Prepping your home to sell this Spring

One of the things Coastal Home Services does to help it's clients save time and money is work with both Real Estate Agents and Home Owners to prepare a property to be listed for sale and to help my clients maximize their financial investment.
 A buyer makes a decision on a home purchase in the first few moments they view a property. The first impression is the front yard and entry of the house. The yard should be well groomed with planting beds edged and freshly mulched. Adding plant for colour is important in making a positive impression. The walkways should be clean, (pressure washed if neccesary) as should the driveway. If parking areas are gravelled, they should be free of weeds, level, freshly gravelled if necessary and well edged. decks should be cleaned or newly stained. all lawns well groomed and the outside of the house should be clean and inviting

  The inside of the home should be very clean, all appliances working, clean and shiny. walls need a fresh coat of paint or recently painted and very clean. wood floors should be move in ready condition.

Most first time home buyers do not have the money to invest in fixing a house and want a home that is ready to move into. Spending a little money to get the home ready will prevent price dickering over details and allow the buyer to make a purchasing decision based on their pre-approved loan amount without fear of needing additional cash to get the place "fixed-up".

If the seller does not have time to do all the preparation themselves, it is money well spent to have professional come into the home and make repairs, get the yard in shape and have the house deep cleaned prior to listing.
A professional real estate agent will be able to guide you as to the items that require attention and will give you the maximum financial gain for your investment and prevent you from spending money in areas that you do not need to.
A little money invested up front in making your home appealing to a buyer will bring a 100% return on the investment and help the home sell quickly and easily.

Fostering Pets in Need

 I have given this article a lot of thought. My passion has always been the environment and animals. Where pets are concerned I have always rescued pets in need, some just fostering while adopting others. The current family includes 5 rescued dogs and two rescued cats. Suffice it to say that until my two elderly dogs are no longer with us, I am unable to take in any more pets. The number is a result of combining households with my partner, both of us take in pets in need. :)

If you love pets, want to help but cannot give a pet a lifetime commitment, or you have pets and can only take in an animal temporarily, read on...
Now, I have a friend of a good friend in California who has struck a fabulous balance. She has adopted a couple dogs and has left room in her life and household to Foster pets in need, mainly dogs. She works with a Non-profit called Pound Puppy Rescue http://www.poundpuppyrescue.org/ in California whose mission is to save puppies, their moms and other dogs stressed from kennel life and get them off of death row. The key to their success is having Foster families take in the dogs while permanent homes can be found. This not only keeps the animals from being euthanised (due to overcrowding at shelters), it socialises the dogs so they make wonderful pets for their adopters.

Fostering is helping to save Hundreds of Thousands of Pets from being needlessly Euthanised in overcrowded situations and at kill shelters.  If you love dogs and cats and have the time Please consider the option of fostering an animal(s) while a permanent home(s) are found,  you will add to the number off pets being saved from death row.

For more information contact your local shelter or Humane Society.

I would love to hear from anyone who begins this journey of love  to share with readers

Refurbishing Your Old Lawn

If you live in the Northwest you know how unusually warm our weather is this winter. This weekend we may see temps in the high 50's to low 60's along the coast of Washington. Buds are about to burst open and many birds have arrived back home.
This will be an excellent time to prepare your lawn for a healthy summer season. To get ready, mow your lawn very short @ an inch tall (this is the only time I will recommend this short a mow).
Next rent a thatching machine from your local equipment rental place. Thatch the lawn per instructions. Please note if you have an old lawn that you have not thatched ever or in a very long time, you will probably see a lot of dead material being removed.

Once you have completed thatching, rake up all of this material and remove or have recycled. Thatch can get so thick under the lawn as to prevent water and nutrients from reaching your lawns roots. You may see large patches of soil where dead lawn-(thatch) was, don't worry we'll fix this.

Next, I recommend that you aerate your lawn. Aerating opens the soil so water and nutrients can penetrate. this also allows the roots of your lawn to go deep into the soil. Deeper roots mean less watering and fertilizing year round. These deeper roots are getting water and food lower down.
Pick up an aerater when you return the thatcher.
After you have completed the aeration, DO NOT RAKE UP THE PLUGS. These plugs will break down with rain and provide a source of additional nutrients for your lawn.

