Great time to buy a home in Charleston, SC.

ANOTHER REASON TO BUY A HOME: RIDICULOUS RENTS!

Written by Jaymi Naciri on Wednesday, 14 October 2015 12:04 pmIf the fact that mortgage rates are still insanely low - dropping again last week - and new loans can make down payments as low as three percent for first-time homebuyers still aren't enough to get you into the real estate market, here's perhaps the most compelling reason of all to buy a house: rents are ridiculous and only getting more so everyday.

A recent article from Yahoo shows that "American renters spend an average of about 30% of their monthly incomes on rent... but throughout the country, many people spend much more than that. That's a decent indication of a rent affordability problem in the U.S., given that housing experts consider consumers to be ‘rent-burdened' if they pay more than 30% of their income for housing."

This comes on the heels of other reports that show that, "On average, it's 35% cheaper to buy than to rent, up from 33% last year. In some areas, particularly in the south, it's over 50% cheaper to buy."

But back to that sobering Yahoo stuff. "Housing researchers project that renters will grow at a faster rate than homeowners throughout the next decade, so even if wages and rent prices grow at the same pace, millions more Americans will be rent-burdened by 2025," they said. "In a new report, Urban Institute researchers estimate there will be 6.5 million new renters by 2025. If rent and incomes each grew 2% annually over this time period (as the Harvard research assumes), Urban Institute estimates there will be 2.2 million more rent-burdened consumers."

Their data "estimates 31% of renters will be severely rent-burdened by 2025, up from 28% in 2015 - that's an additional 4 million people putting more than 30% of their incomes toward rent. Many personal finance experts recommend you spend no more than 25% of your income on rent, but if demand continues to rise faster than wages, that will be increasingly difficult."

Forbes

If you're currently renting, and especially if you've been doing so for a long time, and super especially if you really, really want to stop renting and buy something, you can probably already rattle off a few dozen reasons why it stinks to rent. But in case you need a refresher, or just want to add more fodder to your list, we've got a few reasons of our own:

Every time your rent rises, it impacts your ability to save, pushing homeownership further and further away.

Pride of ownership - it's a real thing.

Who writes checks anymore, anyway?

Your rent is making someone else rich. Bloomberg reports that you can profit by hundreds of dollars per month by renting your home depending on where it's located. That's great if you're the owner. Not so much if you're the one padding the owner's bank account.

You have to live with finishes that don't meet your expectations.

Black Daisies

You're not building any equity by paying rent. If the rental rises in value, you won't be the one to benefit. And, in fact, you'll probably end up paying more for the privilege of living there.

Your house payment can't go up like your rent can.

You're at the mercy of your landlord, who can (and will!) decide when you should pay more.

You need permission to change the paint colors.

You can't make changes to a crappy floorplan.

No place to put stuff. If you're in an apartment, the storage situation is probably bleak.

Commercial Laundries

But not as bleak as having to share laundry facilities with your neighbors

Mail that never seems to end up in your slot

You have to live with the galloping dog above you.

Or the galloping kids beside you.

Or the thump-thump-thump of the rap music aficionado downstairs.

No tax write-off and nothing to show for your money.

Parking Is Horrible. If your options don't include reserved parking and spots on the street are limited, you know just how bad it can be. But did you know that parking actually makes apartments more expensive? Buzzfeed tells us why.

Buffalo News

Having to wait - and wait and wait - for repairs to be done.

No pets! If you find a rental that allows your dog, you can count on paying a substantial deposit. And certain kinds of dogs may not be allowed regardless of how much you're willing to pay
.

Michelle Mustain

Charleston Real Estate & Property Management

843-338-4898

Home Improvements that add value to your property

by Shannon O'Brien on March 1, 2012




Most appraisers have stories of homeowners irate over the fact that the special remodeling job they performed added zero value to their home. The imported Italian tile you used in your entryway or the pool in the backyard may be of immense value to you while you live in the home, but unfortunately they aren’t items that buyers shopping in your neighborhood value.

To get the most bang for your home improvement buck, consider these 10 best home improvements:

1. Indoor Systems

Before you consider cosmetic and even functional improvements (such as adding additional square footage) to the home, make all needed upgrades, repairs or replacements to the home’s major systems. Major systems include plumbing, heating, electrical and sewer systems, among others.

Buyers want assurance that these basic items are in working order and won’t need to be replaced or repaired in the near future, an issue that will most likely be addressed in the home inspection. Older homes may require updated wiring and plumbing. An old roof should be replaced. Address problems with heating and air-conditioning units.

