SPRING PROJECTS FOR YOUR HOME

Warmer weather and sunnier days are on their way and many homeowners are itching to begin home improvement projects. If you are one of them, consider these areas of your home when prepping for spring.

Windows and Doors
From a full window replacement to a simple coat of paint, updating your windows and doors can have a big impact on your home.

If your windows felt drafty this winter, it may be time for replacements. Replace your old single-pane windows with energy-efficient double-pane windows. Double-pane windows can help you save on heating and cooling bills. They also help keep the temperature in your home consistent year-round and help protect your furniture, carpet and window treatments from the sun's fading rays.

Need to bring some fresh color into your home but don't want to paint? Try updating your blinds or shades. From different styles to colorful fabrics, blinds and shades can add a pop of color to your room.

Your front door is a major focal point of your home, enhancing your home's curb appeal. Make a bold statement and improve your home's energy efficiency with a new ENERGY STAR-certified front door. Consider options with decorative glass accents and sidelights to add more natural light while maintaining a sense of style and privacy.

Looking for something even easier? A new coat of paint to your existing door is a quick and easy way to give your home a fresh, new look.

Gutters and Downspouts
Excess water near your foundation can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Luckily gutter cleaning and downspout repair is fairly low-cost.

Clean your gutters and remove any debris that may keep spring rains from flowing freely through your downspouts.

Along with replacing damaged gutter or downspout sections, you'll also want to make sure you have added downspout extenders to ensure water is draining far away from your home's foundation. Extenders should reach at least five feet into your yard.

Gutter covers can also be added to minimize debris from gathering in gutters throughout the year.

Air Conditioning
Spring is a great time to start getting your cooling system ready. Often you have to call in the pros for air conditioning work, but things like spraying off any overgrowth or debris, cleaning coils and changing filters are fixes you can easily do on your own. Also, trim back any shrubs that are nearby. Keeping the outdoor unit clean from debris will boost your A/C system's efficiency.

You can keep part of your indoor duct work clean by removing register covers and wiping clean any of the visible parts. You'll need to contact a professional for a full duct cleaning.

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IS REMODELING YOUR HOME WORTH THE COST?

Home remodeling projects can come up for many different reasons. Your spouse got a new job and could use a home office. Your kitchen hasn’t been updated since 1973. You’ve heard if the right homebuyer were to come along, a hot tub could equal bonus bucks in your pocket.

When considering a remodeling project, how do you decide what will make your life better while possibly adding to your home’s resale value?

Ask These Questions for Your Home Makeover

Understanding your intentions for your house can go a long way toward shaping your remodeling plans. These are some questions to consider:

• How long do you plan to live in your current home?
• Will you get to enjoy the results of your remodeling project?
• Will the remodel meet an immediate but temporary need? Or be an investment in your lifestyle?
• How old are you? What kind of income do you anticipate in the years ahead?
• If you are close to retirement, is now the time to invest in home improvements?
• How much chaos can you live with during the renovation process?
• Does your house—the floor plan, the garden, the bathrooms, everything—work for you?
• Will your home need a lot of updates? Will there be simple ways to update things like energy usage?

Remodeling and the Bottom Line

Can you get your money back when you sell?

The truth is you likely won’t get back the full amount. But there are moves you can make to ensure you invest smartly:

• Hire an appraiser to find out how much your home is currently worth.
• Research other nearby renovation projects and how those homes sold after project completion.
• Design around your home’s architecture and character. Vinyl siding on a Queen Anne Victorian house will reduce its value. A three-season porch too hot to use in a Texas summer might not help the bottom line.
• Consider your time frame. If you’re only going to stay in your home another year or two, it’s probably not worth living with months of construction headaches.

Home Improvement Projects Worth Your Money

If you want to maximize your remodel for resale,  think exterior: safer doors, better windows, or easy-care siding. Data from the latest remodeling reports shows those types of projects can recoup more than 80% of the investment. Extra bedrooms and updated master bedrooms sell well, too.

Your high-end kitchen update with custom cabinetry may not sell itself, but it will help if your current kitchen could double for your grandmother’s old set-up. An extra bathroom, especially if your house only has one, can be a solid choice over the long term—or finishing the attic. Smart homebuyers will appreciate any moves you make to reduce utility usage, such as energy-efficient window casings or new water heaters.

Some values depend on geography. A home office is not something every buyer would use, so it could recover less of the funds you invest, unless you live in an area with high real estate costs and plentiful telecommunication options. Pools are all about your pleasure, not the selling price—many buyers don’t want the headache of caring for one. But in some communities a pool may feel almost standard.

