Safety Tips for Backyard Fire Pits

If you’re considering a home improvement that the whole family is sure to love, a backyard fire pit is a perfect answer. Not only will this give your space a cozy and upscale feel, but it also creates heat so you can enjoy your time outdoors even when the temperatures start to dip.

Before you light up that fire, though, it’s a good idea to reacquaint yourself with some simple safety tips. This way, you can make sure everybody has a great time without worrying about the potential for property damage or someone getting hurt.

Check the Weather
Not only do you want to check and make sure your fire won’t get rained out, but you’ll also need to make sure it’s not going to be unusually windy. A lot of wind will make it difficult to light your kindling, and, even worse, it could cause sparks to fly and unintentionally ignite a fire.

Choose the Right Spot
If you’re not up for a major home improvement, starting with a portable fire pit is a great option. Before you light it, though, you’ll want to make sure it’s in a safe spot. This means keeping it far away from low-hanging trees, yard waste, building overhangs, and other flammable materials.

Remember that even if it’s not extremely windy, sparks can easily blow at least a few feet. Check that your fire pit isn’t too close to dry wood, leaves, and other similar materials. Otherwise, you could end up with an emergency.

Keep a Safe Distance
It’s common sense that you don’t want to sit too close to the fire, but, when it’s s’more season, it’s easy to ignite a sleeve or some wayward hair accidentally. Remind your guests to roll up their sleeves and pull back their hair before they start roasting over the open fire.

If your fire pit came with a screen, keep it on whenever you can. If not, you might want to think about heading to the home improvement store to get the materials so you can make a protective barrier. This is especially important if there will be children around the fire.

Be Ready to Put it Out
As long as you’ve followed the tips above, it’s unlikely that you’ll end up with a wayward fire. However, there’s always a chance that things could get out of control. Always make sure you have a source of water nearby or a shovel so you can cover the fire with dirt if needed. You might consider purchasing a fire blanket from your local home improvement store. This can be used to quickly smother an out-of-control fire in the pit, one that has started nearby, or if (heaven forbid!) one of your guests catches themselves on fire.

Never Leave Your Fire Unattended
You must never leave a fire unattended, even if it has died down to only glowing embers. If you have to leave, even for a moment to get something from the house or use the restroom, designate someone else to keep an eye on things while you’re gone.

When you’re done with your fire for the night, douse it with water and turn all of the logs over to make sure they’re completely extinguished before you go inside.

Add a Fire Pit to Your Home Improvement “To Do” List! 
If you don’t have a fire pit yet, or you’re using a temporary one, this is a home improvement project you might want to consider! Nothing screams summer quite like gathering with your friends and family to enjoy a cookout and s’mores. This is a super-easy project that is well worth the investment.

 

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or selling a home?

Leslie Sells Houses

 

4 WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR HOME TO SELL THIS SUMMER

 

Help potential buyers see your space as a light and bright summertime oasis

Days are longer, temperatures are warmer, and summer is well on its way. With a change in season comes a change in staging and presentation for a home ready to sell.

Preparing a home to hit the market in the summertime can be as simple as regularly mowing the lawn, packing away winter goods and washing windows. Here are the four best ways sellers can spruce up their homes to show – and sell – in the upcoming summer months.

1. Change up interior decor

Now is the time to hide away any winter-specific accessories, like heavy throw blankets. De-personalizing your home for tours involves removing mementos like family photos and children’s artwork, so replace these now-scarce spaces with a small plant, bud vase or flowers. Before a showing, open all shades and blinds to maximize natural light.

2. Complete quick fix issues

While a problem like nail holes may not be very noticeable, a compilation of issues like this can make the interior of a home look unkempt. Touch up chipped paint, wash windows inside and out, and clean baseboards – just to name a few.

If you’re feeling more ambitious, try tackling more time-consuming fixes like power washing the house or staining the deck.

3. Maintain curb appeal

To ensure a buyer feels love at first sight, keep up with regular outdoor maintenance and give your yard some extra TLC. Mow the lawn frequently, trim trees and bushes as they grow and consider investing in a fresh coat of mulch in plant beds.

Liven up the home’s exterior by placing plant pots by the front door filled with vibrant flowers and arranging a few chairs on the porch. To really shake things up, paint the front door a different color for a fresh new look.