Looking for more information on major systems? Check outthis Yahoo! article about the effect of improving major systems on home buyer interest.

2. Outdoor Replacement Projects

Replacement projects will give you more added value than remodeling projects, according to Remodeling Magazine. Fortunately for homeowners, these types of projects are also the least expensive and add to the home’s curb appeal. Consider replacing the garage door, siding, the front door and windows. The average return on investment for these projects is almost 72 percent.

The ROI on replacing garage doors, siding, front doors and windows is almost 72%!

The magazine suggests fiber-cement or foam-backed vinyl siding, adding a steel entry door, and vinyl window replacement.

3. Attic Bedroom

The number one home improvement project as far as recouping a return on your investment is the addition of an attic bedroom, according to Remodeling Magazine. At a nationwide average cost of a little over $50,000, expect to recoup 72.5 percent of the cost of adding the attic bedroom when you sell the home.

4. Add an Additional Bathroom

Over the past few decades, the kitchen was the average homebuyer’s focal point when choosing a home. In 2011 bathrooms became more important to buyers than kitchens. That said, anadditional bathroom, even a half bathroom, adds significant value to your home, according to the experts at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

A half bath may add up to 10.5 percent to a home’s value, while a full bath can tack on an additional 20 percent. Of course, the amount of additional value you will receive varies according to the home’s other features.

In 2011 bathrooms became more important to home buyers than kitchens.

The price of adding another bathroom to the house varies as well, depending on region. If you live on the West Coast, plan on paying almost $50,000 for a new bathroom, according to Remodeling Magazine. The magazine also states that, at the sale of the home, you’ll recoup almost 67 percent of the cost of the additional bedroom. East Coasters can plan on spending a bit less – around $41,000, but will recoup less as well – 47.7 percent of the cost.

Tip: If you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford a bathroom addition, give the existing bathrooms a facelift. A fresh coat of paint, new fixtures and new flooring will add value and make the home show better.

5. Kitchen Improvements

Kitchens tend to be the heart of a family home so anything you do to improve your kitchen will add value. Again, painting the kitchen should be the first step, whether you plan an entire remodel of the room or just a minor facelift. Vinyl flooring tends to make the room look dated, so consider replacing it with laminate or tile. New cabinetry, kitchen sink fixtures and updated lighting will all add value.

Tip: Folks on a budget can still increase value by sanding and then painting or staining cabinetry and adding new hardware and by purchasing new (matching) appliances and new countertops.

6. Boost Curb Appeal

When a TV show can be built around this one subject, it’s a pretty good indication of its importance. Curb appeal is what beckons potential buyers into your home and underestimating its importance to the value of a home is a big mistake many homeowners make.

If you have a healthy budget, and your landscaping needs extensive work, consider hiring professionals for this home improvement project. A landscape architect can be pricey but necessary if your yard is in desperate need of an overhaul. According to Jeff Mitchell with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), curb appeal shouldn’t stop at the front yard, but should be extended to the backyard as well.

At the very least, clean the yard of any debris, trim trees and shrubs and spread fresh mulch in the planting beds. A poorly maintained front yard can result in up to a 10 percent drop in value, according to Houston appraiser Frank Lucco.

Here’s a quick video that will walk you through the basics of increasing curb appeal:

Budget curb-appeal improving landscape projects include:
Line the walkway with solar-powered lights. The big home improvement stores carry a variety of inexpensive styles and all you need to do is stick them in the ground. Not only are they functional – lighting your way at night – but they provide ornamentation as well.
Green up the lawn, keep it mowed and edged and reseed bare spots.
Add color to the planting beds. Be careful to keep your color choices aligned with the home’s architecture. In other words, don’t add cottage garden-type flowers to a bed in front of a starkly modern home. Certain plants are grown because of their interesting and colorful foliage, such as hosta and coleus, and are better suited to more modern homes. If you have questions about what to plant, consult with the experts at your local nursery.
Plant a tree. Yes, it sounds like an Arbor Day slogan, but planting a tree in your front yard pays off by helping cut energy costs in the summer (if strategically located to shade the house) and by adding value to the home. Not sure which tree to plant? Use the fun National Tree Benefit calculator to assist you with making the right choice. Just enter your zip code and the calculator will bring up a list of trees suited to your region and let you know the benefits of each.

