Source: Above RE/MAX Magazine

Moving can be stressful for every family member – including the four-legged ones. The tough part is you can’t explain to your dogs and cats what’s happening. Every animal reacts differently to new living quarters, and temperament has a lot to do with it. Some pets take a move in stride, while others exhibit anxiety or insecurity for days or weeks.

Here are some things to consider as the big move approaches and after you’re in your new home:

1. A little help from the vet
Ask your veterinarian for recommendations on easing the transition. If your pet is generally anxious or high-strung, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a mild calming medication might be right for your pet for the first few days after the move. It’s not uncommon for vets to prescribe gentle stress relief for travel. Your veterinarian may also suggest additional vaccinations depending on the area and climate you’re moving to.

2. A pre-move home tour
If possible, take your pet to the new home for a visit before the official moving day. That way, it will be familiar with the house, yard and even new smells when you actually move in.

3. Time to explore
After you move in, give your pet time to explore the house gradually, rather than letting it loose immediately to roam at will. Limit it to one area – perhaps the kitchen – for a few hours until it calms down. Show the pet where you’ve placed its familiar items like the food dish, water bowl and bed. You might want to keep a dog on a leash when first allowing it to tour the greater part of the house. If you have a fenced yard, avoid letting pets out unsupervised for several days until you’re sure they can’t climb or dig out from under the fence.

4. The benefit of pet walks
Take your dog for walks and good sniffing around the entire neighborhood. While you acclimate to your new location primarily by visual cues, dogs depend on their olfactory sense. Leave and enter the new home by different doors during the early walks, so your dog develops a good sense of direction and knows exactly where home is.

5. How cats handle moves
Territorial by nature, cats often experience more issues with moving than their canine counterparts. Keep your cat safe in its carrier upon arrival, placing it in a quiet area. When the hubbub dies down, let it out in an enclosed room away from main traffic areas. Provide your cat with familiar objects, such as a bed, litter box and toys. Spend lots of time with it and encourage it to explore the room, perhaps by strategically placing cat treats. Outgoing, friendly cats might be ready for further exploration within a day or two after arrival, while shy cats might take much longer.

6. Additional supervision
While you have a million things to do after moving into a new house, try to have at least one family member home at all times during the first week or so. Have meals at home and establish a routine for your furry friends as soon as possible. Feed pets and take the dog for walks at the same time as you did at your old home.

7. Update pet IDs
Because accidents happen, update your pet’s identification information before you move. Your new municipality might require licensing within a certain time frame, but you need updated tags from day one of your move. If your pets are microchipped, contact the registration company and give them the new information. This way, if Fluffy or Fido slip out the door, anyone who finds them can easily return them to their new home.

Source: April 15, 2015 edition of Real Estate Weekly

Conducting an open house is a good way to show your property to many people in a short amount of time. While your REALTOR® will advertise and manage the event, it is up to you to make sure that your home is in showing condition. Here are some things you can do to make it a great first impression.

Start with the outside:
– Do a visual check of the front of the house from across the street. Does it have curb appeal? It should look inviting with a trimmed lawn and flower bed and a freshly painted front door.
– Polish door handles and knockers and replace worn items such as a rusty doorbell.
– Consider adding a new doormat and flowering plants at the entrance.
– Do the windows need cleaning?
– Are there oil stains on the driveway that need removing?
– While outside, don’t forget to check the side and back yards.
– Add some flowering plants to the back as well.
– Rearrange the outdoor furniture to look inviting.
– Put away gardening tools.
– Tidy around the grill area.

Now the inside:
– Cleanliness, space, smell and lighting are key.
– Get your house in tip top condition by cleaning and clearing away clutter.
– Vacuum the carpet, maybe even steam clean.
– Make sure your floors are clean and shiny.
– Touch up nicks on walls and make sure the porcelain sinks and tubs shine.
– All metallic fixtures and surfaces should shine.
– Your kitchen and bathrooms should pass the white glove test.
– Be conscious of any lingering odors such as smoke, pets, or strong-smelling foods. You may need to air out your home prior to the open house.
– Consider grinding fresh lemons in the garbage disposal.
– And don’t forget to empty out all trash.
– Look at your countertops in the kitchen, bathrooms and the tops of your bureaus. Do they seem cluttered? Clear away and store as much as possible. You want your home to seem spacious.
– Make any small repairs that you can.
– Next, set the mood. You want buyers to be able to picture your home as their own.
– You may want to rearrange the furniture so that rooms look more spacious.
– Add accessories from rooms with too many furnishings to those that are bare.
– Lighting is also important to creating an atmosphere.
– Bright lights provide a cheerful environment and make a small space appear larger.
– Pull back all drapes and open the blinds.
– Turn on all the lights.
– Make sure all the light sockets have working bulbs and install the maximum wattage bulb that is safe for that fixture.
– For rooms that you want to have a warm, cozy feeling, use softer lights.
– Don’t forget little touches such as fresh flowers, lit candles in the bathrooms, new logs in the fireplace, or a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter.
– You may even want to set your dining room table with color coordinated table settings.

Reminders:
– Some of the people coming to view your home may be thieves. Make sure that all valuables are put away.
– You may want to be out of the house for the open house so that the viewers will be free to discuss the home without worrying about hurting any feelings.
– Consider taking your pets with you or ask someone to watch them so that they are not a distraction to the open house. This is also courteous to those who may have any allergies.

First impressions are lasting impressions!

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Source: Pillar to Post e-Newsletter

Now is a great time for homeowners to take steps toward saving energy and reducing their environmental impact. While replacing those old leaky windows and installing ceiling fans are great ideas, there are also small things that can be done around the house to lower energy consumption and reduce one’s carbon footprint. Here are some simple, sustainable adjustments that can make a real difference in energy savings,

• Use “smart” power strips for household appliances such as computers, printers, game consoles, televisions and microwaves. Smart power strips save energy by keeping the connected devices from drawing power when they’re not in use or turned off. The standby consumption of these devices can equal that of a 75 or 100 watt light bulb running continuously – even when the device’s power switch is turned off.
• Use the dishwasher! Newer dishwashers typically use just 4 to 6 gallons of water on a normal cycle, while washing a sink full of dishes by hand can require up to 15 gallons of water. Up to 60% of the energy used by dishwashers is for heating the water, so washing full loads is best. A full dishwasher will also clean more effectively than one that’s only partially filled.
• Adjusting the home’s thermostat by just two degrees could reduce a typical household’s carbon dioxide emission by 2,000 pounds. It also could provide significant savings on the utilities bill. Programmable thermostats are another great way to stay comfortable and save energy at the same time, by heating and cooling only as they’re programmed to do so.
• Keeping household appliances clean and up to date is another way to lower a household’s energy consumption. Schedule heating and cooling system for a checkup every 2 years. Air conditioner and refrigerator filters and coils should be cleaned monthly so they’ll operate more efficiently.
• Insulating the water heater and weather-stripping or caulking gaps around the home could save up to 420 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions per month in addition to lowering energy costs.

Switch to CFL or LED bulbs. These can be huge energy savers; they burn significantly less energy and can last up to ten times longer than incandescent types so they’re more convenient, too. Users of CFL and/or LED bulbs enjoy reductions in heat production, energy use, and electric bills.

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