 

4. Stage outdoor space to look inviting

Make a backyard, patio or deck look like the perfect spot for being outside on summer days. Whether you have outdoor couches or a few plastic chairs, arrange the seating to feel like a place of gathering. Small details, like adding plants and flowers or hanging Edison string lights, frame the outdoor living space and turn it into an inviting destination.

Leslie Sells Houses

What You Can Do to Keep Your Dream of Homeownership Moving Forward

Some Highlights:

• Don’t put your homeownership plans on hold just because you’re stuck inside.
• There are several things you can do right now to keep your home search moving forward.
• Connect with an agent, learn about resource programs for things like down payments, and get pre-approved today.

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Leslie Sells Houses

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Transform Your Home For Stay-At-Home Tips to Create a Functional Space for Your Stay-At-Home Needs

What day is it? Where is my laptop? Where can I find a quiet place?  Should we have dinner on the couch…again? Didn’t we have a dining room table? These are some of the common daily questions due to the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. The days blend together and our constant family togetherness has completely transformed our needs at home. We are now all working, schooling, playing and eating at home…24/7.

Perhaps, your work has now swallowed up the dining room table? Or, your kids are taking online classes on their bedroom floor? Is the only quiet place you can find to conduct a Zoom conference call in the bathroom? Yikes! It’s time to take control!

Our lifestyle change was abrupt, and with more companies potentially moving to a more permanent work from home policy, we should think about how to configure our space to better serve our new lifestyles.

Here are some simple steps to help transform your home space into a comfortable and functional place suited to your new stay-at-home needs:

• Set Goals: Sit down with each family member to determine what their stay-at-home needs are. What type of spaces will support their daily goals?
• Make a Plan: Based on the daily goals of each family member, determine what room or space fits with their goals and desires. You can either restructure a portion of a room, or you can actually swap rooms!

For instance, does your child need better study habits? Have them swap rooms with a sibling for a new fresh space with a new desk to inspire focus. Also, take a look at shared spaces. Is the living room unused for most of the day? Change a portion of it into an office or workout space.  Make a detailed plan of how and when you’ll use each room.

Arrange the new layout to actually function for your new goals and inspire work, study and workout habits!

• Measure: Save yourself major headaches by using a measuring tape. Make sure all the furniture will actually fit in the new layout. You can make drawings of each room to scale and use scale cut-outs of each piece of furniture – ala paper dolls. Move your new design layout around with your fingertips a few times before you actually do the heavy lifting.
• Design: Here comes the fun part! Each person gets to design their new space. The designs can be full room swaps, or just moving specific furniture pieces from one room to another. Or, perhaps, it’s as simple as adding functional accessories. The “game show” challenge is to design the space with the furniture and accessories that you already own. Maybe Jack’s desk is really the right size for Bella’s homeschooling now? She can make it her own by sanding it down and painting it her favorite color. Has mom’s work taken over the dining room table? Place trays on the table for mom to keep her work stuff in, that way she can easily remove it at the end of the day. Wala! There’s actually a clear table when it’s time for dinner.
• Swap, Move & Clean: Okay, brace yourself for a little bit of chaos, but it will be so much better on the other side of the transformation. Move everything out of the chosen room. Clean each room (a new opportunity to ensure your home is disinfected and virus free).
• Decorate & Move In: Once clean, it’s time to add all of the chosen design elements, decorate and rearrange the furniture. From the full room swaps to adding functional accessories and furniture to portions of rooms, don’t forget to hang wall art. Handle every detail down to hanging the new occupant’s name on the door. You’ll all fall in love with your home all over again. That night, your child gets to sleep in their new room that they helped design! Or, you get to read a book in your new, QUIET, office. Each new space is now clean, organized and it’s new design will inspire you during this unique time!

The bonus of your transformed & stay-at-home functional home is a bit of peace of mind in this challenging time. If your space functions as you need it, you will feel more organized and in control. And, you’ll get to go somewhere new without leaving your home!

Leslie Sells Houses

Laura McHolm is an organizational, moving & storage expert and co-founder of NorthStar Moving Company. NorthStar Moving Company is an award winning, “A+” rated company, which specializes in providing eco-luxury moving and storage services.   www.northstarmoving.com

April 29, 2020