The Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

For this week's tip jar, we transformed some tiny closets! From a closet mess (check out the before video!) to a closet success. Our condo closets were a HUGE problem for being so small. The incredibly Cool Condo Lifestyle is really "all that" and we would not trade it in for anything but admittedly most condos will lack closet space. Where other homeowners who live in traditional urban rowhomes can compensate for smaller closets by using their basement, attic, or spare room, Condo and Apartment Dwellers have to make the most of their small space.

Here is our personal solution for our closet challenges. Our 4 closets including our hall coat closet, our laundry room, and our 2 bedroom closets were filled to the gill and a mess. So, we hired a company to organize these spaces. The cost was only $1,300. The estimate was complementary, the installation was only a couple of hours, and the results are amazing.

We now have more space and we can easily find items, some of which we forgot we owned ! Now we can actually close the coat closet, things are not falling on our heads when we open the doors, and they look so fantastic.

Custom fitted closets add practical value and also increase the net value for homes whether they are a Condo like ours or any other style.

Next on my list is new paint throughout. Hmmm...what color to choose?

Condo Dwellers know that closet space is sacred space and though we love the cool lifestyle and vibe that a condo has to offer, there are often small sacrifices we need to make. Closet space is often one of those small sacrifices when it comes to condo living.

For me and Chris, well, we like to live relatively modestly and we are minimalists in general. (You'd never know that by looking at our office at work). We only keep the clothing we wear, we do not do Costco shopping and buy a year's worth of toilet paper or visit Sam's Club for a flat of cereal. Our closets host only what we use and maybe a few extravagant items here and there.

Over the last couple of years, I have noticed our closets looking like a crazy mess. The last straw was when I opened up our coat closet and a mound of pillows and old computer boxes fell on top of me. I am okay, thanks for asking, but that was the moment I knew we needed a change. We have always lived together in small spaces and with two cats (who take up more space than I would like to admit) we've learned how to make a smaller space work just fine for us. Remember, most condos and apartments have no basements or attics or spare rooms for stuff.

So, long story short, I arranged for closet makeovers for all of our closets. The video slide presentation is what our closets looked like a few hours before the transformation began. Stay tuned for the AFTER video!

It was a beautifully appointed Philadelphia Home For Sale that I was showing. As we entered the dining room, I dragged my finger gingerly across the smooth surface of the wooden dining table and without thought wrote my name in cursive through a thin layer of dust. “ Whoa! This place is really dusty.” I thought. How could this be? The home was seemingly immaculate in every way? This is a sign that the home’s air filter was due for a change.

Did you know that most people spend about 90% of their day inside? The quality of inside air then becomes a topic of importance. Changing your home’s air filter regularly can reduce your heating and cooling costs plus save your HVAC system from unnecessary damage due to dirt and improper maintenance. Clogged air filters are the #1 reason why home air systems fail. If a failing HVAC system is not enough to get you to Home Depot to buy a new air filter for a few bucks then maybe this is:

Dust can be made of the following delightful things:

In Average Homes

Dead skin cells

Dried dust mite feces and the remains of their dead corpses

Pollens, dander, and other allergens

Clothing fibers

In New Construction Homes

Drywall dust

Cement dust

Paint particles

Chemicals from flooring and appliances

Homes with Pets

Do we really even need to go there?

Our tip is to change your home's air filter 2-3 times per year, not only to keep your home's air system functioning optimally but to keep you from breathing in the dead corpses of dust mites. May they rest in peace but not up our noses! Ew...

What do the Mad Hatter and the Salem Witch Trials Have in Common?

Answer: All were created by toxins/molds. Today's Tip Jar is about an all-too-familiar 4 Letter Curse Word: MOLD.

With Hurricane Irene behind us, coupled with the record high rainfall this year, I though it would be a good time to discuss the dreaded 4 letter curse word MOLD. Many homeowners have it. And if they didn't have it before, they could have it now. Mold counts are higher than ever post-Irene.

I am talking about that stinky, musty, nasty matter that plagues so many basements, bathrooms, and anywhere that water sits. There is growing knowledge about mold, such as its dangerous variety, toxic black mold, and more and more people are finding they have an allergy to mold spores.