Once aerating is completed overseed the entire lawn with a high quality lawn seed. Purchase a new bag to guarantee a high percentage of seed germination. In the Seattle area JB instant lawn seed is an awesome product found at most Home Depots

Finally fertilise the lawn with an Organic balanced lawn fertilizer. Organic fertilizers will not Burn the lawn, will encourage healthy microbial activity in the soil (vital to plant health) and breaks down slowly feeding the lawn for months at a time. Water the lawn gently. you will want to keep the seed moist for a couple weeks before and during germination. If you would like, you can dust the lawn with aged composted mulch to cover the seed, discourage birds and help keep the seeds moist all day.

MOWING THE NEW LAWN

You will want to hold off on mowing for as long as possible, 3-4 inches of growth are optimal. When you do mow, try to keep the lawn mower cut at 1.5 -2 inches. the longer the grass blade the deeper the roots of your lawn. remember deeper roots mean less watering and fertilizer, but it also means, longer blades shade out weed seeds, you will have a greener, healthier lawn and less compaction of the soil. so the lawn will feel lush and soft underfoot.

Feel free to write with any questions.

Cheryl

Valentines Day bubbly, cheese and chocolates

Happy Valentines Day,

If you are still looking for that perfect addition to you meal today. allow me to suggest a beautiful wine and cheese pairing to go with your dinner tonite. I am borrowing this from the wine and cheese class that was put on a few nites ago at Arista wines cellars in collaboration with The Resident cheesemonger. My favorite to go with or before dinner would be a Parmigiano Reggiano paired with Adami. Bosco di Gica, Prosecco di Valdobbiandene-from italy. Wow!!  at only 17.99 this is a great price for a fabulous bublly. The wine is 90% Prosecco and 10% Chardonnay. For a traditional pairing it's Brut Champagne and Triple Cream brie you'll be looking for.
For an after dinner pairing I fell in love with a french blue called Forme d'Ambert paired with a low alcohol sparkling red from savoie france called: Patirck Bottex, Vin du Bergey-Cerdon, "La Cueille, 80% Gamay and 20%Poulsard. If you are not having dessert then this is a choice finish to a great meal. The wine is loaded with berries and goes well with the slight sharpness and creaminess of the blue. The wine is rose in colour and only 8% alcohol.

Chocolate anyone?? If you are having a chocolate dessert to end you evening meal here are a couple recommendations. I love anything over 65% and truly love chocolate 80% and above, especially chocolates with a fruity essence. Dark Chocolates will need a big wine and high alcohol, Personally I love an aged Carbernet with chocolate bars. Porto is also an excellent pairing as it will draws out the fruit flavors. If you are having something with nuts and chocolate, try a tawny porto.

Happy Valentines day, Bon Appetit!

Home Air quality

As Posted January 11th 2009 in The Edmonds Beacon

By Cheryl salvati

Winter has settled in nicely and most of us are staying indoors a lot more these days. If you are locking yourself in against the elements you may be exposed to more environmental dust and toxins than you would during warmer months.

 So what can you do to create a healthier home all winter? Glad you asked!!

Let’s look at air quality, we keep our windows open in summer and shut down when it gets cold. This may keep us warmer but the dust has no where to escape. Incorporate fresh air into your daily living space by opening windows a crack while you are home. On warmer days in the 40’s and 50’s, turn the heat down or turn off altogether for a half hour or so and open all windows and doors to completely air out the house.

This will eliminate staleness and help remove the dust. Keeping dust under control will minimize potential allergens in the air.

What else can be done to control dust and maximize indoor air quality?

Have your draperies cleaned as they attract dust, dust mites, pet hair, and dander

Keep bed linens rotated and air the mattresses weekly

Have a professional clean your air ducts

Remove all carpeting and or have carpets professionally cleaned. Use a green carpet cleaning company

Maintain your HVAC filters as instructed. Check, clean or replace filters every two months. Install HEPA filters in their place

Purchase a true HEPA filter vacuum to remove allergens, dander, dust and dust mites, such as a Miele or Dyson brand

If you cook with a gas stove keep the hood fan on while cooking to remove carbon monoxide

Have pets regularly groomed outside of the home

If you are sensitive to dust and dander hire someone to clean and dust your home, if you cannot, wear a mask when cleaning and wet dust where possible

If you are replacing furniture or repainting look for low VOC finishes, building materials and furniture materials.

Did you know most household cleaning products contain chlorine, phenols, ammonias or formaldehydes? These elements can cause damage to lungs upon inhaling. Replacing these products with non-toxic green cleaners will keep your air free of chemical elements and work wonders cleaning your home. Popular green products can be found in most stores or you can make you own using simple ingredients you may already have such as baking soda and vinegar.