We’ve only barely scraped the surface of this important topic here. Check out these time-tested curb appeal boosting tips to learn how to get more money for your home when you decide to sell!

7. Refurbish the Basement

Converting the basement into a finished room adds usable square footage to the home. Finishing basements is one of the best ways to increase your home’s value as it transforms unfinished basements – glorified storage space – into a usable, attractive room.

Consider the following basement bar. Who wouldn’t be willing to splash out thousands for the privilege of owning something like that?

Here is a short list of rooms your basement can become – and accoutrements to put inside it – if you choose to renovate it:
Sports den – Big screen TV, sports memorabilia, overstuffed couches and cushy carpeting
Lounge – Pool table, wet bar, dark hardwood floors and a poker table
Children’s play area – Playset, soft furniture like beanbag chairs, arts and crafts table and bins and shelves for toys and books
Photo courtesy of KairosPhotography.

8. Additional Storage

Most new homes come equipped with lots of storage. Older homes, on the other hand, tend to lack even some of the basic storage options, such as a coat or linen closet. If you lack the space to expand closets or other storage spaces or build new ones, consider redesigning the spaces you do have.

There are specialty stores now dedicated to nothing but storage solutions. Do-it-yourself projects may include adding a complete closet system or adding organization details to a pantry.

9. Additional Square Footage

Every 1,000 square feet added to a home raises the value by more than 3.3 percent, according to a 2003 study for the National Association of Realtors®.

While that percentage doesn’t sound significant, when you put it into numbers it makes a lot more sense. For instance, if your home is valued at $200,000, a 3.3 percent increase adds an additional $6,600 to the value.

Additionally, the 3.3 percent statistic can most likely be adjusted upward based on the age of the study. The study also claims that each additional bedroom adds 4 percent to the value of the home.

Each additional bedroom adds 4% to the value of the home.

If your laundry is located in the basement, the value of your home decreases by two percent, so if you plan on adding square footage to the home, build a laundry room on one of the upper floors.

10. Miscellaneous Home Improvements

There are many small items you can add to the home that buyers will perceive as adding value. Some of these include:
Alarm systems
Water filtration system
Luxury touches such as an upgraded dishwasher, whirlpool bathtub and built-in wine coolers may peak the buyer’s interest. Luxury homeowners can take this a step further by adding an in-home theater and additional spa-like features to the bathrooms.
Caveat – Invest in Home Improvements Wisely

One of the most important things to keep in mind when considering any home improvement project is to not go overboard. The value of your home is partially determined by the value of your neighbor’s homes, so don’t make improvements that bring your home’s value significantly over the general value of other homes in your neighborhood.

Michelle Mustain

843-338-4898

www.mickisellscharleston.com

How to Prepare for a garage sale when selling your home

Move
| By: Erik Gunther

When you are preparing for a move, a garage sale or yard sale is one of the best ways to clear away the clutter of old, unwanted stuff. Wading through your accumulated items may be a bit overwhelming, but it’s not as bad as moving to your new home with a bunch of boxes filled with things you don’t need. And, if you plan properly, you could end up with a sweet wad of cash in your pocket. Where to begin? Follow these tips for a great sale:
Advertise
Advertise your upcoming sale like crazy. Put an ad on your local Craigslist and detail what you’ll be selling. If you want your ad to stand out, be creative! Try headlines with a bit of humor or hype to increase interest.


Price Your Items
If you like haggling and don’t mind answering questions every time someone picks up or points at an item, don’t bother with pricing every piece. However, if you’d rather give shoppers a heads-up while you kick back in the shade, get some ready-made pricing stickers to put on the items.


Get Real
Be realistic with your price points. Very few buyers at garage sales are expecting to spend big bucks. If you have time before your sale, visit a couple of other neighborhood sales to gauge prices.


Bank Run
The day before the sale, make a run to the bank to get small bills and change.


Signage
Put up signs on busy streets and around your neighborhood that will lead shoppers to your place. On the signs, use black ink on a bright background and keep your message simple and easy to read.


Be Friendly
Greet your customers and let them know you’re there to answer any questions. A little friendliness goes a long way in encouraging sales.


On Display
Merchandising your items is key. Think about how stores pull in shoppers. A well-organized display of your wares will pique the interest of buyers and result in more sales. Take your stuff out of boxes and group items in a visually appealing way.


Increase Traffic
Put big-ticket items such as furniture, electronics or eye-catching pieces of art closest to the street or in a prominent spot for maximum visibility.


