If you’ve begun the search for a new home, or are looking at updating your current home, one big ticket item that you may be researching is decks. Decks are a huge feature for many homeowners as it allows you to enjoy outdoor space almost as an extension of your home, thus practically adding additional square footage to your living space. While it doesn’t truly add square footage, it helps ensure that you are using both your indoor and outdoor space to its fullest.

Related: How Much Home Can I Afford?

Best Material for Pets

There is nothing worse than seeing scratch marks across your brand-new deck or flooring. Luckily there are options that can hold up to even the toughest pet nails as they chase their balls around the yard. Vinyl decking provides longevity, durability, and is visually appealing as it comes in a large array of colors and styles. With such a vast number of colors to choose from, you can ensure that your vinyl deck fits the exact style you are looking for, whether you want your deck to look like a true wood deck, tile, etc. you can find it all within the vinyl options available.

Best Material for Pools

Contrary to common belief, a pool deck should not be constructed of wood or plastic. While it may look nice and, in some cases, provide longevity, these materials become quite slippery when wet and could lead to accidents or injury. This is why you see concrete pool decks at all public pools; they provide the longevity needed as well as a better grip to help diminish slip risks. Another alternative would be to use concrete pavers to create a more designed pool deck, this will allow for a little more curb appeal, without sacrificing on safety.

Related: House Broke: The Common First Time Buyer Mistake

Best Material for Sun Exposure

The biggest mistake you can make when installing a deck that sees a fair amount of sun is installing a deck that won’t stay cool. There is nothing worse than stepping onto a deck that burns your feet on a hot summer day. Generally plastic and aluminum materials are used for decks that are exposed to high levels of sun as they stay cooler and tend to hold up well to premature sun fading or damage. It is recommended to use a light-colored finish as this will help even more with temperature control.

As with all home improvement projects it is important to assess the cost of the materials, set aside funds for any mishaps or addition supplies that may be needed, and of course plan accordingly for the time needed to complete the project. If you’re searching for a new home and a deck is a must have, make sure to look at the materials used so you are aware of any improvements or repairs that may be needed in order to create your perfect backyard oasis.

If you’re currently searching for a new home, are ready to sell your home and need a qualified seller’s agent, or if you have any questions regarding Carolina Real Estate, please feel free to contact our office at any time.

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Additional Tips for Homeowners

• Spring Cleaning
• When to do Certain Upgrades
• This One Thing Might Decrease Your Home’s Value
• Dangers of Laminate Flooring
• I Just Refinanced, Can I Buy a New House?

With stay-at-home orders and lockdowns, spring cleaning came early for some, however now that spring is slowly approaching, the true cleaning and organizing is about to begin. Over the past few years there have been a long list of different cleaning hacks and organizational tips that have been released on huge platforms such as Netflix, however there are a few Spring Cleaning hacks that you may want to try to kick off Spring 2021. 

Related: Dangers of Laminate Flooring

Soak Your Towels 

Quite possibly one of the grossest and yet most satisfying deep cleaning hacks is to soak your towels in the bathtub. By filling your bathtub with hot water and then adding in ¼ cup borax, ¼ cup baking soda and ½ cup of laundry detergent you can create a cleaning experience like no other. Once the mixture dissolves completely, simply toss your towels in, let them soak, and you’ll be amazed at the dirt and grime and even soap build up that seeps out of your towels, leaving them cleaner than ever. You want to let them sit until the water is completely cooled, this should take a few hours.

Clean the Flatware 

While not everyone uses true silverware anymore, if you do, silver can tarnish quite easily which can make your silverware look dirty even when it is “clean.” If you have true silver flatware, then try soaking them in a mixture of warm water, white vinegar and baking soda to give them a nice new shine and eliminate any tarnish that has built up over the years. Start with ½ cup of white vinegar and 2 Tablespoons of baking soda and enough water to cover the silverware in a flat single layered row. We recommend using a disposable aluminum container during cleaning.

Related: Space Saving Hacks for Small Homes

Freshen up the Cupboards

One area that seems to be overlooked often is the faces of cupboards. This includes both upper and lower cupboards in kitchens as well as bathrooms or laundry rooms. Whether you simply give them a good scrub and wipe down or choose to sand and re-paint or stain, brightening up and cleaning your cupboards is an easy way to instantly have your home feel cleaner and brighter.

Empty the Light Fixtures

There is nothing worse than turning on a light and seeing the dreaded body of a fly stuck within the fixture. Unfortunately, it happens, and you can’t necessarily avoid it, however, by taking the time to clean out your fixtures during your Spring Cleaning you are not only cleaning out any dust and debris that has accumulated, but also getting rid of any critters that may have found their way into the light. 

Whether you already went through your home and did light cleaning or are looking for some new cleaning trends to try, keeping your home clean and tidy is a great way to protect your investment and ensure that you can continue to gain equity should you choose to sell your home later down the line. 

If you’re currently searching for a new home, are ready to sell your home, or have any questions regarding Carolina Real Estate, please feel free to contact our office at any time. 

Additional Tips for Homeowners

• Buying a Vacation Home
• Two Things Your Can’t See in a Virtual Tour
• Should we Buy or Rent?
• Why Was my Offer Rejected?
• 5 Unique Ways to Use a Detached Garage

Laminate flooring was once all the rage among homeowners and those preparing to sell their homes, however in today’s market laminate flooring isn’t always as coveted as it once was. In some cases, the style of flooring may not make or break the deal when it comes to either purchasing or selling a home, however, if choosing to upgrade your home or prepare your home to sell it is important to try to think of what the potential buyers would want to see. Here are 5 reasons why laminate flooring may not be the best choice.

#1 Moisture Damage

Highly susceptible to moisture damage is one of the few reasons why laminate flooring should not be used in areas that may see potential moisture such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, entry ways, etc.

Related: Two Things You Can’t see in a Virtual Tour

#2 Re-Finishing

One of the reasons hardwood flooring is so coveted is because of the ability to re-finish it, this allows for a nice fresh look with all sorts of different stains is and colors to match your home perfectly, unfortunately this cannot be done with laminate floors which means that your flooring will not change with your style or color scheme.

#3 Durability

While some believe that laminate flooring is more durable than certain hardwood floors, it is still quite easy to damage. Moving the couch could scratch the flooring causing a plastic looking scratch that is not repairable and thus visible for the life of the floor. Should a large scratch or cut appear, in most cases the only solution is to replace all the flooring as patches are very noticeable in most cases.

#4 Slippery

This may not be of high importance for everyone, however for those who are prone to slipping or have a high risk of falling, laminate floors should be avoided at all costs as they are generally one of the most slippery flooring options even when dry and especially when wet.

Related: House Broke: The Common First Time Buyer Mistake

#5 Artificial

Some more expensive floors may have a more natural look to them, however, most laminate floors, especially those that are less expensive, will have an artificial look to them which can oftentimes make the home look “cheap” or artificial.

While we focused on the cons of laminate flooring, it is important to know that there are also pros and you should do research prior to either installing or purchasing a home with laminate floors to see if the pros outweigh the cons or vise versa.

If you’re currently searching for a new home, are ready to partner with a qualified seller’s agent to help you list and market your property or if you have any questions regarding Carolina Real Estate, please feel free to contact our office at any time.

Additional Tips for Buyers

• Two things You Can’t see in a Virtual Tour
• Carport, Detached, or Attached Garage?
• Should we Buy or Rent?
• Why Was my Offer Rejected?
• 5 Unique Ways to Use a Detached Garage