There’s nothing worse than a raging case of buyer’s remorse. It’s one thing to detest the jacket you just bought. It’s another to regret purchasing your house. While buying a home is an excellent investment that pays a lot of dividends in the long-run, daily life can make it harder to see the big picture. Some of the bumps along the road may cause you to feel moments of regret, but they shouldn’t. 

There are moments where you’ll feel blindsided as a homeowner. You feel that if you knew about these problems earlier in life, it could have made these blows easier to deal with. In fact, you can even plan for them, which would severely decrease any feelings of buyer’s regret. Here are five things homeowners wish they knew before they bought or renovated their home. 

Fix the Little Things As They Happen 

A slow leak can cause structural damage, while a clogged gutter can make a hole in the roof. There are little inconveniences that will inevitably pop up in your home. You might feel tempted to deal with these issues “tomorrow.” 

After all, you don’t plan on moving any time soon, so you’re bound to fix this issue. Well, that issue isn’t going anywhere either. Suddenly, it becomes a game of chicken as to what will crack first–the ceiling tiles or your procrastination. 

You Might Not Be Able to Renovate Upon Moving in 

Part of the allure of buying a house is making the place feel like yours. Sure, you can move in and rip up the carpet and paint the walls. However, you might not be allowed to get an addition or upgrade the electrical on day one.

For instance, adding another room onto the side of your house might be a zoning or conservation issue. Plus,installing a new bathroom will require a plumbing permit, just as blowing out the kitchen wall requires its own. 

Furthermore, these permits can only be obtained by the homeowners. It doesn’t matter if you’re closing tomorrow. They will make you wait until tomorrow to start the process. Depending on your situation, approval may take months.

Get to Know Your Neighbors

It’s good to have people you trust that live around you. Even the biggest introverts can benefit from a last minute cat-sitter or someone close who can lend you a lawnmower when yours goes kaput. 

Also, bad neighbors can really impede your quality of life. Try getting a gauge of the people in your neighborhood before moving in. Say “hi” and chat if you see them outside. Drive around at different hours of a day to get a feel for the neighborhood’s vibe. Make an educated decision about your location before settling in. 

Look Out for Problem Trees

Trees are essential and are an excellent spot for your children to read a book. However, these big beauties can become even bigger pains. If your potential house is close to a big tree, Google it. See how aggressive their root systems are. 

Aggressive roots are strong and will expand many feet. In turn, they can pull up piping or damage the structure of the house. Think of a tree that destroys a sidewalk. That can be the slab of your future home’s foundation. 

Plan Renovations 

Your house needs to change as your family continues to evolve. These changes are going to be costly. However, their necessity will be inevitable. So, don’t live in denial. Come up with a plan.

Talk to pros about potential renovations. Get a gauge for how much they will be. Choose one big project every year or two. Save up and see it through. Then, start thinking of your next long-term goal. You’ll be surprised at how productive you can be! 

It’s the Time to Sell in Southern California

Once you’ve decided to sell your home, it can be tricky to figure out exactly when is the best time. There are many factors at play. What season is best? What the economy like? Are there any important personal times that factor in? Is your home ready to sell? 

While it can be tricky to navigate just when is the best time to sell your home, we’d like to share with you some reasons why right now is a great time is to sell in Southern California. 

New Buyers are Entering the Market
Millennials are currently making up the biggest group of homebuyers in 2020, which means that if your home is great for a young couple, young professional, or small family, you could be just what they’re looking for. 

Interest Rates are Low in 2020
Interest rates are expected to remain low this year, meaning that homebuyers will have a great opportunity to secure an affordable mortgage. This will encourage many to become new homeowners or to take the change to move up to a new house. Rates may change drastically as the year goes on and we move into 2021, so buyers are likely to make a purchase earlier in the year. 

2021 Could Mean Trouble
Economists and forecasters have reason to believe that we might head into a recession in late 2020 or 2021. For this reason, many people are considering jumping on selling their house sooner rather than waiting for a potentially tougher climate. 