Giveaways!
Put together a catch-all box of junk and make a bright “Free Stuff” sign. Place this free box on the curb. Most shoppers driving by a garage sale can’t resist the allure of the lowest possible price point.


Make it Walkable
Create pathways through your merchandise. Shoppers who feel comfortable that they won’t knock something over or trip over a box will spend more time browsing and buying.


Don’t Take it Personal
Divorce yourself from any emotional attachment to your stuff. Buyers probably don’t care to hear about the history behind your possessions, they’re just looking for bargains.


Be Ready for Lowballs
Keep in mind that you’re trying to get rid of stuff and that low-ball offers are a part of the game. If you have truly valuable items, try selling them individually through eBay or Craigslist.


Be Flexible
Get flexible with your pricing as the day goes by. Knock a dollar or two off a listed price. Offer package deals to folks buying multiple items. Encourage customers to grab anything remotely interesting. You want to end the day with minimal leftovers – so don’t take a hard line on items you never have to see again.


Donation Time
Arrange to donate the leftover items at the end of the day. Make sure to get a receipt for your donation for a tax write-off.

Michelle Mustain

A House 'SOLD' Name

843-338-4898

http://www.mickisellscharleston.com

Hack Your Bedroom: High-Tech Devices Aim to Upgrade Your Sleep

Home Improvement
| By: Mat Probasco







Waking up on Sunday morning to find that an hour of your day has vanished is no big deal. It’s the lost hour of sleep each morning for the rest of the week that hurts, at least until your body adjusts. But guess what—there’s an app for that! Or rather, some cool gadgets that aim to give you the best night’s sleep ever.

Ironically, it’s often tech products keeping us from our much-needed rest, said sleep technologist Marietta Bibbs. From iPads to baby monitors, these devices make sure we’re constantly alert and connected. With 36 years in the sleep business, Bibbs said, she’s seen emphasis on a good night’s sleep dwindle as people increasingly work from wherever they are, emailing and texting from the pillow.

“We’re taking all these things to bed with us, and we aren’t taking sleep as seriously,” she said. But technology can work for us, too—by helping us understand our resting patterns and working with them.
They’re watching you sleep—but not in a creepy way

Wrist-worn health monitors have been all the rage of late. If you can get it to stay on all night, the Fitbit ($100–$250) can tell you how long you slept and how much of that time was spent tossing and turning. Bibb uses a similar device by Weight Watchers, ActiveLink, which sells for about $60. She’s a skeptic of their effectiveness in promoting efficient sleep, but said they do help in diagnosing sleep disorders.

Way cooler, though, is Sense, a futuristic-looking (and slightly eerie) sphere that sits on your bedside table and not only monitors your sleep patterns but also tracks everything that goes on around your slumber: light, temperature, even bumps in the night.

It’s wirelessly connected to the Sleep Pill, which attaches to your pillow. Together they track changes in ambient light, humidity, and room temperature; any sounds; and how much you move. The system also assesses particulate matter like pollen and dust in the air—vital to us allergy sufferers. If a mosquito kept you awake, you’d know what time it came in, how much noise it made, and when it bit you. All the collected data are displayed on your smartphone.

You can also check out your sleep environment, and make adjustments, before you get in bed—Sense turns green when conditions are ideal and red if the room is too light or warm.

The system’s Smart Alarm feature tracks your sleep cycle. Within a half-hour window of your chosen wake time, it finds the moment when you are likely in the lightest part of sleep, then plays one of 10 sounds. The system sells for $129.
And alarm clock designers said: Let there be light





In the old days, Bibbs said, we humans used to go to bed when the sun went down and wake with the dawn. Breaking that pattern was the first step on the road to bad sleep. Psychologist Shelby Harris, who runs the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center, said the only products she’s found to alter that dynamic are lights that allow for gentle waking.

“I have them buy a dawn simulator,” Harris said. “Some people find it very helpful.”

The Philips HF3500/60 Wake-Up Light is one such simulator. The yellow bedside lamp slowly starts to illuminate prior to your desired wake time, reaching peak brightness when it’s time to get out of bed. It also emits a soft beep—much more pleasant than drive-time radio snapping on at 6 a.m.! The device has 10 adjustable settings and rave reviews onAmazon, where it sells for about $70.