Why Remodel?

Your home is your castle. You deserve to enjoy it. If a remodel makes your home more livable and serves the changing needs of your family—more bedrooms, more bathrooms, or a more functional kitchen—it will be a big win if you can also recover at least some of the cost.

Depending on your real estate market, your finances, the schools you want for your kids, it might be smarter for your current needs to remodel rather than trying to sell and buy anew.

THE 5 MINDSETS OF A CHAMPION

You can become a champion in whatever you like whether it be washing the dishes or mastering a new skill. One of the hardest things to win over is your mind, at the end of the day achieving anything usually comes from a strong mental outlook and enthusiasm for what your doing……

1- Stay Present In What Your Doing

The Power of Now!  I am putting this at number one as to me its the most important and the hardest to master. When you are present and fully engaged in what you are doing nothing can get in your way, there is no room for fear, anxiety, or other negative emotions to stop you doing what your doing to your full potential.

You can stay present whatever your doing in life, you just need to realize and acknowledge when your thinking goes out of hand and drags you into the past or future. It can seem very hard at first but eventually it becomes easier and even second nature. 

2- No Regrets Mindset

Look at your past but DON"T STARE!

You can’t changed what’s happened and truth be told whatever you have done or made a decision about was the best you could have made at that given time. If you live with this mindset your life will become far easier and less stressful….

Too many people are tied up with regrets and have their minds stuck in the past and things they may have done wrong. These don’t have to be big things they can be as small and trivial as picking the wrong piece of fruit while grocery shopping, you would be surprised how much these things play on people’s minds.Always tell yourself that whatever you did was the right decision it will save a load of mental clutter and allow you to stay in the moment.

Get into the mindset that you can’t lose with any decision you make, regardless of the outcome!

3- Having a Beginners Mind

This one does not mean dumbing down. Many smart people maintain a beginners' mind in whatever they do. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.

Having a beginners mind will allow you to learn new stuff and do things without thinking too much about them, which is key not only to be the best at what you do, but to do whatever you want well!

Sometimes we just need to admit and say “I Don’t Know” this will not only crush your ego which always wants to know best but it will leave you with an open mind which is ready to learn, adapt and evolve.

Living with “I know” is a tremendous handicap that keeps us out of the present, and living in the past. It doesn’t allow us anything new, no surprises, no insights, no discoveries. It doesn’t allow us to unlock and understand any of the mysteries of the present moment, and it keeps us frozen in the judgments of the past.

4- Knowing What You Want

This can be for anything, in order to achieve something you need to know you what you want. For instance if you want to lose weight try and have a mental picture of how you will look once you have achieved your ideal weight or gain some muscle. Try and consider these 3 factors when figuring out what you want

• What do you want to achieve?
• What, When, Where, Who and How?
• What will you see, hear and feel when you’ve achieved your outcome?

If you lay out plans with a certain template like the one above it will allow you to envision exactly what you want making it far more achievable and putting things in perspective.

5- Not Being Dragged Down

People who are good at what they do or even just happy with life, don’t let the small stuff (or small people!) drag them down. If you let what others thing, say or do affect how you feel and act negatively then things have got to change. Remember we cannot change others and need to accept people as they are in order to live a constructive and purposeful life. Truth is there will always be people trying to drag you down.

The same goes for your mental outlook on life, don’t let the chatter box in your head talk you into negative thoughts as soon as you hear them coming, face them realise they are not you but your negative internal dialogue and let the slip or flow like a pebble passing a stream.

The earlier you catch a negative train of thought and reject it the easier life becomes as once they set in and feed on your negative emotions they can be hard to shake.

Don't let other people take up residence in your mind! And don't allow yourself to stay in 'park' when you are there!

Applying The Knowledge

These 5 mindsets can be set towards anything and should be veichles to carry you through all of life’s obstacles. They can also be more specific you could apply them to;

• Getting in Shape
• Suceeding in Your Career
• Starting Your Own Business or changing Careers
• Socializing
• Starting New Relationships
• And Ultimately ...... Finding Peace in Your Mind

“Whatever you hold in your mind will tend to occur in your life. If you continue to believe as you have always believed, you will continue to act as you have always acted. If you continue to act as you have always acted, you will continue to get what you have always gotten. If you want different results in your life or your work, all you have to do is change your mind.” - Anonymous

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