Spring is in the Air…and the Buyers are Out Hunting
Spring is one of the most popular times of year to sell a house. Moving in spring is typically much easier than the holiday-packed winter or the vacation-packed summer. The weather is great, there is less going on in general, and most buyers are eager to settle in before all the entertaining of the rest of the year begins. 

Should You Sell?

If you have been considering selling your home, you might want to take action now. The real estate climate is good for sellers with encouraging economic forecasts for early 2020 and low bank rates to encourage buyers. With an active selling season coming up, now is the time to prepare your home for a sale and reap the rewards of good planning!

Many people get excited as the fall season, also known as autumn, approaches. Whether it is the kids returning to school and providing some relief to parents during the day, or the impending respite from hot days and stormy nights. There is a myriad of reasons fall is one of the most popular seasons to many people. Here is a list of the five very best things about fall.

 

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The Weather

Autumn boasts some of the most consistent, predictable weather of the year. Winter brings snow and ice, spring brings incessant rain showers, and some often brings strong storms and surprisingly hot temperatures. Fall is more mellow in its weather offerings with gradually cooling temps and less volatile precipitation.

 

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The Food

Summer tends to feature light, cool foods like salad or fruit smoothies. Fall introduces more substantial fair like chicken wings, chili, and cheesy dishes. Not to mention the suddenly wildly popular pumpkin flavored options.

 

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A post shared by Kelly (@homewithkelly) on Oct 21, 2017 at 9:53am PDT

A Fresh Start

Aside from spring, fall is the most popular time to sell homes. Why? Because it is another time of year to do all the tidying and sprucing chores that open houses require. Fall presents an opportunity to trim back summer growth and clean up outside before winter sets in. There is nothing better than a home cleaned up from top to bottom.

 

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The Clothes

The only time of year where you can wear shorts with a cozy sweater? Autumn. Fall presents the opportunity to mix and match your typical outfits to get the most out of your wardrobe. Throwing on jeans and a hooded sweatshirt for the first time of the season is always a cozy feeling.

 

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A post shared by Justin Gillespie (@gillespie.justin) on Sep 27, 2018 at 5:05am PDT

TV Shows

In addition to football, hockey, and basketball all starting, new and renewed TV shows are popping up daily in the fall. With the chilly temps and early darkness, there is ample reason to sit down in front of the TV and indulge.

Autumn tops the list of favorite months for many people. There is an array of reasons, but these are the top five best things about fall.

Want to know how to remove paint from carpet, wood floors, or anything else it’s landed on during your last renovation job? Never fear—painting can be hellishly messy, but there are plenty of ways to clean up any accidents.

The amount of work you’ll need to do depends on a few things, including the kind of paint you used and whether it’s still wet or dry. Here’s what to do in each scenario.

How to remove paint from wood floors, baseboards, and window frames

One of the most common areas where you’ll find yourself having to remove paint is the wood that’s all around your freshly painted walls, from the baseboards to the door trim to the windowsill.

For latex paint: Latex is what’s usually used for walls and ceilings. And you’re in luck if that’s what you’re facing!

“Latex paint cleans very easily,” says Scott Specker, owner of Five Star Painting, in Cumming, GA.

If the paint is still wet, wiping the area with a wet paper towel should be sufficient. If the paint has dried, grab a credit card from your wallet and scrape along the drip.

“The paint will lift up,” Specker says.

For oil-based paint: If you used an oil-based paint—sometimes used for smaller areas such as the trim or baseboards because it’s more durable than latex—you’ll need to dig into your cleaning supplies for paint thinner or mineral spirits (both are available at home improvement stores). This type of solvent is usually used to remove grease from tools.

Whether the oil paint is wet or dry, “simply use a rag with a small amount of thinner applied and wipe up the splattered paint,” Specker says.

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How to remove paint from glass

Although many surfaces can (and should) be covered before a paint job, most homeowners tape off only the edges of their windows, allowing the outside light inside to help make it easier to see what they’re doing. As such, windows often end up with a few drops of paint during a DIY job. But luckily glass is not porous, so removing paint from it is fairly easy.

