Boynton Beach Real Estate Works for Families

There are a lot of reasons to choose one community over another; Boynton Beach real estate and Delray Beach homes have so many advantages that it is hard to mention them all. Both communities have active and well-rounded niches for retirees, golf enthusiasts, tourism and singles, but let's focus here on the benefits Delray Beach homes and Boynton Beach real estate have for families.

If you choose to invest in Boynton Beach real estate it will quickly become apparent that the area is geared toward families with children of all ages. People here take advantage of Palm Beach County's fantastic weather to play outdoors in a number of ways. Delray Beach homes offer the same advantages, with other activities for families thrown in as a bonus.

Boynton Beach real estate is notable first for its public beaches. Oceanfront Park is the town's largest beach, well-known for its family-friendly atmosphere and excellent facilities. It has been recognized by the Palm Beach Post as the best overall beach in Palm Beach County.

Parents appreciate the fact that certified life guards are on duty year-round, even on holidays. Owners of Boynton Beach real estate enjoy that there are picnic and barbeque areas, friendly concession stands and clean, pleasant rest rooms to make the beach a great outing any day.

If you decide Boynton Beach real estate is right for you, you'll also discover two other public parks to enjoy, both on the beach. Ocean Inlet Park also boasts certified life guards, six hundred feet of pristine beachfront and nine hundred feet facing the Intracoastal Waterway.

Boynton Beach real estate might be ideal for boaters and fishers; at this park there are rental boat slips and a number of knowledgeable and friendly charter boat operators. For families that enjoy watching waterfront activity there is room to play in a children's playground, picnic facilities and even a snack bar.

Boynton Beach real estate also gives you access to Gulfstream Park, a secluded stretch of beach with access for snorkeling.

Delray Beach homes also give families great access to wonderful beaches. There are also a variety of cultural and community opportunities all year round, a great opportunity for families to share time with each other and for neighbors to get to know each other.

For families that like resort activities, a Delray Beach home is never far away from recreation. Golf is a particular favorite in Palm Beach County, and Delray Beach homes are surrounded by great golf courses. Other resort activities like swimming, snorkeling, boating and more are within easy access. Whether your family chooses to buy a Delray Beach home or invest in Boynton Beach real estate, you'll appreciate all these communities have to offer.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6728990

Fire and Water Damage Restoration Professionals

When fire and water damage restoration is necessary, there are different means of approaching each cleanup and repair project, depending on the circumstances involved. For example, how much water was involved in the flooding incident? Was the water relatively clean or was it contaminated with sewage, chemicals, or other toxins? How long was the water allowed to sit unattended, permeating walls, carpet, wood cabinetry, and furniture? Were hazardous chemicals involved in the fire? How much smoke and soot permeated the premises? How much and what kind of toxic fumes and gases were produced by the blaze?

With fire and water damage restoration, there are other issues to consider as well. Smoke and fire damages need to be cleaned out and premises need to be ventilated to reduce odors. Floodwater, spills and water accidents need to be removed and dried as quickly as possible. When building materials are allowed to be continuously soaked in water for an extended period of time, they will have to be replaced rather than repaired or restored.

Mold and mildew usually stem from water damages that were neglected and not cleaned out and repaired. Given the proper conditions to thrive, mold propagates rather quickly. Mold is a significant health hazard in the home environment and is responsible for symptoms such as headaches, runny nose, asthma, dizziness, rashes, fatigue, respiratory problems, and others. Thus, water damage that is left unattended for over 48 hours is likely to develop mold as well as structural damage, requiring more involved repair work and driving up the cost of the fire and water damage restoration project.

If flooding is caused by dirty water, which is water contaminated by pathogens, sewage or chemical waste, the items it comes in contact with must be professionally cleaned and sanitized or tossed altogether. In fact, the rule of thumb is that if the item cannot be washed or disinfected, it needs to be trashed. Water, food and medicines that came in contact with dirty water must be discarded. If items are porous, such as fabrics, clothing, bedding, stuffed toys, particle board, laminated or pressed wood furniture and cabinetry, they should be discarded as well. If in doubt, consult a fire and water damage restoration professional, especially if items have sentimental or significant financial value. In fact, content restoration experts have more tools, techniques and methods at their disposal today than they ever had before, making salvaging and restoration of books, documents, artwork, electronics, furniture and other items a standard and routine process that restores loved and cherished items and saves millions of dollars annually for insurance companies.