Another version of the light-up alarm clock comes from Withings Aura. This $300 system pairs a bedside lamp with an under-mattress motion-sensing pad to both monitor your sleep and actually help induce better sleep. The system monitors and reports ambient sound, light, and temperature. The pad tracks your heart rate and breathing cycles. Like the Sense, it has a smart-alarm system that wakes you at the best time within an adjustable window. The Withings Aura version uses blue spectrum light that inhibits your body’s output of melatonin (the chemical responsible for proper sleep patterns) to help you wake up (and employs its opposite, red spectrum light, at bedtime).
Mattress covers get smart, but the best sleep aid is low-tech

The 21st century hasn’t yet come through on its promise of flying cars, but we now have smart bedding. It’s a distant second, but we’ll take it.

The Luna mattress cover tracks breathing, heart rate, and sleep cycle, but rather than merely record the temperature, it adjusts it. The dual-zone control allows sleeping partners to individually set their side’s snuggle factor. It can be autoprogrammed, so you never have to climb into a cold bed again, and it features a smart alarm, too. The first Luna mattress covers (queen size, $199; king, about $220) are headed for the production line this spring and should be available by summer.

Somewhere, someone is almost certainly toiling over smart pajamas, but for now let’s say we’ve done all we can to transform our sad, sad bedroom of yesteryear into a proper ultramodern sleep space. Yet somehow that lost daylight saving time hour still haunts us. Science has the answer, but it’s sadly boring. Both Bibbs and Harris recommend simplygoing to bed an hour earlier.

The less interactive and thought-provoking your sleep aids are, the better, Harris said. “People start to obsess about, ‘Oh, I had this much deep sleep or this much light sleep,’ but it’s not really that accurate,” she said. “I actually recommend that people unplug.”

Michelle Mustain

A House 'SOLD' Name

843-338-4898

http://www.mickisellscharleston.com

Keep your home safe while on the market and vacant

| By: Angela Colley

If you’re moving out while your home is still on the market, your vacant property could attract more than potential buyers—it could attract criminal activity.

An unoccupied property is at risk for a break-in, and removing all your belongings doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Graffiti, damaged appliances, stolen copper wiring and broken windows can all add up to thousands of dollars in repairs.

Remember, don’t forget to let a REALTOR® know your moving plans. Your agent will want to take extra precautions once your property is vacant, and to keep your investment as safe as possible, you’ll have to convince passerby the property is still occupied.

Here’s how to pull it off.
1. Ask for Backup

When you’re moving out, tell your immediate neighbors, the head of your neighborhood watch and your local police department that your property will be vacant.

With more eyes on the house, you’ll have a better chance of getting quick assistance if someone does break in.
2. Maintain the Lawn

An unkempt yard is a surefire sign a home is vacant. In the warmer months, make sure the lawn is mowed regularly, the flowerbeds are free of weeds, and there is no loose trash around the curb or driveway.

In the cooler months, clean the rain gutters, rake leaves off the lawn and clear the driveway and walkway if it snows.
3. Don’t Let Paper Pile Up

As soon as you’re finished moving out, forward your mail and newspaper subscriptions to your new address.

Ask a family member, friend or neighbor to stop by your home regularly to check for phone books, flyers and any mail that might have been accidentally delivered.
4. Make Repairs

A few times a month, check the outside of your property for any needed repairs. If you find any obvious problems, make repairs as soon as possible.

A cracked window, broken porch railing or loose shutter are small problems—but problems a live-in owner would fix.
5. Use Your Driveway

If you have a driveway attached to your home, ask a neighbor to park a car there. Many families with more than one car will be happy for the extra space, and a car parked in the driveway is a great deterrent.
6. Leave the Curtains Behind

If at all possible, leave the curtains or blinds on the windows in the home when you’re moving out.

Keep the curtains drawn and the blinds closed, even at the back of the house, in case a potential vandal hops your fence to see what’s inside.
7. Keep the Lights On

Purchase lighting timers, connect to inexpensive lamps and place the devices strategically throughout the house. Set the timers to go on and off in different rooms at the appropriate times of day or night.

Some would-be thieves or vandals will watch a property for days before breaking in. If they see lights in different rooms, they’ll assume the property still is occupied.

Michelle Mustain

A House 'SOLD' Name

843-338-4898

http://www.mickisellscharleston.com

6 DIY Projects to do now that we have an extra hour of daylight

Home Improvement
| By: Craig Donofrio 



PREV
|





Most people prefer fall’s extra hour of sleep to spring’s extra-dark, extra-early mornings. But daylight saving time doesn’t give most Americans a choice (enjoy your exception, Hawaii and Arizona!).