For both latex and oil-based paints: If the paint is wet, grab a dry or slightly damp paper towel and rub. This should pick up the paint with little effort. If the paint is dry, gently run a flat-edge paint scraper or razor blade across the paint drops, says Sheldon Gasek of the Best Handyman, in Milwaukee.

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How to remove paint from brick, concrete, or other stone

If some of your paint dripped on your brick fireplace or similar stone, be prepared to put a little elbow grease into the process. Unless they’ve been pretreated (as some stone countertops are), stone surfaces are porous, and paint tends to soak in if it isn’t cleaned up quickly.

For latex paint: “A product like Goof Off is great for removing dried latex paint from concrete, brick, and stone,” Gasek says. Goof Off is a commercial solvent, and products like it on the market can pull up not just paint but also gum and other adhesives.

Pour or dab the solvent on your paint drops, and let it soak in for a few minutes. Using a paper towel or old rag, rub at the spot. If all of the paint doesn’t lift off immediately, repeat as needed.

If the paint isn’t coming up after two or three treatments, Gasek say’s it’s time to grab a wire brush to help the Goof Off get into the uneven surface. Add more solvent to the surface, and put a little work into scrubbing.

For oil-based paint: Like oil-based paint on wood, an oil-based spill on stone will require you to use a paint thinner or mineral oil. Using an old rag, apply the paint thinner or mineral oil to the spill. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before scrubbing with the rag. Again, a steel brush or scraper is useful to finish the cleanup.

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How to remove paint from carpet, furniture, and other fabric

If the paint has settled into carpet or fabric furniture, things get a bit trickier. But all is not lost!

For both latex and oil-based paint: If the paint is wet, Merry Maids’ home cleaning expert Debra Johnson suggests pulling it up from the carpet or other fabric with a paper towel, then gently blotting the excess with a damp microfiber cloth.

If the paint is dry, Johnson suggests mixing a solution of hot water and a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent. Use a microfiber cloth to apply the solution to the drip on the carpet, then allow the mixture to sit for several minutes. Once the paint softens, follow the same procedure you would use for wet paint: Scrape or pull with a dry paper towel. If you have got some glycerin on hand, pouring a few drops on the towel, which may help loosen the paint as well.

Article Originally Appeared on Realtor.com

Chances are good that one of your resolutions this year (along with “dry January” and nudging down that pesky body mass index) is to organize your home. Because which of us doesn’t constantly feel as if we’re drowning in clutter?

But first, you need a place to put it all. Before you run out to the store to stock up on specialized bins and storage racks, take heed: It doesn’t have to cost a small fortune to store your stuff in style. Instead, you can grab everyday household items that you need to purge anyway and instead use them to keep your things in order.

So without further ado, we present to you eight DIY storage solutions that cost pennies on the dollar.

1. Plastic shoe holders

Banish the mess under your bathroom sink by hanging a plain ol’ plastic shoe holder over the back of your door. Once you’ve sorted out the products and devices you use most often, store them one per pocket.

“These holders start at $5 at Walmart and can easily hold gardening tools and cleaning supplies, too,” points out Carson Yarbrough, savings expert at Offers.com.

Another pro tip? Use a shoe holder inside your coat closet for corralling hats, mittens, gloves, and the dog’s leash. They look fine and work well: What’s not to love?

2. Empty candleholders and baby food jars

This sweet idea takes advantage of all those little votive candle holders and tiny baby food jars rolling around in the bottom kitchen drawer.

Darla DeMorrow, the home organizing pro behind HeartWork Organizing, put these pretty filigree cut metal cups in her medicine cabinet to hold makeup brushes, bandages, and cotton swabs.

Move on to the garage or your kids’ room to organize tiny items in baby food jars, says Marty Basher, an organizing expert at Modular Closets.

“Store screws, nails, buttons, stickers, and all of those google eyeballs the kids use in craft projects,” she suggests.