When a fire and water damage restoration work is needed, calling a professionally certified restoration company for help is the safest and best action to take. These specialists are knowledgeable, trained and experienced in fire and water damage cleanup, repair and restoration efforts and have the equipment, tools and supplies necessary for the job. Moreover, they can detect and remove mold before it becomes a nightmare for property owners.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6561601

How to Save On Home Maintenance Costs

Most people dream of owning a home, but often do not realize the expenses involved in home maintenance costs. Maintenance is required on all dwellings, but unlike renting or leasing, homeowners are responsible for their own repairs, so it is time to figure out the best way to save money during the process. Create an emergency home maintenance account to use for repairs that come up unexpectedly. A designated account can provide the funds to make repairs in an emergency and to ensure that money is available for preventive repairs before more serious damage occurs.

Establish a maintenance checklist to perform on a regular basis to detect minor problems and fix them in a timely manner. While it may seem tempting to let little things go, every dollar spent on preventive maintenance can save hundreds of dollars in the future. There are many simple things homeowners can do themselves like change air conditioning and furnace filters on a regular basis. If filters clog up, the units work harder for the same level of comfort. Keeping filters changed extends the life of the unit.

When certain problems occur such as a small roof leak, it is imperative to repair it quickly to avoid more costly structural damage. Before calling a professional to fix a problem, consult a home repair manual or the internet. They often provide detailed steps enabling homeowners to do repairs themselves. Take some maintenance courses at a local college or attend workshops or seminars at retail stores to improve your knowledge and skill. Learn how to make repairs by watching others. It is surprising how much knowledge sinks in by watching and paying close attention to details.

Keep the house as dust free as possible. Dust clogs filters, collects on appliance motors, and coils making them work harder and shortening their life span. The same holds true for the lint filter in a dryer. Empty it after every drying cycle and clean the vent several times a year. Repair any holes in the roof or siding to prevent further damage. Check windows and doors for water leakage or moisture on a regular basis. Be a responsible homeowner and know your limitations.

For instance, if a homeowner knows nothing about electricity, under no circumstances should they attempt repairs. Safety is the major concern, but severe damage to the homes entire electrical system is possible. A homeowner must carefully choose what they attempt to fix themselves or it may result in costing more money than hiring a professional. At some point, a homeowner will have to call a professional. However, you can still save money by doing the necessary research to ensure the professional performs quality work at affordable prices.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6560704

House Calls: a 12x12 living room

THE CHALLENGE

The 12-by-12-foot living room area in Crystal Straughn’s new Silver Spring townhouse is a blank slate. She’d like some help with the floor plan and advice on where to place the TV.

THE SOLUTION

Designer Peggy Fisher uses modern furniture and a sophisticated color palette to turn this empty space into an inviting place to call home.

Woven shades add layers and texture to the room and offer privacy and light control.

Keep the TV where it is; the seating is far enough away to allow for a comfortable viewing angle.

A soft area rug grounds the seating area and adds softness and color to the space.

Bring in something vintage, like this wing chair found at a consignment store, to add character and personality to the room.

A storage ottoman can be used as extra seating and to store blankets. Turn the top over for a flat surface to be used as a side table.

A neutral sofa is the perfect pairing for colorful accent chairs. Center the sofa area with a pendant light hung directly overhead.

Paint walls in a blue-green and a silver-gray: Beach Glass and Sterling by Benjamin Moore.

Fisher Group (703-750-1151, www.designbuildrenovate.com) is based in Annandale.

SHOPPING GUIDE

Furniture: Wing chair (no longer available, www.misspixies.com); reclaimed wood weathered tanki table ($205, www.overstock.com); slipper chair in peacock ikat ($330, www.urbanoutfitters. com); Alseda stool ($30, www.ikea.com);

Sheridan green leather storage ottoman with tray ($45, www.target.com).

Lighting: Ikea PS pendant lamp ($40, www.ikea.com).

