windows Archives • Your Real Estate Whisperer

How To Clean Those Window Blinds Easily.

December 2, 2017

Are Your Buyers Going Blind ‘Cause They Can’t See?

It’s Take A Tip Tuesday!

Hi, I’m Kristina Smallhorn, your Real Estate Whisperer for Ascension Parish. We all know that we wanna show our house in the best light possible, but if the light can’t come through because your blinds are dirty, then that could hinder some buyer saying, “Wow, it’s dark in this house.”

I mean, let’s be honest. The blinds would have to be pretty filthy for that to be a real issue, but one of my clients has asked me to find the best way to clean your blinds. It would be, first of all, cheap, secondly of all, fast, and thirdly of all, easy.

Sydney my daughter, is out of school this week and she said she was going to help me find a way to clean the blinds. I figured since she’s a helper, that would help with time. We’re gonna try some different methods that people have suggested to clean your blinds in your house. Let’s get started.

***And We’re now off to the dollar store to get inexpensive supplies.***

We got our supplies at the Family Dollar and they wouldn’t let us film inside the Family Dollar. I don’t know why it’s a requirement not to film in the Family Dollar, but as soon as we walked in the store, she’s like, “You cannot film in our store.” I didn’t know it was such a top secret thing to not film in the Family Dollar. Okay, but we’ll show you our haul when we get home. Don’t tell them what we’re gonna do.

At the Family Dollar, we got plenty of things. Microfiber cleaning sponges, some tongs. How much did everything cost… A $1.00!

When we were at the Family Dollar, my husband suggested he had a very cool way of cleaning the blinds. I thought this would be a fantastic trick to share with everybody for cleaning your blinds. First, you’re gonna take two sponges. With those two sponges, you are going to cut a slit in them. These sponges are microfiber. What you’re gonna do is you’re gonna slide the sponge over the little tongs.

We’re gonna take the tongs and put them so it’s clamped onto a blind, and we’re just gonna slide it across by putting a little bit of pressure on it. This will get all the dust off underneath and above. Oh, look! You can see the dust. That worked really well. There’s one more method I’d like to mention. My mom used to take the whole blind off the wall, and then she’d go out into the driveway, put it on the ground, spray the whole thing with Fantastic, wait a couple minutes, then hose it off. I think that’s a great method for a blind that’s in the kitchen and you have a lot of grease that’s caked on it. But other than that, you can just leave them on the window and use the tongs with the sponges. I think that’s a super method.

Sydney and I, hope you found this trick useful. If you’d like to know more about selling homes here in Ascension Parish, you can always visit at YourRealEstateWhisperer.com. If you’d like to search for homes here in the Ascension Parish area, Click ***Here*** .If you’d like to know more about buying homes here in Ascension Parish, I have a copy of my free e-book***here*** .

My name is Kristina Smallhorn, I’m your Real Estate Whisperer for Ascension Parish. We tell you all this “Because You Matter”!

Kristina Smallhorn is Your Real Estate Whisperer, kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com

eXp Realty LLC
2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401
Baton Rouge LA 70817
225-246-1812
Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149
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Buying A New Home In Ascension Parish? Five Things You May Want To Budget for After The Closing.

April 18, 2017

Ahhhh, the smell and wonderment of a brand new home in Ascension Parish! The allure of buying a brand new home is second to none. You’ve saved for the down payment, inspections, and all closing costs. What expenses could possibly be left? Read more to find out!

1. Appliances

Of course, the oven, stove, and microwave are there, but what about the washer, dryer, and refrigerator? Many builders in Ascension Parish do not offer an appliance package. Only a few builders do. Make sure you have extra money set aside for those appliances that are not included. Very importantly, DO NOT take out any new lines of credit before closing. If you do, it could hinder your loan from closing on time or possibly not at all.

2. Security.

More and more I have seen homes in Ascension Parish that are not pre-wired for alarm systems. You will have to set aside some money for installation and also decide if you’d like to add security cameras. You can get an estimate done prior to closing so you’ll know how much this could cost you. I recommend you reach out to at least 3 vendors to get a good idea of pricing.

3. Windows

As much as you love the amount of natural light comes into the home, you certainly do not want the neighbors looking into your bathroom. Many windows are a standard size and you can buy window coverings for a reasonable price. Definitely measure your windows and see if standard sizes will fit, and make sure you don’t forget the windows on doors.

4. Landscaping

When it comes to landscaping in a new home in Ascension Parish, builders really don’t go all out to get them picturesque. Many builders do not even sod the backyard! They will only do the front and along the sides. The remaining sod is up to the buyer and can cost thousands to have the rest done. Make sure you have the extra money to make this investment. I can tell you from my nearly 10 years of experience, If you decide to seed your yard instead, it never looks as nice as a sodded yard and you will be fighting weeds for years to come.

5. Fencing

I have never sold a brand new home that came completely fenced in by the builder. If this is important to you, just ask your builder or Ascension Parish REALTOR® for recommendations for a quality fencing company.

Bonus

Whenever you buy a new home or even an existing home, your previous furnishings may not fit with the floor plan or style of the new home. Be prepared to possibly needing new furnishings but be sure NOT to do this prior to closing. You DO NOT want to take out any new debt prior to closing on your new Ascension Parish home and new lines of credit can put your closing in jeopardy.

“Because YOU Matter”

Your Real Estate Whisperer

Kristina Smallhorn

eXp Realty LLC.