Ruthie's Corner

September Homeowner Checklist: 5 To Dos It’s that time again… time to prep your home for the cooler weather that’s on its way.  Get these completed so that you can take a much- needed break by taking a nap on the couch or curling up with a good book.  Change décor & bedding.   It will soon be chilly and that means the lighter sheets currently on your bed, need to be changed out with layers of warm comfort like maybe wool or fake fur.  Also, with the change in season, comes Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas so now is the time to swap out summer pillows and décor for the cozy cooler weather décor and accessories, such as a cozy throw and thicker window curtain panels, etc. Check smoke detectors & carbon monoxide detectors.   & replace batteries.  Also, now is the best time to check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher too.  Lastly, did you know that if your smoke detectors are yellow, it means they need t...

4 Home Improvements With the Best ROI Whether your plan is to remain in your home for years or sell in a year or two, here are 5 home improvements that, according to a recent report issued by ‘Remodeling’ magazine, deliver the best return on investment. Replacing your garage door This one may have come as a surprise. But when you think about, having a newer, updated garage door can freshen up the look of the entire home. Be sure to choose a door that complements your style of home. (For example, if your home is a classic colonial, a contemporary door would ‘fight’ with the home’s style and look out of place.) A new front door I know, I know. You’re probably thinking: ‘enough with the doors already.’ But the statistics show that these issues are important to homebuyers. And let’s face it: a pretty entry door says “Welcome Home”!   Add a deck Everybody loves more space, even outdoors! If your home doesn’t have a patio or deck, adding a deck is a great investment. Whi...

Insurance is a necessary evil. When you buy a home, you get to buy home owners insurance. Which sounds like a great deal, however it is important to make sure that you get the right coverage for your area. In Southern Teller County, it is important to make sure the property you are buying is not in a flood plain. If it is you must by Flood Insurance .   Also, another component of home insurance that we see up here is Fire coverage . We do not have a lot of fires here due to great fire mitigation that the residents do, but some of the larger fires have impacted our area and insurance companies are wanting fire coverage on their policies. We are a desert tundra so we do get cold but when we are in a drought it can get rough. Recent storms have brought some much-needed moisture but the fire danger changes every day depending on the winds. Keeping up on knowing what you will need as far as home owners insurance is going to be helpful in making sure you do not get hit with a big...