So how can you stop mold in its tracks?

1) Trusty Bleach. I occasionally get some reddish color mold in my bathroom shower that I can clean with a bleach type chemical remover and voila, it is gone. That is not the best approach for larger areas that have mold and it is certainly not an environmentally friendly remedy.

2) Go Natural. In my research to destroy mold I have found three natural approaches to bleach. Tea tree oil, grapefruit seed extract, and good old vinegar. These natural remedies do a great job killing the spores.

3) Anti-bacterial Primer. If you have some residual mold on a somewhat porous area I have read that encapsulating the area by painting over it with an anti-bacterial primer such as Kilz helps a lot.

4) Call in the pros.  Try a Mold Remediation Specialist for mold that is extra pesky and dangerous. In the Philadelphia area, we like Jason Morris (610-842-0338).

Why it's important. It's not just the potential health risks and general grossness of mold that matters. Buyers and sellers will want to tackle their mold problem quickly! Mold pops up on home inspections all of the time. We have had some appraisers call for the remediation of a moldy baesmement as a condition of the loan. A Mold Certification (when called for by a lender) is what we typically provide and that shows that the mold was permanently dealt with. A professional will come to the property and take samples of the air back to the laboratory for a series of tests to confirm that the area is safe.

For home sellers, I have a special tip for you: In preparing your home for showings, double check your shower curtains and the grout around your bath and shower. Mold on these surfaces make your bathroom smell less than fresh and the ugly appearance really turns prospective buyers off. And if you have a funky basement that has a water leak or has recently been flooded, it behooves you to look into professionally waterproofing the basement. A wet basement is a "deal killer" for many buyers out there!

A home warranty is a one-year contract that offers repair or replacement for the main systems and appliances in a home when they break or in some way fail to function. Some people associate Home Warranties with Buying a Home or Selling a Home. But even current home owners can purchase a 1 Year Home Warranty to protect their investment while they are enjoying living there. Buying and Selling a property is not a prerequisite for purchasing a Home Warranty.

Typically when a system covered by the warranty breaks down, there is a minimal fee for service and repair or replacement is covered. As many homeowners already know, one repair or replacement of an appliance or system can potentially wipe out a good chunk of your hard earned savings in the blink of an eye.

Home warranties vary in price between $300-$500 depending on the coverage plan. The service fee is usually around $100, give or take, and the peace of mind, priceless.

We like American Home Shield, AHS, as a home warranty provider but there are many out there. If this seems like an interesting product to you we suggest you do a little research or contact us.

Home Warranties have been a godsend to so many of our clients and are fantastic negotiating tools to use if you are buying or selling a home.

As usual, we hope this information is valuable to you. Pass it on to a friend!

West Elm, you are so square!

IKEA, you're just not meant for long-term.

Crate and Barrel, you are so predictable.

Restoration Hardware, for the 100th time, I am not Ernest Hemingway.

There is a lot to say about cherishing and nurturing your One True Love in relationships, but falling in love with just one furniture store or one furniture style, that is the definition of uninspired.

So, if you're feeling a little bored with your old IKEA kitchen and your so-yesterday West Elm living room, this tip's for you.  The cure to that worn-out relationship is to spread the love.  Mix it up. Try adding something new and unusual to your current collection of furnishings.

Two of my favorite furniture styles are Bauhaus and Danish Modern. You can take the Euro-Utility style of IKEA and mix in a statement piece from Restoration Hardware to create an unexpected and exciting feel in any room. Or, put a curvy decorative cocktail table next to the straight lines found in either a Bauhaus armchair or a simple design from West Elm.

The sky is the limit but for those that need a few pointers, here are a few of the tips that can help you get started:

1) Choose and or identify the one main style furniture you currently have or want in the room. For example: Some people have mostly antique furniture or mostly furniture from IKEA.

2) The easiest thing to do is to tie most of your furniture styles together by repeating one dominant color. For example, you may have different styles of furniture but they are all in the brown and beige family.

3) Always use the element of contrast to create a focal point or to add interest. That might be contrast in stye, a pop of color , or the use of texture.

Which furniture styles do you like to mix?