Still, we’re not just losing an hour of sleep this week—we’re gaining an hour of daytime that we could use to accomplish small but significant home improvement projects.

Can you really do anything worthwhile in just an hour? Why, yes, according to experts we consulted.
1. Shut the—no, paint the front door


Your front door is on the receiving end of a lot of abuse, from people as well as the elements. As such, it can probably use a new coat of paint. Plus, refinishing your front door is a surefire way to increase your home’s curb appeal.

Can’t decide on a color? Go with black, says Leslie Ezelle, an interior designer and winner of HGTV’s “Design Star.”

“It works on traditional houses, contemporary houses—any-style house. It’s easy to work with and holds up really well, too,” Ezelle says.
2. Bring order out of chaos


If clutter is taking over your house, take an hour to put it in order—it will make cleaning up easier in the long run. The key is to get the right kind of bins or baskets, according to Tami Hills, owner of New Orleans–based organizing and staging business Nola Clutter Busters. Skip the plastic drawers and go for wood or metal containers for a more stylish feel, she says.

“Old luggage works, too,” she says. Think vintage trunks.

So measure your storage space, go get a set of containers, and tackle a room. Hills says the key to organizing is to “put like with like.” If it’s a bathroom, that means separate containers for dental products, makeup, hair products, etc. While you’re at it, grab another container to put by the front door to keep all your family’s shoes together.
3. Give your sad coffee table the makeover it deserves


If you have a wooden coffee table, you can transform it with a stonewashed look. (This technique also works on other wooden furniture such as a dresser.)

“A popular color right now is a slate gray color, like driftwood,” Ezelle says.

Take advantage of extra daylight by taking the table outside to remove the finish. Ezelle recommends a belt sander instead of a liquid remover, to cut down on fumes.

You will also need the following:
A paint brush
A satin, water-based polyurethane finisher
A beeswax cloth
A wet rag
Slate gray paint

Do your sanding in the same direction as the wood grain, then take the beeswax cloth to remove the dust. Grab a rag and dip it in water so it’s wet but not dripping, then dip it in the paint and apply to the table’s surface.

“Paint in the direction of the wood grain, and you can’t mess it up. You want a nice, thin layer. You’ll be able to see the wood grain through it,” she says. You could also add another layer, this time using the wet paint rag in a swirling motion to create a deeper stonewashed effect. Use the brush to finish it off with the polyurethane finish, and you’ve got yourself a good-looking table in less time than it takes to watch a “Sopranos” rerun.
4. Don’t leave your bathtub feeling neglected, either


A less sexy project, but one that’s important for the upkeep of your home, is redoing old bathtub caulking. Brittle old caulk can allow water to damage the walls surrounding the bathtub, leading to mold.

“Fortunately, recaulking a bathtub is a simple task that doesn’t require any specific skills and that anyone can learn how to do,” says Leah Borden, co-owner of the DIY repair siteSeeJaneDrill.com.
5. Turn kitchen scraps into black gold for your garden


You might not be able to see the ground for the snow right now, but with spring right around the corner, you’ll soon want to get your gardening on. Get on the zero-waste bandwagon and put together a compost bin to recycle your kitchen scraps (fruits and vegetables only) into rich soil for your lawn or garden.

“You can certainly buy compost bins if you wish, but it’s cheaper to make your own and it only takes about 15 minutes,” Borden says. That gives a 45-minute cushion to those of us who aren’t that comfortable with a power drill.

Here’s what you’ll need:
Heavy-gauge wire fencing (Borden uses 48-by-72 inches)
A 2-by-2-inch pressure-treated wooden stake that’s about a foot longer than the height of the fence
A small bit of scrap wood
Four fender washers
Four 1-inch self-tapping decking screws
Power drill
Safety glasses6. Help your kids’ art to grow up


If you need to fill some empty wall space, you can create a new piece of work by recycling old bits of pictures or paintings. Ezelle says this works especially well with kids’ artwork.

It’s like making a collage—cut up the artwork and brush it down with glue on the canvas. Ezelle painted the edges black and drizzled paint, “Jackson Pollock–style,” over the art for a contemporary look.

And your kids would probably like to join in, too.

Michelle Mustain

A House 'SOLD' Name

843-338-4898

http://www.mickisellscharleston.com