Tom Crimmins Realty Blog - home improvement

Put An End To Pests Without Using Harsh Chemicals

As the weather starts to turn a little colder and your yard goes into hibernation, the pests that used to live outdoors will want to take up residence in your warm, cozy home. Getting bugs out of your home is not only a headache, but also means that you’ll be spraying a variety of chemicals throughout your home.

Pesticides Can Be As Bad As Pests

Conventional pesticides usually get the job done, but they have been shown to negatively affect people and their pets. Children are especially sensitive to the chemicals as their organs, nervous and immune systems are still developing. Moral of the story, the fewer harsh chemicals you use, the better for your health.

Most Professionals Have Natural Options

Many professional pest control companies have…

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Give Your Home An Instant Facelift: Wallpaper Is Back

Get out the soaking bucket and scraping tool, wallpaper is coming back into style. Wallpaper is going to help you accomplish a fashionable living space faster and easier than you could have imagined. It's time to get with the trends, and give your home a quick and easy facelift!

A World Of Design With Wallpaper

With many patterns and styles available, suddenly your home's imperfections can easily be hidden. You can give the small room in your home a facelift with a wallpaper pattern with vertical stripes, instantly making the room feel larger. Or you can suddenly have the accent wall you've always dreamed of but have been to afraid to commit to, creating a focal point behind the bed in your master bedroom, or behind the sofa in the living room. Or…

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The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist

While most homeowners are vigilant about regularly wiping down surfaces, disinfecting bathrooms, dusting furniture and mopping floors, there are many nooks and crannies that don’t receive as much attention. That’s why April is the perfect month to do an annual overhaul on your home.

Below is a spring cleaning checklist to help you knock it out:

Living Room

• Wash curtains and throw pillows.
• Take rugs outside and beat them.
• Vacuum and spot clean sofas.
• Dust lampshades.
• Wipe down the television and all other electronics. 

Kitchen

• Organize and clean cabinets.
• Sort pantry and discard items past their due date
• Go through your refrigerator. Take everything out, wipe down shelves and throw out anything that has expired.
…

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The Three R’s Of Fixing Historic Homes For Sale

It is not a foreign fact that Staten Island has numerous homes that have historic background. These homes may also seem like a good opportunity for a fixer-upper. Before you do, you need to learn the three R’s of fixing up historic homes and their differences.

The three R’s are restoration, renovation and repair.  Some of the differences are minor, but they can make all the difference in cost, time and problems.

Restoration

“Restoration” literally means returning something to its original state. 

Restoring historic homes on Staten Island that are for sale may involve city and state programs.  It’s essential that you check to see if the home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or if it’s located in a historic district. …

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7 Steps To Finish Your Basement In Style

Not only do fall weekends leave you with a little more indoor time, which means it’s time to get ready for colder weather. So put some extra love into your home by creating a cozy hideaway that your family can retreat to once it becomes too chilly, or rent it out to a potential buyer.

Whether your lowest level needs a facelift or is completely unfinished, now is the perfect time to make a game plan and get started on remodeling your basement.

Step 1 – Obtain A Permit

Before you can just slap up insulation and drywall, you need to make sure your basement is even fit to dwell in. Check with your city to ensure there aren’t any permits you need to obtain and that the space is up to code. If you don’t do it right, then this update could haunt you…

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Home Renovations That Pay Off

Every homeowner is constantly thinking of improvements they would like to make to their home. These renovations will make your living space a little more lovable for you and will appeal to future buyers if you’re thinking of selling in the near future.

A Fireplace

Whether you have one or none, adding another fireplace to your home will only increase its coziness quotient. If you live in a warmer climate area, consider an outdoor hearth to extend your living space outside on cool evenings. Make sure your insulation is up to date too! You want to make sure all the warm air that your fireplace is making stays in your house.

Big Ideas for Small Baths

This upgrade will require a little bit of saving, but the price tag is worth investment. Replacing…

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How to Remove Pests Forever With These 4 Simple Tips

Ants and gnats are annoying and a hassle to get rid of in homes; but before you start using harsh chemicals to finish the job, here are a few alternative methods for eliminating those pests.

Exclusion

The best pest control is exclusion. That means sealing all nooks and crannies in your home where insects and other pests may enter.

Another way to block bugs from entering your home is a screen mesh.  If you don’t have them installed in your windows or doors, consider adding them.  The installation is easy and quick; it is also easy to change mesh screens to glass later on in the cold seasons.

Reduce Moisture

Wet and damp environments around your home attract many insects; this explains why ants find their way into your homes when it rains. So…

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Benefits of Going Green

All homes have a lifespan so there is a clear desire to live in a home with renewable energy systems. As advancements in renewable energy systems increase, prices are decreasing which makes it a smart move to invest! 

Go Green!

"Going green" does not only mean turning off the lights when no one's in the room or installing solar panels all over the yard. There is more to becoming eco-friendly.

Green homes are clean homes. Having air filtration and central vac systems will contain two-thirds of dust in homes. You can avoid dirt and dust particles from building up in your home through easy-to-clean surfaces.

Creating a smaller carbon footprint will make a less impact in your wallet long-term. In addition, a few more benefits are: lower…

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