the real estate Advisor
How to Save Money While Landscaping
Revamping your landscaping can be a huge undertaking. It takes a lot of time, effort, and money. So how can you give the exterior of your home a facelift without breaking the bank or taking out a second mortgage? There many ways to cut costs on landscaping, including some of Breakthrough Broker’s favorite tips below!
Select perennial plants. Choosing perennial plants over annuals can help reduce both cost and time. These plants continue to bloom year over year with less upkeep so you won’t have to set aside more money for new plants and spend time replanting in the coming years.
Shop at the end of the season. Shop for plants, accessories, mulch, containers, and more towards the end of fall for the best savings. Most garden centers and nurseries are looking to clear out plants and tools before winter so you may be able to save up to 50 percent.
Creatively source materials. Often extra materials can be found at construction sites or other landscapers may be giving them away for discounted prices or even free on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Make sure you look around before paying full price for rocks, wood, gravel, and more.
Use a mix of materials. Building surfaces like pathways or patios can often carry a large price tag for both materials and installation. To reduce costs, consider mixing materials, such as gravel with pavers or concrete with cut stone, to create a unique surface for less.
Keep up maintenance. Taking care of your yard throughout the year can save you from high-cost repairs in the future. Make sure to weed regularly, reduce standing water, keep patios and pathways clean, and paint peeling fences.
Take 5: Hot Home Trends for 2019
With the change in seasons may come the urge for change, whether it be in your habits, activities, clothing, or in your home. If you are looking for a home refresh, look no further than the top hot home trends for 2019. Below are five of our favorites!
Biophilia. One of the largest décor trends this year center around connecting with nature by bringing the outside indoors. Natural materials such as wood and stone paired with ocean blues and various shades of greens or grays are a common theme.
Jewel Tones. Colors such as indigo, emerald green, ruby reds, and sapphire blue are making a statement this year. Whether they are used on walls or for accent pieces and furniture, these colors create a rich, luxurious atmosphere in any room.
Bold Backsplashes. Homeowners are looking to spice up their kitchens by opting for bold colors or graphic tiling for their backsplash. Additionally, there has been a lot of interest in taking the tile from countertop to ceiling, making for a nice feature wall.
Light Wood Flooring. This trend had taken a seat on the back burner for a while but is now back with a vengeance. Homeowners are leaning towards more open, spacious concepts, and light-colored floors help reflect light and create an airy, bright feel.
Painted Ceilings. People are no longer ignoring the ceiling in their home. Instead, they are using it to round out the décor in each room with accent paint colors or eye-catching graphic wallpaper.
What Garage Size is Right for You?
With the constant shift in car shapes and sizes as your family grows on top of storage requirements, ensuring you build the perfect, secure garage to hold everything as your needs change is crucial. But not to worry, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of options to help set you on the right path!
Garage Width: The most common garage layout found on homes is a standard two-car garage. Equipped with a single door, generally 12 to 18 feet wide, that allows for two vehicles of the same or different sizes. An alternative garage layout is a two-car garage split down the middle with a vertical beam and two smaller doors on either side. This is a sleek aesthetic that is visually pleasing but may bump up cost with the required dual door setup and door openers. Another option is a single-car garage that starts at 8-feet wide.
Short vs. Tall: The standard height for garage doors is 7 feet tall, which works perfectly for most vehicles. However, if you have a lifted truck or jeep or have an installed roof rack or cargo carrier, you will need to opt for something taller. Raise the height to 8 or 9 feet to ensure proper clearance.
Door Material: Although it’s not the first thing you think of when building a garage, the door material used can make a big impact. Steel garage doors panels are most popular and start at 1/8-inch thick with no insulation and be as think as 1 1/2-inches thick with a piece a foam in between the layers. Additionally, homeowners can choose wood, glass, vinyl, or fiberglass doors.
April 2019 Maricopa County Market Statistics
© 2019 All data provided by ARMLS
Market statistics are for Maricopa County. If you’d like similar stats for a specific city or your neighborhood, just let me know!
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