You do not need to break ground or break your back to have a beautiful and rewarding city garden. Potted planters make the perfect terrain to fulfill your desires to do some planting this season.. You don't need a degree in horticulture to make it beautiful, either. Here are some tips on what kinds of plants grow easily in the harsh summer climate in Philadelphia.

1. Shrubs and tree species do best in potted gardens and on decks.

2. Bamboo is brilliant because it grows in direct sun and there are non-invasive species that won't overwhelm your space.

3. Mint and lavender have always grown exceptionally well on my deck and there are so many varieties of herbs that will thrive.

4. Cherry tomato plants are a favorite to use as a deck veggie and are easy to pluck, wash, and pop into a salad!

With very little space, you can unearth your green thumb and transform your balcony, deck, window box, or a small patio garden. Your success will be measured not by how big your garden is, but how well it grows! Selecting the right plants is the secret.

What other plants have you used that have grown well in the city?

Related:

Decks & Patios: Creating an Urban Oasis in Philly

Outdoor Furniture for the Ultimate Urban Retreat

Our favorite plant purveyor in Northern Liberties, City Planter, always has a quick solution for brightening up the sometimes-dreary, windowless urban bedroom, that too-small kitchen, or a neglected outdoor space. Trust us, we've seen it all...

Now, City Planter is offering a plant kit that will put some life back into any drab apartment.

The Create-Your-Own Living Wall is basically a giant plant holder with 10 spots for your plants of choice, depending on what look you are going for. Have a color scheme in mind? A location you want to emulate? Need something easy to care for? Book your appointment with City Planter and they'll help you create the perfect living arrangement (ha, ha). They also deliver, in case you were worried about getting it all home.

Today's local Philadelphia Daily Candy deal offers 54% off a wall of your own: $59 (regularly $129)  gets you more green for less green.

Related:

Creating an Urban Oasis? Think Local. Visit City Planter!

[image via City Planter]

I am an Alchemist when it comes to home finishings and home decor. I love to mix metals with gold tones and silver tones. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a designer No-No. In fact, when properly combined, mixing metal finishes can create a unique and eclectic style completely your own.

For example, try using brushed or antique gold toned frames with brushed nickle and silver frames on a wall.

Use throw pillows with a mix of metal ornaments.

Try clustering gold and silver tabletop vases to create a metallic bouquet of sculptural elements. Gold tends to soften a room that feels too stark or cold.

Silver and steel elements in a room can immediately modernize an otherwise old-fashioned looking space.

If your furniture has accents of brass upholstery nails or steel legs, do not feel obligated to be too matchy-matchy. Experiment!

As a self-proclaimed Alchemistress and licensed Realtor, I have been in thousands of homes. And I will warn the novice Alchemist to avoid one major faux pas which will surely create a bad chemical reaction. Never mix standard brass hardware that you find on doors and cabinetry pulls with silver or stainless faucets such as kitchen and bath fixtures. That type of experiment in metals will surely explode in the face of your good intentions when it comes to finishing touches to your home. I find that this is a common mistake made by many well-intentioned developers and it translates terribly to potential buyers.

So go ahead and mix it up! Just keep your hands off of those fixtures.

[image via west elm]

Here is a home remodeling tip that may make many of you traditionalists roll your eyes at me.

Plywood Floors.

That's right. I was just showing a client a property in Fishtown that had finished plywood floors instead of the more expensive alternative, hardwood. I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it looked. It was not the first time I had seen plywood floors as the main flooring material. I had seen painted plywood used in restaurants and artist studios before as well. In fact, The Triangle Theater Building in Old Kensington has one floor that is plywood, painted white, and it really makes a statement without impacting your bank statement, if you know what I mean.

Hey, if you don't like it, that plywood can become your sub floor for when you want to go with the more traditional hardwood or tile.

Plywood Flooring is economical, easy to install, and comes in a variety of veneers. When researching Plywood Flooring I noticed that there was some concern about the thickness and durability of the veneer as well as the amount of time it would take to sand and finish these large planks of wood. Either way, it is a good alternative that in the short term will save you money and create a unique look completely your own. So if you have a low budget, are a do it yourself-er, and are not encumbered by traditional trends, then Why not Try Ply?

[photo of 100K House via Dwell Magazine]