Are You Keeping Up? Home Systems and Routine Maintenance

Being a new-home owner or first-time buyer can feel a little overwhelming at times. Especially when you think about some of the maintenance, you’re in charge of now. To keep your new home running smoothly, you will need to know when to have certain systems serviced. Things like plumbing, heating and cooling, and other systems may need routine check-ups and maintenance.   Heating and Cooling or HVAC No matter what time of year it is, you want the temperatures in your home to maintain a comfortable level. This means it’s important to keep your HVAC system up to date. If you have one system for the whole house, you would be wise to have it checked out twice a year before the temperatures change. It’s also a good idea to change out the filters regularly which you can do yourself. If you do these things, it’s much less likely that emergency repairs will pop up and the system will run better.   Septic System If you have purchased an older home, or in an area where public sewer isn’t available you are probably on a septic tank. So instead of wastewater leaving the house through the town’s sewer system, it goes through the septic. It’s advisable to have the septic serviced once every other year to ensure there isn’t any back up. The previous owner should have kept a record of when it was last serviced.   Plumbing Issues First, being a homeowner means you need to know where the main shut of valve for the water coming into your house is. This will save you a lot of headaches should an emergency arise. Second, the big difference between one leaky faucet and all the drains in the house draining slowly is the faucet would be a localized problem only effecting one place, but multiple drains failing to work would be systemic. Although the leaky faucet needs to be repaired to avoid wasting water, something effecting the whole house will more than likely require you to get a professional involved. If drains aren’t working properly, it could be a block in the main sewer line, or something else entirely.    Electrical Needs Your home is powered though an intricate electrical system controlled by an electrical panel located in the house. When circuits trip, you would need to reset the breaker. If you notice a specific circuit has problems, you will want to have it checked out by an electrician. It’s possible the circuit is overloaded.     Being a homeowner for the first time is exciting, despite some of the new responsibilities it brings. But taking care of your property becomes much easier when you take the time to understand your home systems. So, if you want to avoid emergency repairs, keep up with a good maintenance routine to help your systems run more efficiently. And if there is ever something you don’t understand, call a professional. We at the Endsley Team have a list of professionals we work with regularly. Contact us today and we would be happy to share that list with you!  

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Before You Sell - Check Out These Six Essential Home Fixes

  When finding yourself in a buyer’s market (more properties available than there are buyers for them) it’s important to set yourself apart from the pool of options. We are going to discuss six home fixes we think are essential to preparing your house to sell. 1: Lucious LandscapingCurb appeal is where it starts, isn’t it? When people drive by your home and see the for-sale sign in the yard, what’s the first thing they are going to notice? Your curb appeal! Having the right landscaping makes a great first impression. Replace that missing mulch or relevel those pavers. If you have any dead plants, get rid of them! Trim away anything hanging over walkways or blocking views. Attract the eye with blooming flowers that compliment, not distract. 2: Exterior RefreshTake a walk around the outside of your house. Do you notice any faded, cracked, or peeling paint? Make add a fresh coat. Are there any broken or missing pieces of siding? It’s time to replace it. Cracked stucco? Get it repaired. Missing or ripped window screens? Replace any that are missing or damaged or remove them all. Is there any wood rot around the window or door frames? You may need to seek a professional to fix those items, however the value added to your home will be worth it. 3: Lighting Glow-UpWhen doing walk-throughs, buyers tend to favor homes with bright and cheerful light. Before your home goes on the market consider updating the interior lighting. Some simple ways to do this are just replacing old bulbs and cleaning domes or coverings thoroughly. Do you have a fixture that is especially dated? It might be time to replace it with something simpler and more complementary of the room. Something else that’s easy is replacing the switch and outlet covers. 4: Kitchen RejuvenationIt’s true that complete kitchen remodels aren’t always in the budget for home seller so instead, why not try to spruce it up a little with these cost-effective fixes: Fresh wall paint Replace dated backsplash with subway or mosaic tiles Refinish the cabinets (this is usually cheaper than replacing them) Clean up or update cracked or stained countertops Another easy update for cabinets (if they are already in good shape) is to replace the hardware. You can get a whole new look with fresh hinges and handles. 5: Beautify the BathroomsAlthough we highly recommend deep cleaning the entire house before putting it on the market, the bathroom is essential. Try using a steamer to clean the tiles, regrout bare spots, replace the shower curtain and any missing or broken towel holders, these are easy fixes, but they can make all the difference. 6: Freshen FlooringIf you have old, worn carpeting you might want to consider some of the low-cost options for updating the floors. With so many options, it could be worth the time and energy to replace the carpet. If you live in an older house then who knows, you might find hardwood underneath that carpet, just waiting to be revived. Restoring original hard wood floors could add more value to the home.   We know that everyone’s circumstances are different, and all these fixes may not fit into everyone’s budget. So how do you pick which ones are most important? Ones that will help sell YOUR house? Contact us at the Endsley Team today and one of our team members would be happy to discuss with you how you can get the most out of selling your home. Not ready to sell right now? No problem, just bookmark this page and reach out to us when you are!  

