themselves organized as they get older.

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Are You Making Any of These Closet Mistakes?

Written by Marybeth Heckler on September 14, 2020. Posted in Homeowner.

If you’re like us, you’ve probably been binge-watching shows and reading books on organization from luminaries such as Marie Kondo. While these organizational gurus make it look easy to bring order to a chaotic environment, it’s actually a little harder than it appears.

Probably one of the worst organizational areas for many people is the bedroom closet. After all, you can toss things in there willy-nilly and not have to look at it again. But there are habits you may be doing that are making your closet a disorganized mess.

Here are a few tips to keep your closet organized:

You’ve got too much stuff — The biggest mistake for most people is keeping too many items in your closet. If you’ve been watching Netflix’s Get Organized with The Home Edit, you know the first step to any organizing process is to edit. It’s another way of saying, start your process by decluttering. Take all of your clothes and accessories off the racks and shelves and put them in your bedroom. Then sort it into three piles: keep, donate/sell, trash. Once you go through, you’re going to find some real fashion emergencies that you should have never bought in the first place, much less held onto. Get rid of them and see how much room you have left.

Place like items together — The best organizational system is to place all of your like items together. Put pants together with pants, dress shirts together with dress shirts, summer blouses together with summer blouses…you get the picture. This creates a neat organizational system and makes it easier to find things.

Use the rows appropriately — If your closet has two rows of hanging rods, then chances are you aren’t using them right. Most people put the shirts on the top and the pants on the bottom. (After all, that’s how it goes on our bodies.) Instead, place the shirts on the bottom and the pants on the top. Generally speaking, pants folded on a hanger take up less space than shirts. If you keep the shirts on top, you will be covering up part of your bottom row and making it harder to see and access.

Don’t bury things — Make sure that you set aside a specific area for your shoes so they don’t get buried. If you cover these up with luggage and other items, you will (at best) not be able to find them and (at worst) damage them irreparably.

Don’t have boxes inside of boxes — One of the biggest mistakes is that you buy boxes to organize your closet and then put more boxes inside of them. Instead, we recommend using clear plastic containers that are labeled with “shoes” or “purses.” This way, you can actually see what you are looking at before you start digging through the boxes.

If you follow these steps, your morning sojourn into the closet to find your clothes will go a lot smoother. And you will have the peace of mind that comes from having an organized closet instead of an untidy disaster area.

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The Best Way to Unpack When Moving into Your New Home

Written by Marybeth Heckler on August 2, 2020. Posted in Homeowner.

There’s only one thing worse than having to pack up your house for a move and that’s getting to your new house and being faced with stacks of unopened boxes. But don’t worry about that—there’s actually a way to get yourself organized so that the process won’t be as bad as you imagine.

Here are steps you need to take so you don’t end up finding unopened boxes months after your move:

Organize Before Your Move — The first thing you need to do is get organized before you even move. When you pack up your house, be sure to label every box. It should include the room (kitchen, master bedroom, guest bathroom, etc.), the number of the box (Box 5 out of 6), and whether or not the items are essential. This last one is important. Prioritize what boxes you know need to be opened and unpacked immediately so you have a starting point when you arrive.
Clean Your New House — Before you get started unpacking, clean everything in your new house. Once you unpack everything, it will be harder to get down into the nooks and crannies and get things cleaned up. Also, do anything you would like to start off with like lining your cabinets and cupboards for easier clean up later.
Open the Priority Boxes — Before you tackle specific rooms, make sure that you open up those boxes you deemed as essentials. This should include anything that you know you will absolutely, positively have to have in the first day or two. Then, you can move on room-by-room.
Start in the Kitchen — You’ll hear a lot of different debates about which area you need to start with. We believe the best bet is the kitchen. Let’s face it—you can live out of boxes for a day or two, even going so far as to sleep on the floor in sleeping bags if you have to. But at some point, you’ve got to eat so having that kitchen unpacked is your best bet. Chances are, this is also your biggest challenge since you will have so many boxes filled with heavy items and appliances. Get these items in place and (most importantly) get that coffee maker going so you can have the energy to conquer the rest!
Move on to the Bedroom and Bathroom — Next, you need to move to your master bedroom and bathroom. Get the bed assembled and in place and then arrange your other furniture. (One big tip for getting clothes unpacked easily is to leave them in the drawers when you move. Just put plastic wrap around the drawers with the clothes inside and then you don’t have to use boxes or unpack them when you arrive.)
Other General Tips — There are a few things that will help you out with this process. If you have kids that are old enough, have them unpack their own bedrooms and bathrooms. This will give them a sense of ownership of the new place. Also, save the utility rooms like laundry and the garage for last. These will be important but not right away.