Accessories: Ogden rug, 6-by-9 feet ($600, www.crateandbarrel.com); Belize natural Roman shades in Tortoise Bay (priced according to size, www.nextdayblinds.com; medium rectangle planter ($59, www.sears.com).

Terms and conditions of The Washington Post Kid’s Room Contest

We want to showcase the best-designed children’s bedrooms in the Washington area. Upload photos to our Web site that show how you’ve fashioned your kid’s room. The bedroom must belong to a child and cannot be decorated by a professional designer, which is someone who makes a portion or all of his or her income from decorating. Decorating materials may include paint, furniture, sheets, artwork, curtains or any other material you like. There will be one grand prize winner who will receive $100 American Express gift check and be featured in an article in The Washington Post's Local Living section. View all details at washingtonpost.com/kidsroomcontest.

No purchase is necessary to enter this contest. This contest is sponsored by WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post ("Sponsor"). Anyone in the United States is eligible to submit photos of his or her bedroom, but the finalists must be residents of the District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia. Contestants must be 18 years of age or older to enter. One entry per person. Employees, officers, directors and representatives of Sponsor and its affiliates, and those with whom they are domiciled, are not eligible. Void outside of the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland and where prohibited by law. Contest subject to all federal, state and local laws.

The process:

1. Take photos of your stylish kid bedroom from at least three different angles. (Make sure the pictures do not include people or embarrassing personal items that you wouldn’t want the world to see!). Upload no more than five photos as high-resolution JPEGs, five megabytes or smaller, to the Kid Bedrooms user-generated photo gallery. Within the caption box, include a description of your room’s design. In the additional information box, include your name, age, e-mail address, daytime phone number and city and state of residence. The submission period begins Thursday, August 11, 2011, and is limited to one entry per person. All submitted kid bedroom photos and captions may appear online at any time after they have been received at washingtonpost.com/kidsroomscontest starting on or around Thursday, August 11, 2011. Your contact information will not be shown online.

2. Photo submissions are due by Friday, September 23, at 11:59 p.m. ET , but keep your rooms pristine after submission. In the ensuing weeks, the Washington Post Local Living staff and a professional designer will pick at least five finalists based on creativity and skill in execution; a Post staff member or members will visit the finalists to compare the submissions with the actual bedrooms. If the bedrooms are approved by the Post staff, the finalists will enter an online voting system where readers will vote to determine the Readers’ Choice Winner. Finalists also will become eligible to be the grand prize winner, which will be selected by the contest judges. Decisions of the judges are final and cannot be appealed. By entering, you authorize The Post to publish photos of your child’s bedroom and the caption you wrote, and to identify you as the entrant with those photos.

How To: Which direction to run wood floors, installing vinyl in a basement

A.Regarding the wood flooring, there’s a little truth in what both people told you, though the second person was more correct. The National Wood Flooring Association’s technical guidelines call for installing both hardwood flooring and engineered flooring crosswise to joists. Real wood needs to be installed that way to give the nails something to bite into. With engineered flooring, which is often glued or clicked together, the issue is more cosmetic. If engineered planks run in the same direction as joists, pieces with a joist underneath will be much stiffer than those that don’t have solid support, and that could affect the way light is reflected off the finish. “Even a slight flex could cause a distortion, so you’d see where the joists are,” says Frank Kroupa, training director for the flooring association.

That said, if you think it would look a lot better to have the strips run parallel to the joists, you can invest in some fixes that stiffen the flooring enough so the joists won’t show. Solutions include adding a layer of half-inch plywood before the flooring strips are installed or adding cross-bracing underneath the floor.

In a hallway, it would look silly to install the wood crosswise, regardless of which direction the joists run. So you should do what makes sense visually, and you probably don’t need to worry about stiffening the floor first. “Use common sense,” Kroupa says. “In 30 years, I’ve never laid flooring in the short direction in a hall. There just isn’t enough space.” Also, a hall is narrow enough that you wouldn’t notice differences in reflected light anyway.