3. Wine racks

So you’ve upgraded from a wine rack to a wine fridge? Use your old rack to tuck away small purses and clutches, suggests Julie Coraccio, the organizing guru at Reawaken Your Brilliance.

Don’t stop there, though. You can use wine racks for stylish storage in nearly every part of your home: In the bathroom, store rolled-up towels in a wine rack for a beautiful display. In the kitchen, use a wine rack to store all those water bottles and thermoses piled in your cupboards. And in the bedroom, you can even use a large wine rack for shoe storage. (Extra credit: Organize and preserve high boots by cutting up old polyethylene foam pool noodles to insert into the boots; it’ll help them stay upright and keep their shape.)

4. Empty marinara sauce and peanut butter jars

There’s no need to spring for a specialized set of glass jars for your beans and pasta. Instead, hit your recycling bin for marinara sauce and peanut butter jars, and set up your pantry for greatness.

“Wide-mouth jars can also hold spoons, spatulas, zesters, tongs, and whisks very neatly on your counters,” reports Cynthia O’Hara, aka The Harried Housewife.

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For most Americans, their home is their most important financial asset. But in the past, homeowners only knew how much it was worth when they bought or sold their home. Zillow was founded to democratize this sort of information — starting with the Zestimate, Zillow’s estimated market valuation tool.

To understand how much your home is worth, it’s important to understand the variety of factors that go into assessing the value, both existing (assessed and appraised) value, as well as potential real value on the market. The Zestimate is Zillow’s tool for extrapolating real market value of your home based on existing home-related data and actual sales prices in your area.

Thousands of data points correlate with home values and sale prices — some of which are obvious (like the condition of the home), and some that aren’t so obvious.

Here are several surprising things that can affect either the existing value of your home or the price someone is willing to pay for it, all based on data.

1. How close you are to a Starbucks

How far do you have to drive to get a Frappuccino? If the answer is “not that far,” you’re in luck.

A 2015 Zillow report found that, between 1997 and 2014, homes within a quarter-mile of a Starbucks increased in value by 96 percent, on average, compared with 65 percent for all U.S. homes, based on a comparison of Zillow Home Value Indexdata with a database of Starbucks locations.

To evaluate if this effect is isolated to Starbucks, or if it extends to other caffeine purveyors, the research team also looked at another coffee hot spot (one with particular pull on the East Coast): Dunkin’ Donuts.

The analysis of that data showed that homes near Dunkin’ Donuts locations appreciated 80 percent, on average, during the same 17-year period — not quite as high as homes near a Starbucks, but still significantly above the 65 percent increase in value for all U.S. homes.

2. Blue kitchens and blue bathrooms

Beyond America’s obsession with lawns and all-around “curb appeal,” what’s inside your house counts a lot, too — especially the colors you’ve painted the rooms (particularly the kitchen).

According to Zillow’s 2017 Paint Color Analysis, which examined more than 32,000 photos from sold homes around the country, homes with blue kitchens sold for a $1,809 premium, compared to similar homes with white kitchens.

Blue is also a popular bathroom shade. The same analysis found that homes with light pale blue to soft periwinkle blue bathrooms sold for a whopping $5,440 more.

Walls painted in cool neutrals like blue or gray can be signals that the home is well cared for or has other desirable features.

3. Trendy features

Joanna Gaines’ aesthetic is permeating more than just your YouTube search history. Zillow listings mentioning some of the shiplap queen’s favorite features — keywords like “barn door” and “farmhouse sink” — sell faster and for a premium, according to a 2016 Zillow analysis of descriptions of more than 2 million homes sold nationwide.

Listings with “barn door” in the description sold for 13.4 percent more than expected, and 57 days faster than comparable homes without the keyword.

Meanwhile, listings touting “farmhouse sink” led to a nearly 8-percent sales premium. This “barn door” effect doesn’t seem to increase the value of the home off the market, but is seemingly due to the popularity of this style at the time of the analysis. Sellers can use the listing descriptions to highlight trendy details and features that might not be noticeable in the photos.

(Article originally appeared on Zillow)