Once you’ve got the essentials unpacked and set up, take a break. You don’t have to have this all done in one day (or even one weekend). No, you don’t want to leave it for months, but enjoy yourself and your new home before you tackle your other boxes.

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Working Remotely? Creating Your Home Workspace

Written by Marybeth Heckler on July 16, 2020. Posted in Homeowner.

This has been the year of working from home. For some, this is a fabulous turn of events, and for others, they can’t wait to get back to the office and share gossip around the watercooler.

If you find that you aren’t loving working from home, or perhaps you feel you’re less productive, it very likely could be due to your workspace. Home, by its very definition, is not your workplace, however, it now needs to function that way in some small way.

You can create an office vibe in your home, for not much money, and organize it to increase your productivity. Here’s how:

Plan Out Your Space – There’s a LOT you can do in your home to create a very organized, efficient workspace so you need to identify what’s important for you and what you need to do. If you previously worked in an office, you can begin by listing items you had there. What did you need and what was not necessary?

Next, what would you LIKE to have in your office? You can make it very warm and intimate since it’s your house. Or, if you feel like the rest of your home functions as the warm and inviting atmosphere and you want your work area to be all about getting things done, you can try a minimalist approach. Whatever you choose, write it out ahead of time.

Look at Your Workspace from the View of Your Webcam – Most everyone who works from home needs to have video calls and conferences from time to time. As you set up your workplace, keep in mind the backdrop.

Create a Space You Love but Declutter – This is your place to work and no one can tell you exactly how to create it. You have creative license here. That said, you will want to declutter the areas around your workstation. If every time you log into your emails you look over and see piles of mail that need to be dealt with or tons of books you intend you read but don’t have a place for, you will feel as though you are behind before you even begin.

Organize and File – This will be so important. You may be tempted to just lay something aside and come back to it later, but these are the thoughts of those who end up on the show HOARDERS. I’m only slightly kidding. Seriously, if you want to be more productive and to keep your mood high during the whole workday, being able to find things right away while not staring at clutter will ensure better days and well-rested nights.

These are the big steps to take to make a workspace you’ll love in your home. In no time, you’ll be more productive and look forward to “going to work” each day!

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The Best Backyard Renovation Tips for Summer Living

Written by Marybeth Heckler on July 9, 2020. Posted in Home Improvement, Homeowner.

If your home is your castle, then your backyard is more like your proverbial “fortress of solitude.” This is the place you can kick back, relax with your family and friends, and escape from the stresses of the world by enjoying the sun and nature. But a great backyard requires upkeep and occasional renovations to help it stay fresh and new.

Here are a few ideas on how you can spruce up your backyard for better summer living:

Porch — The centerpiece of your backyard haven should be a luxurious porch or patio. Some of the best options for this would include screening in a large porch and including ceiling fans for those hot summer days. But you can also liven up your porch with new outdoor furniture. This will help you to have a space to entertain when friends visit.

Outdoor Kitchen (and Bar) — Part of the fun of spending time outside is grilling out with friends and family. But if you want to take your outdoor cooking game to the next level, you should seriously consider adding an outdoor kitchen. This is more than a grill—it includes a mini-fridge, sink, grill, and oven/stove. If you like your adult libations, you can also add a beer tap and a stocked bar for your partying evenings.

Fire Feature — Even though the weather is warmer, you can still enjoy a nice outdoor fire on a summer night. Consider adding a fire feature. This fire pit can be something permanent that is actually part of the landscaping or it can be a portable fire feature that you can move around like part of the furniture. Either way, get the fire started and break out the s’mores for a cool evening with the kids (or just acting like kids).

Arbor/Pergola — If you’ve ever seen those beautiful, vine-covered arches in formal gardens, then you know how great they can look. If you want to put one into your own back yard, then you can either buy one at a local hardware store or have it built to suit. One thing that you will want, however, is an arch with at least 8 to 8.5 feet of space underneath. This way, when the flowers and vines begin to grow in, you will still have ample space to walk underneath.

A backyard can be your own little paradise away from all of the hustle and bustle of the world. If you are looking to add some nice touches to yours, consider adding one of these four suggestions to your yard’s mix.

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Curbside Celebrations for Those in Denver

Written by Marybeth Heckler on June 4, 2020. Posted in Denver, Homeowner, Motherhood.

While everyone is in lockdown thanks to the current pandemic, it is important to remember that major life events are still going on. And it goes without saying that you should still spend the time to celebrate these events.

Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or some other milestone, COVID-19 shouldn’t completely take away your ability to celebrate. It just means that you need to change HOW you celebrate the event.

Here are a few ideas for curbside (or online) celebrations for those of you in Denver:

Let them eat cake — There are lots of different bakeries in Denver that are having to adjust the way they do business. Some of these bakeries are offering curbside pick-up for their cakes while others are doing home deliveries. Regardless of which method you use, these bakeries have unique creations that will pick up any celebration. Some of our favorites include:

Mermaids Bakery – This local bakery has a lot of creative creations, but our absolute favorite is their cake made to look like the hottest commodity during the pandemic—a roll of toilet paper. This may sound bizarre, but the artistry is incredible and makes for a unique cake. Of course, they also have traditional birthday cakes as well.

El Antojo Denver – Another unique cake shop offering curbside pickup is Cakes El Antojo. This one has also made some great lockdown themed birthday cakes including one that is made to look like a case of Clorox wipes.

Schedule a parade (or have an online party) — Another popular activity that you can do to help celebrate birthdays and special events is a curbside party. Simply have people load into their cars with signs and balloons showing their love for the person being celebrated and then drive by their home at a designated time. These “drive-by” parties may not be for everyone, so another alternative is an online party. You can have party boxes and favors delivered to your guests and invite everyone to check in on Zoom for an online gathering to get you out of the lockdown doldrums.

Have a drink — Just because you’re on lockdown doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate with adult libations. For such events, you can get alcoholic beverages delivered to your home or schedule them for curbside pickup and take them back to celebrate. Many breweries in the area are not offering to-go options for their specialty beers. Or, you can get a growler of local beer from Craft Alley and have it delivered to your home so you can celebrate with a cold one.

Just because we are on lockdown doesn’t mean that we have to give up on all of the activities that we enjoy. Birthdays and anniversaries only come around once a year, so it’s important to get creative and keep celebrating.

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Top 10 Must-Do’s for Buying Your Next Home

Written by Marybeth Heckler on May 28, 2020. Posted in Homeowner, Real Estate.

Buying a new home is one of the most important (and daunting) processes that many of us will go through. If you are new to homeownership, it can seem even more challenging as you may not know what to do to get the ball rolling on making a purchase.

Here are ten actions you need to complete before you buy your next home:

Determine your budget — When you go to a mortgage lender, they will tell you exactly how much “house” you qualify for. However, just because you qualify, it does not mean you need to jump into a mortgage of that size. Instead, sit down and do a tight budget that shows you exactly how much you can plan on spending each month. Then, use a budget calculator to “reverse engineer” how much you can afford to take on with your loan.

Get pre-approved for your loan — Now that you know how much you want to take out in your home loan, go to different lenders, and get pre-approved for the loan. Don’t be afraid to negotiate with these lenders. If one offers a low interest rate, then see if others are willing to get your business by beating that rate. But do this before you start shopping for a house as this will save a lot of time later on.

Read your loan paperwork CAREFULLY — One of the problems with the “housing bubble” was that people were buying homes they really couldn’t afford. The terms looked great, but they missed hidden costs such as balloon payments that made them go under. Be sure that you know all of the details of the loan and you agree with all of those terms before you sign anything.

Save all of your money — One of the biggest obstacles to buying a home is paying so much money upfront. However, the more money you can put down on the house, the less you will be financing and paying interest on. So, it’s important to use as much of your savings as possible to get the total down.

Make a list of must-haves — Once you know what your budget is, talk to a real estate agent about finding a house in your price range. Create a list of items you absolutely must have so that your agent won’t waste your time looking at other options.

Do more than one visit — Although the current situation may not allow for large visits such as open houses, you still need to do a walk-through of the home. If you think it’s one that you could be interested in, ask for another walk-through at a different time of day. Traffic patterns or neighborhood noise may be a problem that you didn’t notice on your first trip.

Don’t get pressured — If you’re unsure of a property, some real estate agents will push you with the “I’ve had lots of people looking at this property” line. This may be true. But don’t let yourself be pressured into making a decision. This is something you will be living with for years.

Negotiate the price — Don’t offer them their exact asking price. Go a little lower and see if there is any wiggle room in the price. All they can do is say no and you can still make a counteroffer.

Get an inspection — Before you sign anything, it is imperative that you get a thorough home inspection to check everything from the plumbing and electrical systems to the foundation. If something is wrong here, don’t be afraid to walk away from the deal.