As for the vinyl, ensuring that moisture isn’t coming up through the concrete is usually a big issue in basements. However, the existing flooring has been in place for decades. Assuming it isn’t crumbling or coming loose, you can probably safely conclude that moisture isn’t an issue. Applying new flooring on top of the old is probably preferable anyway, because vinyl flooring and flooring adhesive made before 1981 often contain asbestos, an ingredient that becomes a problem only if you rip it out or if it’s breaking down. Chris Davis, president and chief executive of the World Floor Covering Association, a trade group, says the installers should probably use a “floating floor” method, which calls for spreading a thin underlayment over the floor and then attaching the new vinyl only on the perimeter. If there are seams, they can be glued together, but not to the floor.

A Richmond couple turn their DIY blog into a full-time job

Gallery: Blogging Young House Love: A Richmond couple transformed their home-improvement hobby into a full-time job, thanks to their wildly successful blog.
To the decorating-obsessed among us, John and Sherry Petersik have a gig we dream about: They fix up their home, blog about it and get paid.
In the past weeks, they furnished and accessorized an empty guest room and adjoining bathroom, painted wooden ceiling beams in their living room, scored a pair of $35 vintage chairs for their home office, fashioned a bedside table using a thrift store luggage rack, replaced a ceiling fan in their master bedroom with a paper pendant lamp and de-cluttered their carport.

As the writers of Young House Love, an addictive home-improvement blog (www.younghouselove.com), the Petersiks chronicle the do-it-yourself decorating “adventures (and misadventures)” in their Richmond home. They’re not trained carpenters or interior designers. It’s the story they tell about their renovations that has made them successful.

Advertising on the 31 / 2-year-old blog, and other editorial work, now generates enough income to support the entire Petersik family, which includes 10-month-old Clara and a feisty Chihuahua named Burger.

Since the start of Young House Love, John, 29, and Sherry, 28, have renovated their first home inside and out. Now they’re on to house No. 2 and are starting again, blogging about every wall they paint, nail they hammer and deal they find.

“We’re keeping a diary and sharing our life,” says Sherry. “It’s rewarding to get support for that. And it’s rewarding to know our little old diary is encouraging others to make their homes something they’re proud of, too.”

Their “little old diary” gets more than 3.5 million page views per month. Each post routinely garners about 250 reader comments (the highest, in response to a Z Gallerie gift card giveaway, was 11,691). At a recent count, the blog had more than 20,000 followers on Facebook and nearly 10,000 on Twitter.

The blog’s popularity has led the Petersiks to a book deal. They recently signed with Artisan/Workman to write a home-related book that is supposed to hit shelves in 2012.

Like many homeowners, the Petersiks are learning as they go. So what makes the masses clamor for their input and advice?

“First of all, they’re adorable,” says talk show host and designer Nate Berkus. In the fall, the Petersiks appeared on “The Nate Berkus Show” as DIY experts and judges for a design challenge.

“Their delivery is particularly charming and endearing, and their information is delivered in a smart way,” Berkus says.
“ . . . I think Young House Love could easily transition into a TV program.”

How they started

John and Sherry met in New York after college while working at the same advertising agency. But the more affordable lifestyle and the fact that John had grown up in Fairfax County, among other reasons, led them to Richmond. They bought a 1,300-square-foot brick ranch that was “really inexpensive, really small and in terrible shape,” says Sherry, and got married.

Despite having zero home-improvement experience, they decided to renovate their kitchen. John suggested they blog about it. “I thought the kitchen would be a stressful project and a blog would help blow off steam,” he says.

When they won the grand prize ($5,000) for the “best home-improvement blog” in a contest only months after publishing their first post, they knew they were on to something.

A large part of the blog’s appeal is that the Petersiks are so darn likable. They’re the kind of people you meet and instantly want to invite to your next dinner party.

How they work

Young House Love is part personal diary and part resource for affordable furnishings, home-related tips, tutorials and easy DIY projects. From buying a mattress to building a bathroom vanity, blog readers get a step-by-step account with pictures and a breakdown of every penny spent.

The Petersiks rarely set a budget when embarking on a project, abiding by their own frugal mantra: “as inexpensive as possible.”

In their previous home, for example, they gutted and renovated a bathroom, adding marble floors and floor-to-ceiling subway tile. With John doing most of the work himself, they spent about $1,800. The average midrange bathroom renovation costs $16,634, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2010-11 Cost vs. Value Report.