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Embrace Your Radiance! - Self Care Along the Emerald Coast

  As we enter into the new year, many people are thinking of ways to make it better than the one before from making more conscious financial choices to being the best versions of themselves. We know we usually talk about how to help people with their real estate needs and how to navigate the beautiful area we live in, but this time we are going to talk about “Self Care”. Many are making resolutions to eat better, move more, and just in general take better care of themselves. But where do you start? Although having a more balanced diet and adding a little more exercise to your routine are great ways to feel better, why stop there? Self Care comes in many forms and along the emerald coast we have plenty of options. Check out some of the great Self Care choices the emerald coast has to offer! Gyms: Aside from eating better, Gyms and Fitness Centers are typically one’s first thought when it comes to self care and health. For those of you who are looking for a more traditional gym experience there are places like Grand Fitness who offer state of the art gym equipment, fitness classes, personal trainers, and even nutritionists.Are you looking for something more personal? Why not try SKLPTD Personal Training Studio where you can get one-on-one, step-by-step help for your fitness needs.Maybe you need something challenging to be your motivation, check out Orangetheory where you receive personalized fitness in a group setting.Looking for some finesse in your fitness? Pure Barre and Santa Rosa Beach Aerial Arts trades in your traditional fitness programs for something a little more exciting! See the full list of Gyms and Fitness Centers below. Grand Fitness Warrior Fitness Orangetheory Fitness Grayton Beach Fitness Pure Barre SKLPTD Personal Training Studio Santa Rosa Beach Aerial Arts   Spas: After working on your fitness, you may need to do a little healing. Check out some of the amazing spas we have around the area. Vivo Spa on 30A offers a wide range of specialized massages and facials as well as in home services. At Serenity by the Sea enjoy spa and salon services such as massage, facial, hair care, and more! Vivo Spa  Rob + Katie Truax Chiropractic and Functional Wellness Serenity By the Sea Emerald Sanctuary Day Spa Thai Massage by Bee Surfside Spa GLOW Medspa of 30A   Salons: You’ve worked on your fitness, you’ve done your internal healing, what about your look? Need a refresh? Maybe a change up? Check out one of the many salons along the emerald coast and really pamper yourself! Rogue & Pure Co prides itself on using natural and organic products rather than the harsh chemicals the majority of salons use. Lee’s Spa & Nails delivers high quality services in a relaxing and welcoming environment.Rogue & Pure Co. Venus Nails Spa & Eyelash Lee’s Spa & Nails Savannah Rae Beauty Avantgarde Salon     Alternative Self Care: Ok so we have gone over all the mainstream ways you can practice self care but what about some alternative ways? Have you ever tried Goat Yoga? Or a Sweat Session? Since these options are on a more limited and seasonal basis, our list is small however there are lots of pop-up locations that offer these types of alternative options to self care. Places like Palm Folly Hard Seltzer will offer Goat Yoga Sessions as well as Tribe Kelley Surf Post and Alaqua Animal Refuge. Sweat Sessions at Tribe Kelley  Kindness Kollective by Alaqua Animal Refuge – Embrace the healing power of animals 

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