Get a good mover — Once you’ve made your purchase, it’s time to move in. Be sure to look for a reputable moving company that is licensed and bonded. Hire them right away so that you can move in when you want without a hassle.

Buying a home is a big step but it doesn’t have to be a scary one. Make sure to follow these steps and you will be able to get the best deal so you can move quickly into the home of your dreams.

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How to Find the Best Walkable Neighborhood

Written by Marybeth Heckler on May 7, 2020. Posted in Homeowner.

Many of us are now realizing how sedentary our lifestyles are. Because of the problems of urban sprawl, we literally live miles away from almost everything and have to drive somewhere in order to get the things that we need on a daily basis.

But, what if you could find a neighborhood where you could park the car and forget about it for days at a time as you walk around to do your shopping and dining? That’s the mentality behind the recent move to smaller, more self-contained neighborhoods.

Here are some ways to find the best walkable neighborhoods in your area:

Main Components—First, there are a few main components that you need to look for when it comes to a walkable neighborhood. You want to find a place that has a centralized location that everything else is built around, such as a town square or a main thoroughfare or street. You should also look for a neighborhood with a relatively dense population. Businesses and restaurants will not be able to survive without a lot of traffic, so you will need people who live in the immediate area. Besides businesses, you should also look for other types of active spaces such as parks and public space which will attract people to gather.

Look at the Layout—Another thing that makes a neighborhood more walkable is going to be the geographic layout of the neighborhood. It should, first, be relatively compact. If you are talking about ten to twenty miles of walking, then this isn’t going to be practical. Also, it should be relatively flat. A few hills are fine, but if you have to climb three miles uphill both ways then it gets to be a bit much. The area should also be laid out with walking paths and sidewalks. But it should also have benches and other amenities that will help when you need to take a break from your travels. And, most importantly, these features should be well maintained.

Businesses—The third component is the idea that you can get what you need in the neighborhood. Is there, for instance, a grocery store or specialty food shops like a bakery or butcher shop? You will probably be buying groceries every couple of days instead of stocking up all at once like you are used to. Are there restaurants nearby that you want to frequent? What about other things like clothing boutiques, bookstores, and the like? All of these will help add to the walkability of your neighborhood and if it is going to be a good fit for you.

Ultimately, the best way to find a walkable neighborhood in your area is to simply get out and explore. By doing this, you can take the neighborhood for a “test walk” and see if it might be an area that you could consider relocating to.

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Where to Start for New Gardeners This Spring

Written by Marybeth Heckler on April 19, 2020. Posted in Homeowner.

One of the most relaxing and fulfilling hobbies that anyone can take up is the time-honored tradition of gardening. It’s also one of the most therapeutic hobbies you can have as it helps you center yourself physically and mentally.

Every year, I hear friends and family members say that they’re interested in gardening, but they don’t know how to get started. Well, never fear.

Here are handy tips on where to begin this spring with starting your own garden:

Flowers vs. Vegetables — One of the first things you want to do is figure out what type of garden you will have as this will make huge differences early on. If you are looking to create your own food that you can use to cook, then certainly go for the vegetable garden. However, if you just want a garden that is beautiful to look at as well as fragrant, then flowers are your best option.

Map Out Your Yard — A garden will need lots of sunlight, usually at least six hours a day. So, over the course of a few days, observe how the sun falls in your yard. Are there spots that are too covered by shade from trees or other houses? If so, then these aren’t good spots for your garden. Pick something that is in direct sunlight for most of the day, if possible.

Get the soil ready — Next, you will want to prepare the ground for gardening. The first thing to do is to dig up the sod and replace it with about 2 to 3 inches of compost (old lawn clippings, leaves, and manure). This will let the earthworms do their thing and begin moving those nutrients into the soil to make for a fertile garden. You will also need to work the soil yourself. If you are just starting out, you can do this by digging the 10 inches of dirt or so and mixing in the compost. If you can get your hands on a rototiller, then this process will go a lot quicker and easier.

Plant your garden — Now is the time to plant your seeds or small plants. Be sure to check for things that grow well in your climate and with your amount of sunlight. Sunflowers and lettuce are two easy options.

Keep them maintained — Now that you’ve done the hard work, it’s time to maintain the garden. Water your plants regularly so that they can thrive. Don’t water them during the hottest part of the day as the sun is liable to “burn off” the water. Early morning or right as the sun is setting is best. Also, go through your garden at regular intervals to weed it and check for insects that may be damaging your plants.

Starting a garden is something that is so easy that almost anyone can do it. But it can still be intimidating for first-timers. By taking these simple steps, you can make sure that your garden gets off to a good start.

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