“We’re save-aholics,” says Sherry. “Spending a lot, even if we could, feels like a failure, a waste. If we were millionaires we’d probably do the same things and make the same material choices. We sold our last house on our own; that’s the ultimate DIY.”

How they live

One of the Petersiks is working on the blog at all times from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. The other is on Clara duty because the couple doesn’t have additional child care. They work weekends and vacations.

Decorating and DIYing is “the easy, fun part,” says Sherry. “And probably only about 25 percent of the whole job.”

“People think it’s easy,” says John, “that blogging is just throwing some thoughts together for a post and going about your day. But they forget the time it takes to do a project, photograph the project, edit and adjust the photos, write the posts, edit and double-check the information.”

John and Sherry also answer about 200 reader questions daily, manage social media and sponsors, communicate with retailers to organize giveaways, and do their own Web coding and site programming.

Not that they’re complaining. They’re just telling it like it is, which is exactly what their fans expect.

During a recent tour of the Petersiks’ home, Sherry pointed to a lump under the covers of the master bedroom bed. “Don’t mind that,” she said, “that’s just Burger.” Then, she casually motioned to a pile of clothes tossed on an armchair.

Washington Design Center’s “Jewel Tones of Design” DreamHome

“Jewel Tones of Design” is the theme of the Washington Design Center’s 2011 DreamHome, which opens this week. Eight designers partnered with local jewelers and chose a jewelry piece to inspire a room design.
Zoe Feldman of Zoe Feldman Designs, who decorated the master bedroom, says she was “drawn to the modern, understated elegance” of a ring from Shah & Shah. In her room, a subtle and soothing palette of gold, silver and gray is punctuated with yellow textiles and black-painted furniture and artwork.

Another room not to miss: the sculptural courtyard by J.D. Ireland, with hand-painted fabric wall panels and slate herringbone patterned floors.

If you go

The Washington Design Center’s 2011 DreamHome opens with a reception Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. ($20). The show runs Friday through Dec. 9; hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 300 D St. SW. 202-646-6100. www.dcdesigncenter.com. Free.

It's a kitchen, not a catchall

For many people, the kitchen also serves as a way station. It's where the kids dump backpacks and sports gear after school, where mail stacks up, and where purses, briefcases, keys, phones and musical instruments are deposited.

"The kitchen is the hub of the home," says Lorie Marrero, creator of the Clutter Diet , an online company that specializes in home organization. "A lot of activity takes place in the kitchen that is not related to cooking."

Begin organizing by assessing the space and determining whether you are using it efficiently. If your kitchen is the place where everything seems to land, Marrero recommends a "destination station" for these items, preferably where you enter and leave the house. "All that stuff should have a home because it's not going to go away. Giving it a place will keep it off the kitchen counter."

Leah Daniels, owner of Hill's Kitchen , a kitchenware store on Capitol Hill, is a proponent of getting clutter off the kitchen counter. "I feel like I have less clutter when my counters are clear," Daniels says. Among the changes she made was to move her knives from a knife block on the counter to one that fits in a drawer. The knives are within reach but out of the way. In her shop, she carries a line of knife sleeves so blades can be stored in a drawer even without the block. The sleeves are color-coded so you can easily find the one you need.
Daniels reorganized her spice storage by putting spices she uses most often into magnetic jars that she keeps on a metal strip. The rest are in stackable glass jars that she keeps in a cabinet.

She further banished clutter by hanging some of her pots and pans on a pot rack. As for the perennial problem of where to store the lids, Daniel says some manufacturers, including All-Clad and Mauviel, make lids that slide over the handleof a pot or pan so that they "nest happily together" even when hanging.

For Aviva Goldfarb, keeping an organized kitchen depends on keeping an organized tally of groceries. Goldfarb, who lives in Chevy Chase, is founder and CEO of the Six O'Clock Scramble, an online subscription service that helps busy families plan dinner menus. So she does a lot of recipe testing - and grocery shopping.

