Valerie Mineiko's Real Estate Blog

You know the old saying: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The same holds true for your home, so make sure that the first glimpse a person — or potential home buyer! — gets of your house leaves a lasting impact. Play up the curb appeal of your residence with these easy tricks of the trade (including some you may not have thought of) and roll out the welcome mat for compliments and inquiries.  Top Tips to Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal  Power wash the windows outside and clean them thoroughly on the inside. Be sure to remove debris and cobwebs — these will make windows look dull, and you want them to sparkle and shine. Affix or replace loose roof shingles. Clean out gutters and replace if they’re rusty, bent or look old and in disrepair. Rake up leaves and tidy up flower beds and gardens. Keep your lawn mowed and manicured throughout the sales process. Make sure sidewalks and walkways are edged neatly. Get rid of weeds, dandelions and grass gr...

If you look around the rooms in your house, you’ll probably discover a color theme. Maybe you have a sea of blues and greens—or a variety of sunset shades. What is the meaning behind your favorite colors? What does it say about your personality? Take a look at how you can best reflect your personality with a fresh new coat of paint. 1) Painting Your Walls Red If you are a “take action” kind of person, and have a dominant personality, RED is probably your color. Painting your walls red will stimulate the body and mind, plus it will increase your circulation. 2) Painting Your Walls a Shade of Blue Are you a calm and relaxed person? Then BLUE probably appeals to you. And if you’re not usually a relaxed person, this color can decrease the stress. Blue is also considered to soothe illness and even treat pain. 3) Painting Your Walls a Shade of Yellow Often called the cheeriest of colors, YELLOW signifies fun-loving, happy people (however, it also links to those w...

Cozy homes are a new trend in 2019 for  homebuyers . However, there are more reasons to having a cozy home other than putting it on the market to sell.  You should enjoy your home – whether you’re planning on staying there for years to come, or even if you’re  moving  within the next few months. During this time of year we see more than our fair share of cold, rainy nights. If you’d like a satisfying way to spend a chilly evening at home, here are a few tips:  1. Setting a Cozy Mood Scented candles are key to an extremely comfortable atmosphere. Not only do they provide a pleasant scent and soft lighting, but they also add a sense of warmth and help you feel comfy. Choose a summery scent, such as lilac to help combat the seasonal blues.  (A nice smelling home is also a bonus  when showing your home .) 2. Bake Something Yummy Cookies, pies and cakes are central to the cozy experience. However, it doesn’t begin when you start eating the desserts — it beg...