For cleaning solution recipes and to learn more go to: http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/asthma/facts/greencleaning.htm

I hope these tips will help- keeping your indoor air clean is a breeze. Happy Winter Living

If you have a home or garden question you would like addressed in this section, please write me at info@CHSconcierge.com

Cheryl Salvati is the owner of Coastal Home Services in Richmond Beach

Joint care for dogs

Do you have a dog that limps after he/she goes for a walk or to the dog park? If so, your beloved pet may have a tear in a ligament in the knee. I have researched this problem as my twelve year old Cayanne has had two surgeries call TPLO's  to correct the damage. These surgeries are radical in that they have to cut the lower leg bone and re-set the knee positioning. A plate is then scewed into the bone to hold it together. UGH!! and talk about expensive. These surgeries run $4,000-$5,000 dollars. While these surgeries have given her freedom to walk again, she still needs the supplements to stay loose and they each required 3 months of bedrest before she was allowed to resume her activities.

So what can you do??  Well, if the ligament is slightly torn, your dog will require twelve weeks on bed rest to heal the tear. (Should the dog keep running it may tear completely leaving the knee useless and causing constant pain for the dog)
For nutritional support during convalesense you can add glucosamine/Chondroiton/Hydrulonic acid to the dogs food to facilitate healing. I have two dogs with this issue, I researched products and discovered Animed (brand name) they make a  joint supplement for horses that has been recommended for dogs called Aniflex Complete. So far so good. Unfortunately, My youngest dog twisted his leg in a hole while relieving himself and he may have torn the ligmanrt completely.  Our other dog, Finnegan has been on the product for 3 months now. He still has very limited walking time to be safe, so we have him enrolled in swimming classes to keep him in shape. two times a week has been recommended by a vet and the "spaw" owners.

Good luck with your dog(s). and let me know if this article was helpful

Cheryl

Waking up the Garden!!

Reprinted from: Edmonds Beacon newspaper

Published on Thu, Feb 26, 2009 by Cheryl Salvati

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Wow, March is nearly here and we are a few short weeks from Springs' official arrival. Now is a perfect time to prepare the garden and outdoor rooms for the warm months ahead.


Here are a few tips to get you outside and motivated.


Pressure wash all hard-scapes such as concrete patios, decks, steps and stone areas.


Prune before the sap begins to run. Remove all dead branches on Japanese and Vine Maples, Rhododendrons and all shrubs. Remove dead material from your perennials. Removing dead material will help plants conserve their energy for growth while showing off their beautiful structure


Weeding your gardens now will prevent those little buggers from going to seed and setting up future weed growth. Also, you will begin to see open areas you may want to fill in with annuals for spring color.


If you have not done so already, work organic fertilizers into the soil around all of your plants, shrubs and trees. Organic fertilizers break down slowly feeding the plants over time. Sky Nursery currently has a fabulous selection.


Next apply 2-3 inches of good organic compost around all plants, trees and shrubbery. The compost will help add nutrients to the soil, support microbes which in turn feed plants, help hold in moisture during dry spells and enrich the soils organic composition. To save money have mulch delivered from a local nursery or Pacific Topsoils.


For gorgeous green lawns, thatch with a gas powered thatch remover. Rake up all the thatch and compost or recycle. Next aerate your lawn to open up the soil and root zones. This will allow the grass roots to absorb more water and nutrients. Next, feed the lawn areas an organic lawn fertilizer. Any mulch you have left can be applied to your lawns to improve soil quality. Lay the mulch thinly and water it in. When it is warmer @ 60-65 degrees, lay a high quality seed down and keep moist for two weeks.


Other options to add to the overall health of your landscape this spring include a professionally sprayed application of compost tea. An alternative to chemical sprays, this Tea made from brewing compost in small batches and used within 24 hours has wonderful benefits for the entire landscape. Lastly, introduce red worms available from Seattle Tilth. These little guys will do well and reproduce rapidly with your veggie garden scraps in a small container in the yard, introduce a few at a time to your gardens, and their castings will continually fertilize the soil


The gardens are now weeded, the trees and shrubs look beautifully pruned, the lawn will be gorgeous from the care. All we need now is to add some colour and texture to your finished garden in the form of annuals and perennials. WOW!!! You have now completed your spring garden preparations ahead of the warm weather growth surge. Your plants and lawn will thrive from all the attention and you will have more time to sit back and enjoy your Outdoor Room.


If you have a home or garden question you would like addressed in this section, please write me at info@CHSconcierge.com


Cheryl Salvati is the owner of Coastal Home Services in Richmond Beach