"I really encourage people to shop with a plan and to shop with a grocery list, and to stick to that list," Goldfarb says. "First of all, this keeps you from continuing to buy pantry items that you already have. Otherwise, every time you see a can of diced tomatoes on sale you'll buy it, even if you don't need it." She limits her own grocery shopping trips to once a week and is disciplined about using up what she buys before getting more.

Goldfarb categorizes the food storage spaces in her kitchen, including those in the refrigerator. In addition to dedicated bins for fruits and vegetables, she stores dairy products together and moves older ingredients to the front of the refrigerator so that she finishes those before opening new ones. She keeps her pantry organized in a similar way, with savory snacks stored together in one space and sweet snacks in another.

She also encourages her family members to be mindful about adding what they need to the grocery list. "It has to be a family effort," Goldfarb says. "If my kids are running out of snacks or drinks and they put it on the grocery list, they know those items will reappear."

And Goldfarb employs her freezer in her efforts to organize. She keeps bags of frozen vegetables on hand for use in a pinch, as well as nuts for snacks (they stay fresh longer when frozen), and several frozen meals "for those nights when you just can't get it together." She keeps tabs on the contents of her freezer and builds them into her weekly menu plan so they don't languish for months.

Although tackling clutter in the kitchen may seem daunting, the Clutter Diet's Marrero says the chore can usually be accomplished in a single day, especially if you recruit family members or friends to help. And when it comes to paring down your stuff, Daniels adds, it helps to be just a little bit merciless.

"We all have things that we don't want to part with, but on the other hand we are always bringing new things home. When your potholders are burned through, it's time to get rid of them. You have to throw away things when they die."

Homeowners again look at remodeling, but landscape has changed after recession

Tentatively - and with price and practicality their top considerations - area homeowners are once again starting to ring up remodeling contractors.
Those pondering a remodel are likely to find a recession-changed landscape. One in which contractors don't turn their nose up at jobs because they're too small. One in which prices are significantly lower than just a few years ago. One in which product deliveries come more slowly. And one in which everyone needs to be concerned, even more than usual, about the financial viability of the companies they deal with.

The homeowners tiptoeing back to the market are changed, too. They're not as free-spending. They take longer to make a commitment. And they're painfully aware that, eventually, future buyers might punish them for choices they don't find appealing.

Following a brutal couple of years for the remodeling business, the leaders of several area remodeling firms said they saw a noticeable uptick in inquiries starting in December, and they're hoping it will carry through into spring.

"It's certainly better than it was last winter, which is setting the bar pretty low. . . . At least for us, that was the worst," said Mark Scott, president of Mark IV Builders in Bethesda.

Josh Baker, founder of Bowa, a remodeling firm based in McLean, said that his high-growth business flattened out during the recession but that the company managed to remain profitable. In December, Bowa fielded a flurry of inquiries from homeowners; calls were up 47 percent from December 2009, Baker said. What he called "quality leads," clients they were working with but who had not yet signed a contract, were at a 20-month high.

Nationally, remodeling expenditures are likely to increase by 3.5 percent each year, adjusted for inflation, over the next five years, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The center points to deferred upkeep during the recession, a normalizing economy and continued population growth due to immigration as reasons for the increase. Also, it said, a large share of the population will enter the peak remodeling years, from the mid-30s to mid-50s, which will boost spending on home improvements.

The Washington area, long one of the nation's biggest spenders on remodeling, is expected to remain among the leaders. Accounting for the D.C. area's spending is a combination of older housing stock and household incomes that can accommodate expensive jobs such as room additions and kitchen overhauls, the center's report says. Area homeowners also are more likely to spring for professional design and installation instead of do-it-yourself projects.
adjusted for inflation, between 2000 and 2009. (Fueled by hurricane rebuilding, New Orleans homeowners spent the most: $5,700 per household.)

But the D.C. area's cutback in spending during the recession followed the national trend. The Harvard study cites census data showing that homeowners' spending on home improvements fell by more than 23 percent between the market peak in 2007 through 2009.

Chris Landis, an architect and owner of Landis Construction in the District's Takoma area, said the dollar volume of his business dropped 25 percent in 2009 from the year before. It fell another 15 percent in 2010.

Thinking smaller

The recession has changed what consumers are looking for in remodeling.